8 Biggest Mistakes You Make With Bronzer

Bronzer is the perfect way to get a nice sun-kissed look without the sun damage. The only downside: It's easy to mess up. Here's how to avoid the most common bronzer mistakes, so you can get as close to that natural glow as possible.

1. Loading the brush and directly applying it. Repeat after me: Swirl, tap, apply. If you don't tap the brush on a table or countertop first, you will probably wind up applying way too much product. If you're using a liquid or cream formula, make sure to add bronzer to your applicator in gradual amounts rather than loading it all on at once.

2. Attempting too much contouring. Contouring is a wonderful way to enhance your bone structure by utilizing lighter and darker shades, but trying to totally change your face can look heavy and unnatural. Use bronzer to complement your face — not disguise it.

3. Picking a shimmery formula. Shimmery bronzer gives your complexion a shiny, sparkly look. But on oily skin, it can make things look anything but natural. Same thing applies for normal skin if your start to sweat. So skip the sparkles for your face and stick to a matte formula. If you do feel the urge to add a little shimmer, use it to highlight your collarbone and shoulders

4. Applying it too quickly. Just like foundation and other base makeup, bronzer should be applied gradually, allowing you to build it up until you get a pretty, sun-kissed color. If you're too hasty with your application, you could risk getting that way-too-heavy, Real Housewives of Orange County type of look — which is probably not what you're going for. Bronzer is like perfume: You can always add more later, but if you use too much, it's tough to fix without washing it all off.

5. Overly sculpting your cheekbones. Women are often advised to suck in their cheeks, then apply a dark shade of bronzer underneath their cheekbones in order to make their bone structure "pop," but this can actually make you look gaunt and jowly. Sweep blush lightly on your cheeks, then use bronzer sparingly along the top of your cheekbones.

6. Using a shade that's too dark. Bronzer should be no more than two shades darker than your skin tone. Anything deeper than that will make your complexion look off, not sun-kissed.

7. Applying it all over your face. A sheer veil of bronzer applied with a big, fluffy brush can look fine if you're incredibly light-handed, but it's much safer to stick to using it on the spots that are naturally hit by the sun: the forehead, top of the nose, along the cheekbones, and jawline.

8. Using the wrong brush. Many women choose kabuki brushes to use with their bronzer, but dense brushes can result in applying way too much product. Pick a fluffy blush brush or angled bronzer brush for a lighter application.

Article originally from GH