Hello Beauties :),

I hope you’re all having a good Monday! I got a text from my bff a little while ago, letting me know she had just landed after being in Italy for a month. I haven’t seen her for five weeks so I took tomorrow off for a bff day that includes Target roaming, mani/pedis, and having a huge meal at In-N-Out burger. Can’t wait!

Earlier today, I was on Facebook and one of my high school friends posted this:

LOL, I know I’ve picked products up before and felt the same way. I asked her what she bought, and she said it was the Mineralize Skinfinish in Gold Deposit to use as a bronzer, but didn’t know how to use it. I’m putting this post together for Tracy and all of the newbie bronzer users. Trust me, it took a while for me to embrace bronzer and get it just right. Here’s a face chart I drew guidelines on for where bronzer goes:

I’ve tried all kinds of different application methods, but applying the bronzer in the shape of a three has been the one that provides the best and most natural looking results for me. To start off, you need a good brush. For a lighter application, I use the e.l.f. complexion brush; the bristles are really soft and fluffy, so it doesn’t pick up a ton of product. Swirl the brush in the bronzer, lightly tap off the excess, and start buffing the product into your skin in about one to two inch swirls. Here are some pointers:

-Blend, blend, blend your heart out! The worst thing you can do with bronzer is apply it in one sweep and then just let it sit on top of your skin. You have to blend away the lines of demarcation so it looks natural and warms up to your skin.

-Do not apply bronzer all over your face unless you’re a pro. This creates a dirty/ruddy looking complexion that flatters no one. Sparkly bronzers are especially bad in this case, they’ll make you look shiny. Try to follow the three shape to start off and go from there as you get more comfortable. Example of bad all over bronzer below:

-Don’t use a product more than two…maybe three shades darker than your skin tone (I say three for those of us that have been out and tanned everywhere except our face lol). You’re not trying to change your skin color completely and this wont look natural at all. You want this to look like sunkissed color, not fake.

-Once you learn to gauge the amount of product you need, try a flat top brush like the e.l.f. powder brush for application. This brush blends like a dream, but can be iffy for blush/bronzer application if you’re new or heavy handed.

-Remember to start off with a little bit of product. You can always add more and it’s easier than having to wash your face and start all over again.

-Make sure you blend the product well along your hairline, ears, and neck…you don’t want to be two-toned.

-If you got a little excited with the bronzer and need to tone it down, you can buff some of it away with a clean brush and some powder in your natural skin tone. Remember to blend like crazy!

-If in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask me for anymore pointers. You can email me at nessalovesmakeup@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you asap.

I hope this has been at least a little bit helpful, Tracy!

What tips do you have for bronzer application?

<3V