Earlier this year, I came across a photo of my friend and me at a music festival, and thought, “Damn! You don’t look like you’re dying – for once.” All due credit went to my bronzer. And my blush was called five glasses of wine. You see, as a teenager, I would refuse to touch any product that had even the slightest potential to make it look like blood was healthy, flowing through my body. Add borderline anaemia to it, which made my skin almost translucent.
In a happy accident though, the pendulum swung the other way a few years later. Then began my obsession with looking sun-soaked and pink.
I was all about that not-so-subtle glow and a faux tan. This though is all about looking like you don’t have dirt smeared on your face.
There’s a little trick I like to deploy – by using a blush brush, I swipe the bronzer just below my cheekbone. Slightly above that, I apply a lighter bronze colour with a bit of shimmer, with the same blush brush. Blend the two upwards towards your cheekbone, and you’re welcome. Take a fan brush and lightly dust off some bronzer on your nose and chin too.
In terms of bronzers, a lot of people love Benefit’s Hoola powder, which honestly is not the best shade for a majority of skin tones. Which brings me to my main point: if you don’t apply this one correctly, it can look like you have dirt on your face after playing with a rather messy nephew.
Please, please, please throw out that tiny brush that comes with it right away, it’s horrible. An angled or a fan brush is an absolute must. As for choosing what shade of bronzer is right for you: a safe way to check is to buy two shades darker than your skin tone. With that excuse to go play at Sephora, I apologise to your bank in advance.