Liquid bronzers is one of the easiest ways to add warmth, dimension, and a healthy glow to your skin. It’s different from contouring which is designed to sculpt and define the face by mimicking natural shadows which create a more chiseled look. If you want to add a bit of sun kissed color or warmth to your face, using a liquid bronzer is one of the best ways to achieve that. Today’s post is dedicated to helping you understand how to apply liquid bronzer to give a radiant, natural finish.
How To Apply Liquid Bronzer
Liquid formulas create a more skin-like finish than powder which also makes them a great option for mature skin. Deciding on the placement of your liquid bronzer can determine whether the result looks radiant and lifted or slightly muddy and unnatural. In order to get the best result with liquid bronzer, it’s important to focus on shade selection, blending techniques and strategic placement to get the most natural result.
What Is Liquid Bronzer?
Liquid bronzer is a fluid or cream-based complexion product designed to add warmth and dimension to the face It can come in matte, satin, and radiant finishes depending on your preference and skin type. They can be worn alone or mixed into your foundation to give an all over glow. Because of the formulation of most liquid bronzers, they blend effortlessly into the skin rather than sitting on top like powder bronzers can do.
What Is Liquid Bronzer Used For?
- Adding warmth to pale or flat foundation
- Soft contouring
- Enhancing a tan
- Creating dimension in minimal makeup routines
- Mixing with moisturizer for all over glow
How To Choose the Right Bronzer Shade
Choose 1 to 2 shades darker than your skin tone
In order to create that sun-kissed look, it’s important to choose a bronzer shade that is slightly darker than your skin tone. Don’t go too dark or it will look unnatural and slightly muddy. If you are fair-skinned like myself, I do a blog post on the best bronzer for fair skin if you need recommendations.
Match undertone
This can be a bit tricky if you struggle with identifying your undertone so don’t worry if you can’t. Sticking to the rule of thumb that it should be a tad darker than your skin tone is a safe way to choose a shade you will like. If you are confident in your undertone, it definitely can help in choosing the best liquid bronzer shade though you may need to browse different brands to find an undertone that matches you.
Avoid overly orange tones
Brands have gotten better at formulating bronzing products with a more golden base so it’s getting easier to avoid overly orange shades. But it’s best to check swatches online to see what they look like on bare skin to help you decide on a shade that doesn’t skew orange.
Where To Apply Liquid Bronzer
Round Face
If you have a round face, focus on the temples and below the cheekbones.
Square Face
For a square face, blend along the jawline and temples.
Heart Shaped Face
With a heart shaped face, it’s best to apply the product lightly to the forehead and blend outward.
How Do You Apply Liquid Bronzer
Step 1: Prep skin with moisturizer and primer
Ensure your skin is well prepped and you are starting with a hydrated base.
Step 2: Apply foundation or base product
Once your skin is moisturized, apply your foundation or complexion product. When using a liquid bronzer, it’s best to apply it over a cream or liquid foundation. If you want to add powder, do it after your liquid bronzer.
Step 3: Dot liquid bronzer lightly on outer perimeter
Focus the product on the outer perimeter of the face since that is where the sun would naturally hit you.
Step 4: Blend upward and outward using stippling motions
Whether you decide to use your fingers, a sponge or a brush, be sure to blend the product up and out towards the hairline. Do not use downward strokes because it will ultimately blend the product down and not create a natural warmth to the cheeks. Also, be sure you blend the product starting from the center of the face and out towards the hairline. Do not blend the product from the hairline to the center of the face because it will bring the product too close to the nose.
Step 5: Buff out the edges
This can sound a bit confusing but it is actually probably the easiest part of the process. I like to use the sponge or brush I used to apply my foundation and with whatever small bit is left on there, I will tap it along the edge of where the bronzer ends both on the top and bottom of the cheek. This is to avoid a harsh line of where the bronzer stops and instead gives a smooth blended look. Your bronzer may look blended from the front but from the side, it can still show a definitive line of product so it’s a final step that I feel makes my bronzer look much more natural and seamless.
Step 6: Set lightly if needed
If you worry that your liquid bronzer won’t last all day, you can always use a bronzing powder to set it.
Best Liquid Bronzers
Makeup by Mario Bronzing Serum in Light
This is a definitely a product that is super user friendly and almost foolproof to apply. There is a pump so you can choose to mix product in with your foundation/skin tint or you can choose to use the doe foot applicator to place the product where you want it on the face. You can use it as a bronzer or as a sculpting/contour product to define certain parts of the face. Before I purchased it, I saw a ton of videos on social media of people using the product and it looks so great that I had to try it for myself.
It doesn’t have a shimmer finish but it looks healthy and radiant when on the skin. This bronzing serum is the most user friendly product ever! You don’t have to worry about using too much or blending it out quickly before it dries down. It’s creamy, smooth and melts into the skin with minimal effort.
Sacheu Contour Stay-n in shade 1
Though this is technically a contour, I use it the same way I do all of my bronzers. And if all your bronzers end up being too warm or turning orange, this is a great option since it is so cool-toned. The formula is very lightweight, blends like a dream and lasts all day long!
Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops
My skin is loving all things Westman Atelier so I ordered these bronzing drops during the Sephora sale. The formula is absolutely stunning especially for mature skin. I purchased shade 1 which is subtle enough to give a hint of warmth to the skin. It’s a matte finish but because the formulation is liquid, it doesn’t look flat or dull on the skin. My only complaint is that the packaging gets very messy. Product gets all over the inside of the cap which is frustrating but not enough of a deal breaker for me not to keep using and recommending it. Hopefully they can fix the packaging in the future.
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