How to Use Face and Body Bronzer

If you seek a beautiful, bronzed glow, you aren’t alone. Bronzed skin is undeniably sought after, hence the popularity of self-tanner. Of course, there’s another way to get your glow on: bronzer. A bit of carefully placed bronzer can give you a flush of healthy-looking color and make it look as if you may have recently spent a little time by the beach—what more could you ask for? Here, learn how to take your face makeup—and your body beauty routine—to the next level with the help of bronzer. That’s right, we’re sharing how to use face and body bronzer!

Our Best Face and Body Bronzer

Before we can dive into how to use bronzer, let us fill you in on our best face and body bronzer: the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Bronze It Bronzer. This powder bronzer—which can be used to achieve sun-kissed skin on your face and body—comes in three subtly shimmery shades, light, medium, and dark, allowing you to choose based on your skin tone.

Editor’s note: Partial to using cream products in your makeup routine? Try bronzing with a darker shade of the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer.

How to Use Face Bronzer

Using bronzer is certainly easier than applying winged eyeliner or mastering a cut crease, but there are still mistakes that can be made. To ensure you know how to apply face bronzer, follow our simple step-by-step tutorial.

Step 1: Pick the Right Color

All bronzers aren’t created equal. Choose the wrong product and you could end up looking orange, or worse: dirty. Yep, you’ll want to take time to find the best bronzer for your skin tone. Look for bronzers with a beige base and just a little bit of shimmer. You don’t want to go overboard! Steer clear of shades that have red undertones, while these may seem like they’ll warm up your complexion, you’ll risk ending up with an orange beauty look.

Step 2: Follow the Rule of Three

One of the biggest bronzer mistakes we see being made is dusting it all over your face. While we can understand the thought process behind this move, it’s not the way to achieve a bronzed look. Instead, you’ll want to place bronzer in key spots. Thankfully, there’s a helpful rule that makes it easy to remember exactly where to apply your face bronzer; all you need to do is think of the number three. Imagine a three on the side of your face, sweeping from your temples to your cheekbones and down to your jawline—that’s where your bronzer should go. Use a fluffy powder brush to dust on your bronzer and remember: less is more.

Step 3: Blend!

Don’t forget to blend. Your bronzer shouldn’t look super obvious, it should be subtle. If you think you might have been too heavy-handed, dip your powder brush into translucent powder and use it to help blend out your bronzer.

How to Use Body Bronzer

Using body bronzer isn’t all too different from using face bronzer. You’ll still want to use shades that aren’t too orange or overly sparkly, and it’s just as important to blend. To apply bronzer to your body, sweep the product onto your shoulders and collarbones—this will look amazing paired with a v-neck!

Beyond using powder bronzers on your body, if you’re looking for an all-over body bronzing, you can use a wash-off self-tanner. These handy products are basically makeup and self-tanner hybrids since they can be applied at a moment’s notice when you need to be bronzed, then washed off at the end of the night. Really, they’re as convenient as can be. Smooth one on wherever you want to have sun-kissed skin—we recommend bronzing your arms and legs the next time you’ll be sporting a sundress or hitting the beach. When it comes time to bid farewell to your bronzed skin, hop in the shower and wash up as per usual.

Now, we still have time to share another beauty lesson. Click right over to our article, How to Contour Your Body.