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Bronzers De-Coded

feelgood quickie header logobronzer

For today’s Feelgood Quickie I will answer a reader question:

Any tips on applying self-bronzer? Or brands? It always comes out streaky.

It can be tricky to get natural look from a bronzer.  Even celebrities with makeup artists have been caught looking over-the-top bronzed.  But with a few tips and a little practice you can have this one down pat.

First of all, be sure your skin is clean and smooth. Regular exfoliation is not only key to keeping your skin fresh and healthy, but also helps even out bronzer and foundation.  Brush up on exfoliation tips in this article on getting rid of blackheads.

Another reason bronzer can look streaky or spotty is dry skin.  Dry patches cause bronzer to stick in that spot, resulting in a patchy look.  If you are not using a bronzer with moisturizing ingredients be sure to apply a moisturizer first.  Here is my trick:  Add a small amount (about pea-sized) of bronzer to your regular moisturizer, blend together and apply to face as you would moisturizer making sure to use smooth, sweeping strokes.  This is no-fail and leaves skin naturally glowing.  Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate is a good one to try.

Lavera FACES Summer Glow Self Tanner is the perfect option for face.  Even though this is officially a self tanner, the color is so natural and the product is very easy to apply.  I use this one in the winter in place of my regular moisturizer every third day or so, to give my skin a boost.  Love it!

As I was looking around some of my favorite natural beauty spots I came across a nice selection of bronzers on The Nature of Beauty.  I asked owner Terri Bly which of them were her faves.  Here is what she had to say:

The Vapour bronzer is lovely if you like cream-based makeup. It goes great with stick foundation, as well as on bare skin (which is not always the case with powder bronzers) and creates a natural look with no shimmer. Because there’s no shimmer, it also works well for contouring (e.g., right under the cheekbones).

Couleur Caramel’s Terre Caramel bronzers are baked bronzers, which means they last forever, but it also gives them amazing sheen without glitter. The 210 is matte and is [makeup artist] Jessa Blades’ favorite of the bunch. The 203 is our other top seller, and is one of those rare bronzers that looks great on fair skin. Too many bronzers are all wrong for fair skin – like you rubbed dirt all over your lovely porcelain cheeks.

So, now that you have the tricks and lots of options to choose from, don’t shy away from bronzer.  These beauties can easily add natural summer glow to skin any time of year.

Writer:  Liz Thompson – Organic Beauty Source – Green beauty news, trends, and reviews.

Image:  MaCaEs at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license.

Written by Liz Thompson

I am an organic beauty expert, writer, and mom of two young environmentalists who can already spot a toxic product when they see one. Read more about me at Organic Beauty Source.com, and find me on , Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.

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