Faux Glow: Sun-kissed Face

Hello, ladies!  Caroline here.  I've been on a bit of a hiatus, but I'm back and ready to give y'all my favorite summertime beauty secrets.

It's hot outside, which means I've got on my dresses, tank tops, skirts, and shorts.  Also, as you may know, I'm pretty much as white as snow, which isn't fitting for the season.  However, skin cancer runs in my family, so I'm not about to go hop into a tanning bed or lay out at the beach.  Nope! I fake my summer bronze (or bronze for my standards anyway) with products and makeup, and yet I still wear my SPF everyday.

I'll have a couple of different posts on this topic, so stay tuned!

Let's start with your whole face.  I'll do a separate post on summer eye makeup that you can wear with this look.  I'm not going to have any pictures of myself in this post, but I think I can give you an idea.  Here are the tools you will need:

• Stippling brush 

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• Bronzer (Matte is preferable.  I use Tarte's "Park Avenue Princess.")

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• Blush (I like to use one with a bit of sheen to it, but no sparkles.  Right now I'm using Mary Kay's "Shy Blush" mineral cheek color.)

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First things first, you need to know how you tan.  If I actually sit in the sun with no sunscreen, I turn pink.  And I get pinker and pinker until my skin peels and goes back to it's original pale whiteness. Because of this, I know that an orange-y (or warm-toned) bronzer wouldn't look very "right" on my face.  If you turn a warm, more peach colored tan, pick a slightly orange bronzer and a peachy blush. If you turn pink, pick a cooler toned brown bronzer, and mix it with a pinky blush. Let's not look like Snooki, ok?

Use the stippling brush to pick up some bronzer.  Gently tap off the excess and apply.  You'll want to hit the highest areas of your face with the color.  This isn't like contouring, so don't put it in the hollows of your cheeks.  Instead, tap it across your cheekbones, on the bridge of your nose, your brow bones, and wherever else the sun actually hits your face.

Here's a little face chart that I edited to show your where I put mine:

Once you've bronzed in these areas, move onto blush.  Just lightly swipe this in the exact same places you put the bronzer, even your brow bone and nose.  This makes the color look a bit more natural and sun-kissed, because everyone has a bit of a reddish tint to their tans.

But the key part about this is to pick the right color.  I'l repeat: match your bronzer and blush to the tan you naturally get.  And you can find bronzer and blush tones in every shade imaginable, so you'll definitely be able to find the one for you!

Don't go overboard with this.  Just a gentle few taps of the stippling brush on the highest points of your face leaves you with a fresh and summery look.

Have a good summer!  I'll be back with some body tan tips in the next few days.

Love,
Caro