Beauty Bits

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.

I’ve been testing quite a few new (to me) concealers and thought I update my blog post with all the formulas that I’m loving. There are some new additions and a few got removed in favor of other formulas I like more. As I’ve gotten older, I need a different kind of concealer that helps to conceal but still keeps my under eye area smooth, won’t settle into fine lines and doesn’t emphasize texture. If you are in the market for a new concealer and you have mature skin, this is the post to bookmark!

Best Concealers for Mature Skin

Sarah Creal Face Flex Concealer & Complexion Enhancer

The Face Flex Concealer and Complexion Enhancer is designed to be a multi-purpose complexion product that moves with your face throughout the day without creasing or fading for up to 12 hours. I personally use it only as a concealer but it can easily be dabbed all over the face and blended out as a light foundation or complexion enhancer. This is creamy and smooth perfection!!! Some concealers claim to be creamy and hydrating but still dry down and make my under eye area look cakey. This does not at all. It’s super blendable but does set after a few minutes. It’s moisturizing and slightly blurring.

The Face Flex Concealer gives medium coverage though can easily be sheered out by applying a smaller amount. For me, it is the perfect amount of coverage and manages to look absolutely flawless on the skin. It gives a nice natural finish that mimics the look of real skin. It’s truly beautiful.

Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Brightening & Hydrating Concealer

As soon as this was launched, I immediately ordered it. The shade range is amazing (50 colors + 6 correcting concealer shades). And it is formulated to be a serum-like concealer with medium to buildable full coverage. You can instantly feel the serum texture as soon as you swipe it on the skin. It’s incredibly creamy, hydrating and smoothing yet still covers anything and everything I need. It contains biomimetic pigments and texture-perfecting microspheres which gives it a flawless and slightly blurring aspect.

It’s incredibly long-wearing and suitable for all skin types but especially if you struggle with dry under eyes, this formula is perfect! I can see why it has become a favorite amongst makeup artists AND consumers too. Read my full dedicated review post here.

MAKE Beauty Skin Mimetic Concealer

Another serum concealer that I instantly impressed me and would be perfect for dry, textured or mature skin. It provides light to medium coverage in a serum-like consistency with a radiant dewy finish. While it’s somewhat buildable, it’s not meant to be full coverage. The formula has skin mimicking pigments so it does blend in effortlessly and lasts nearly all day. I’ve also tried using it as a quick makeshift foundation and it looks stunning on the skin. I typically will use it only under the eyes and maybe around my nose to conceal any redness. It’s not as blurring as some of the other formulas but still looks skin-like and nearly undetectable.

Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Concealer

Much like the skin tint, this concealer gives amazing medium coverage without looking cakey or emphasizing fine lines. The shade range for her concealer is diverse and includes something for every skin tone. There are 20 shades in all to choose from. The concealer is formulated with various skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid to hydrate, caffeine to reduce puffiness and centella asiatica to moisturize and strengthen the skin barrier.

RMS Beauty Revitalize Hydra Concealer (discount code: Maree-15)

This was a very new discovery that I tried in late November but it became an instant favorite. The Revitalize Hydra Concealer is a medium coverage hydrating concealer with skincare ingredients. It blends like an absolute dream, doesn’t emphasize fine lines and LASTS ALL DAY! This is  one of the longest wearing concealers I have ever tried. Another distinguishing feature of this concealer is the small brush applicator which is different from many traditional doe foot applicators. I love how precise you can be with the brush as it allows me to spot treat areas easily. It melts into the skin and is virtually undetectable while still giving amazing coverage.

ILIA Beauty Skin Blur Serum Concealer

I’ve only been testing this concealer for a short time but I had to include it in this list because the formula is that impressive. This is a true blurring formula that gives medium coverage with a satin finish. It gives a soft focus like look to the skin which is perfect for those with texture or fine lines. Additionally, the ILIA Skin Blur Serum Concealer is extremely long wearing and doesn’t require any setting powder to last the entire day. It feels lightweight because of the serum-like texture but still covers everything I need it to.