Beginner's Guide To Applying Bronzer Like A Pro (With Video)

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Using a, or applying bronzer on your face is a great way to add an attractive, natural-looking glow to your face. A lot of people have wondered where it is all that important to your makeup. The simple answer is, bronzer is a very important makeup item to use if you want to perfectly complete your flawless makeup look. So, here I will assume that you are quite new to this and would show you a simple beginner’s guide to applying bronzer like a pro.

What Is Bronzer Used For?

If you just got the makeup item recently, or have been hearing a lot about it and wondered what exactly bronzer is used for, let me clarify that for you. Bronzer, also called bronze by some people, is simply used to get that sun-kissed glow and tanned look. Bronzers can be used to darken areas of the skin and to add warmth. It is a great way to make your skin look radiant and healthy without looking unnatural. And most importantly (for me), it gives an illusion that makes your face appear slimmer.

Makeup Items You Need To Apply Bronzer Like A Pro

You’ll be glad to know that what you need to achieve that perfect bronzed look are just a Bronzer and a Bronzer Brush. And of course a mirror, lol. These things may or may not already be part of what you have in your makeup box. The trick is not in having the most expensive or most sought after items, but to know just how to use these just like a pro and get that desired bronzed, chiselled look at the end of your makeup.

What’s The Best Bronzer To Apply During Makeup?

Honestly, the best bronzer to apply during your makeup is a Matte Bronzer. It is understandable for you to ask why. Matte bronzers have become the go-to for creating a defined and chiselled face without looking too shiny in the process. Matte makeup items do not appear shiny and technically, bronzers are not supposed to be shiny, just leave that to your contour/highlighter instead. You don’t want to have a shiny bronzed look so it doesn’t appear unnatural. This is a good matte bronze I recommend which is from ELF and also has a blush added to the palette. It is an Aqua beauty blush and bronzer set that will switch up your makeup style the right way.

How to choose the right bronzer for your skin tone:

If you are wondering how to choose the right bronzer for your skin tone or asking how to choose the best bronzer for dark skin, brown skin or even pale skin, let me just give the simplest answer. You can always invest in the best bronzer by looking for one that is just one to two shades darker than your natural skin tone. This way you can easily achieve that bronzed look without giving away the art behind it.

What’s The Best Bronzer Brush To Use?

If you are looking for a bronzer brush just for applying your bronzer during makeup, here’s one that is high quality, environmentally friendly, cruelty-free and also in travel size. This brush effortlessly creates a sunkissed tone and also sweeps powder or cream bronzer evenly across the face. It is one with soft, short bristles so you can control the application of the bronzer. It’s an EcoTools Bronzer Brush that also blends & sets blush, powder and highlighter. Check full details about it here on Amazon. If you just want to go ahead and get a complete makeup brush set (which I totally recommend as it would save you money and still give you more value), here’s one that I recommend you should have – a 22pcs makeup brush set for blending powder or cream makeup.

Are contour and bronzer the same thing?

When I started out with creating complete makeup looks, I was always mixing the two up and after watching tons of videos, I finally got to know that contour and bronzer aren’t the same things. Simply put, a contour is used to create shadows, which comes out greyish and cool-toned hue. While the bronzer gives this chiselled look and comes with a warm tone. So, if you are wondering whether you can use your bronzer to contour your face, just know that you can’t really do that as if you ever contoured with bronzer, you may get your skin looking orange rather than defined. Lightly dusting bronzer on your face will help warm the skin tone and give subtle depth. Then your contour will give a more angular and sculpted appearance.

When Do I Apply Bronzer?

Unlike your powder or foundation, the bronzer is applied to areas that need a warmer tone to give that chiselled look. You apply bronzer when you are aiming for a complete makeup look and want your face to appear slimmer and well-defined.

applying-bronzer-lke-a-pro-for-chiselled-look — Notice how the bronzer got her face better defined & slimmer, especially what it did to her nose?

Where Do I Apply Bronzer?

You have got yourself a bronzer but don’t know where to apply it? Simple, bronzer goes on after your regular face makeup which includes foundation, concealer, and powder. But it has to come before the blush. Apply it on your hairline/upper forehead, into the hollow of your cheek, over your chin, nose, just below the cheekbone, neck and just below the jawline.

How To Apply Bronzer Like A Pro In 3 Steps

So, now that you have all you need to get started, and you have probably finished the other makeup application you need to do before applying bronzer, let’s get ‘bronzing’. Here is a step by step beginner’s guide to applying your bronzer like a pro:

Step One: Since the bronzer goes on after your face makeup, simply use your brush to lightly touch the bronzer on the palette, tap it to remove any excess and brush on the areas that need to be bronzed. P.S: ensure that the bronzer is 1 or 2 shades darker than your natural skin tone

Step Two: Using a sweeping motion, you will have to gently apply the bronzer to your face by imagining that you are drawing a big number 3 at the sides of your face. The bronzer should go along the hairline/upper forehead, into the hollow of your cheek, over your chin, nose, just below the cheekbone, neck and just below the jawline. Here’s a simple illustration in the image below:

Step Three: Blending is super important anywhere you are applying the bronzer, especially on the neck. Make sure everything is smoothly blended out so it’s not obvious what you are trying to do. If you feel like there’s a harsh and obvious line that you can’t get rid of, try using a little bit of translucent powder to smooth it out.

And voila, your bronzer is all done and you can continue with the rest of your makeup. Sometimes it takes a bit of practice to get the placement right. It’s fine if you struggle to get it at the beginning. But once you get a hang of it, you would see yourself bronzing your face in just a few seconds.

Video tutorial to show you how to apply bronzer like a pro even as a beginner in two minutes +

If you prefer a visual demonstration on the easiest you can apply bronzer to your face, then you have to watch this two minutes + bronzer application tutorial. I got this video on Youtube and no, it’s not me in it. Credit goes to Bianca.

So, what do you think? It’s something you can try out on your own right?

Let’s hear your thoughts below. And if you have tried it, do well to share your experience below!

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Beginner’s Guide To Applying Bronzer Like A Pro (With Video)