Its June and June usually translates into Summer. Hot sun, tans…. but I hear the ladies in the Northern Hemisphere aren’t quite enjoying as hot a summer as they’d like this year. Wish I could trade you some sun for some cooling rain! Down in the Southern Hemisphere, its turning cold as winter sets in.
I’ve learnt that there is one makeup item that pops up at about this time that can transcend the seasons – bronzer. It brings glow to a tan in Summer and brings life to dull pasty skin in Winter. I am personally only just starting to get the hang of bronzers. For the most part, I’m still not quite into them, simply because the brown shades show up quite stark against my skin. But I’m learning to look at bronzers which are lighter and sheerer in colour and texture and when I do find them, comes the next question: How do I use a bronzer?
Maxime Poulin ~ Guerlain International Makeup Artist from Paris
The most important thing however, is knowing how to apply a bronzer. Sure, we’ve all heard of tips like “Drawing a big 3 on your face”, “Shading under your cheekbones”, “Use it to contour”, “Apply it where the sun hits” but seriously ladies, I don’t know about you, but these tell me nothing. I can’t apply it where the sun hits because on this pancake face, it hits everywhere 😛 Plus since I don’t tan, and don’t go out in the sun a lot, I’m not quite sure where the sun hits.
However, during a short chat with Mr. Maxime Poulin, International Makeup Artist from Guerlain, I’ve picked up some tips that I found much more helpful than anything I’d ever read. I hope you will too.
Where to apply bronzer
- Start by feeling the bones on your face. You want to look natural by shading under the bones that protrude – cheekbones, brow bone. Don’t shade where you will not naturally see a shadow or hollow. The eye isn’t tricked that easily and you could end up looking odd.
- Shade under the jawline. This gives an illusion of a defined jawline. Don’t use a colour that is too dark because it has to blend into your neck as well. Not done right, you might look like you have some dirt on your jaw that needs cleaning.
- Shade at both corners of your temples from the brow-bone creating a triangle taking it to the hairline. This tricks the eye into making your forehead look less broad and your face look smaller.
- Shade under your natural cheekbones to lift your cheekbones visually. This gives an illusion of higher cheekbones.
- Shade close to your hair line. It should be a seamless shadow that looks natural, not so obvious as to say “Look! I’m wearing bronzer!”
I have done a little collage for some simple guidelines on where you could apply bronzer and more importantly, where NOT to apply bronzer. Pictures are just so much easier to handle than words aren’t they? 🙂
The brown shaded areas show you where bronzer should go. The blue lines are the limits.
Where NOT to apply bronzer
As important as it is to know where to apply bronzer is to know where NOT to apply bronzer. Using a bronzer seems to be more of an exact science than any other makeup item! Using the image above, here’s where you should stop with the bronzer.
- No bronzer in the area between the irises of the eyes. Just looking at the irises of your own eyes, keep the area in between a bronzer free zone. This should instead be used as a highlight area which can give an illusion of a narrower face.
- Measuring from the tops of your ears to your nose, no bronzer above that imaginary line. The area above would be your natural cheekbones which would be reserved for blush and highlighter. Going above it with bronzer can throw off the line of the eye.
- No bronzer under your nose. Going too low with your bronzer, just like blush, can pull down your face visually and make you look older. This applies mostly for the cheek bronzer application. The area to shade would be just a small triangle under your cheekbones, just above the line of your nose.
- Bronzing on temples on side of brow bone to the hair line. Don’t take it too far inwards (Remember Item #1)
I was quite naturally thrilled to know that Monsieur Maxime Poulin is a big fan of the Guerlain Meteorites perles powder. Truly a man after my own heart 🙂 Guerlain Meteorites are, he says, like a family secret. It is a beauty tip passed down from mother to daughter. I couldn’t agree more!
However, if a young lady in France were to go out and buy her first Guerlain item, she would likely go for the Guerlain Terracotta powders. Guerlain was the first company to use the name “Terracotta” in their bronzing powders and the powders are supposed to be light and sheer enough to suit any skintone, even mine.
In fact, and I have to agree, Guerlain has one of the largest selections of bronzing powders as compared to other brands, and it is mostly permanent. Talking to Monseiur Poulin made me want to run right out and pick up a Guerlain Terracotta powder! Sadly, with all due respect to Monseiur Poulin, I still found them too brown-orange for me. I am however happy with the colour in Terra Inca from last year, so I’ve decided to practice with it for now using these tips here, and see how I feel about it. Maybe by Guerlain’s Terracotta 2013 collection, I’ll be ready for my first proper Terracotta bronzer 🙂
I hope these tips on how to apply bronzer have helped you understand it and maybe be less afraid of it. I must say that the key thing for me, is to find a powder that can double up for contouring because many bronzers are by themselves a little too deep in tone for me. However, when you do find one, practice. None of this is an exact science and naturally, you shouldn’t be seeing lines of colour on your face as I have shown in the image. What you should see is a softly contoured look that tricks the eye into seeing cheekbones and definition without someone telling you “Oh, is that some dirt on your face? Here, let me help you remove it with some tissue paper”
Are you a fan of bronzer? Have you tried the Guerlain Terracotta bronzing powders and do you have a recommendation for one that you think might not be as scary dark for me? 🙂
Paris B
I love bronzers! I’m very fair so I use them all year long with a sheer light layer and in the summer more intensely. I’m using Estée Lauder’s Soft Shimmer Bronzer, it’s my all-time favourite 🙂
Sounds like a lovely way to add colour to your skintone 🙂 thanks for sharing your fave bronzer too!
Classic example of A picture is worth a thousand words!
Thanks, Paris!! 😉
Glad you found it useful, CC! 🙂
Love the illustration!! Great post, Paris! I really appreciated the way he explained things, and made them really easy to understand. 🙂
Thanks Yani! It was so clear after he explained it that I actually got it right! Lol!
Great tips! I usually suck in my cheeks ala fish-face and apply the bronzer under my cheekbones hahaha. I also use it on my jawline to fake a kuaci face, heh heh heh.
Yes, the sucking in of cheeks is a good place to start but it may not show you where to stop 🙂 I’m sort of glad I no longer have to make a fish face at myself anymore lol!
Hi Paris, I would like to recommend Lunasol Shading Cheeks for contour, I got mine from Ichibankao. It’s divided into 3 strips of poweder & has a strip of powder to contour as well as a strip of powder to give a subtle highlight. It show’s subtly on my face, I’m usually NC30 but on cold days about NC25. It is very subtle 🙂
I love Guerlain Bronzers! The 4Seasons is my favorite.
Hi Lazeny, thanks for theLunasol rec! I love Lunasol makeup so I’ll check it out at the counter next time I’m there 🙂 I’m actually dying to try a Guerlain bronzer. I wonder if I dare take the plunge anyway and hope its not too strong 😛
You know how much I love bronzers! Would my boring skin, Bronzer gives me the life! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the tips and diagram!!! 🙂
Bring skin? You?? No way 😛
awesome information, Paris! i’m a pale girl too and to be honest i’ve never been attracted to bronzers – tried it out once using a friend’s bronzer with the ‘draw a big 3’ method and i ended up looking like a monkey. this post plus the burberry bronzer you featured recently might just get my bronzer buying engine started! 😀
Haha I know exactly what you mean!! All those ‘draw a big 3’ tips never worked for me. I looked odd and everything was just off. I still prefer my pale self but the Burberry was a good place to start. Also look at Guerlain, because they seem to be specialists in bronzers 🙂
Thanks for the tips! I like the drawings. 🙂
I don’t wear bronzer much, but I’d like to learn how to use them more to get a nice glow and defined features like my cheekbones. ^^
Thanks Lumi! Like you, I’m not that into bronzers but I have to admit that done right, it does accentuate the contours of the face in a very flattering way!
Thanks for the tips! This is the most useful tips I’ve gotten so far. A Bobbi Brown SA taught me to draw a big three (forehead, top of my cheekbones, jaw), but it’s always looked a bit odd on me.
I’m glad you found these useful. I thought Mr. Poulin made so much sense and made it seem so easy! I never got the big 3 tip either. I just ended up looking off. On hindsight, it might be because it’s too low on our faces 🙂 have you tried these tips yet?
Did the makeup artist say anything about how to choose the shade of bronzer? I feel like it’s so hard to choose the correct shade. It’s like buying so many, and see when you get lucky. haha.
No he didn’t say anything about that although he assured me I could wear a Guerlain bronzer even though it looks dark, because the powders come indifferent shades, are very sheer and suit all skintones. That said, he was from Guerlain so naturally he was pushing his powders 😉
I’m not that into bronzer because I’m already tan all the year (for have an idea I´m a NC42 in MAC) so using bronzer for me it´s not really an tempting idea, but if I buy one it would be for contour.
Ah yes, you wouldn’t be needing bronzer to tan, but maybe to add a glow or contour?
In my opinion, the most important thing is to start with a light hand then build up from there. Also, a well blended contour is key to looking natural!
Good tips, Lily. I think bronzers and blush are the easiest things to overdo
ROFL. Luckily I haven’t had people telling me “Oh, is that some dirt on your face?” yet. 😀
Looks like I might be using the right method afterall. 😉
Awesome! Which bronzer are you using?
NARS Laguna 🙂 Though it’s a bit hard to get locally.
Dior Bronze Matte Sunshine #1 Healthy Matte is perfect for fair complexions (you can always go with the “Original Tan” if you prefer iridescence; the shades are all identical). The colour is a delicate peachy bronze that isn’t the least bit brown!
Thanks for the rec! Peachy bronze sounds pretty!
excellent diagrams! i remember watching a video once about how to use stila contouring kit and i really learnt a lot from the video 😀
True! Video wild have been much better…. But No way I’m doing a video lol!
Thank you so much for these idiot-proof diagrams! *runs off to dust bronzer on face*
I hope they were helpful, Sukie! Which bronzer are you using then?
Im using the Guerlain Terracotta bronzer! Tried it on with a really light hand and it seems to look okay! Didn’t get strange looks from others so I’m guessing it turned out fine! Thank you so much for your help! 😀
Ahhhh I might cave and get the mosaic one. I read it’s much sheerer so I’m less likely to make mistakes 🙂
i have pancake face too! and i never wear makeup now that i stopped working, but my masters just ended so it may be time for some learning to bronze! i do want a contoured face =(
Won’t take you long to pick it up I’m sure! Congrats on completing your Masters, you brainy one 😉
Great post! You explained everything so clearly and the illustrations are very helpful. I use bronzers to contour my face on special occasions. I don’t have a favourite bronzer though. At the moment I’m using mainly Sleek Makeup Blush in Suede as bronzer. It is matte and looks very natural on pale skin.
Thank you Gio, glad the drawings were useful! I didn’t think of using Suede! I wonder if I still have it or if I’ve given it away lol!
I wasn’t into bronzers before but when I saw the results of contouring on my face a few years back, I am sold. I dont usually go all out to contour my face, but for day to day, I apply a bit under my cheekbones to give the ‘slimmer face’ look. And I actually use theBalm Bahama Mama.
Ah theBalm is popular and it looks pretty too! I was afraid it’s too brown though. I’m terrified of brown powders I guess 😛
I like doing the shading under my jaws. Actually, slightly above, from under my ear lobes (my ears are quite long) slanting down to my chin. Gives me the illusion of a slimmer, shaper face. Normally matte ones work better.
I see Canmake chocolate contour powder at Watsons in Sg. They are matte ones which would do the shading beautifully.
I am using one from The Balm purchased from Sasa in Sg.
I’m going to have to do the slimmer jaw thing. Maybe it’ll make me think I’ve lost weight lol! I remember seeing the theBalm bronzer. Will have to check it out again.
Yes, definitely! Some colleagues commented about how my face looks slimmer immediately when I started doing this. At the same time, I started going to the gym to workout and using the Clarins V contour serum thing. 😀
I guess that helps me to fake it till I make it.