How to Fake a Summer Glow

If you spend the summer days veiled in SPF but still want that gorgeous summer glow, here is how to get the look without ruining your skin and looking orange.  

  • Start with your regular foundation — one that’s the exact color of your skin. If you want something with a lighter feel, opt for a transparent tinted moisturizer.

  • Bronzer works for every skin tone, but choosing the right shade of is key. You want it to warm up your skin, giving you a pretty glow. It shouldn’t be too orange, red, or — worse — ashy. You don’t want to look bruised; you want to look sun-kissed.

  • If you have alabaster skin that always burns in the sun, go with a pinky or peach pastel shimmer with gold flecks, instead of bronzer.

  • If your skin is light, choose light brown bronzer with a hint of pink.

  • If you have medium-toned skin, go with brownish-pink bronzer.

  • If you have a medium dark complexion, brownish-coral bronzer is best.

  • Women with dark skin should look for bronzer that is dark brown with red undertones or dark brown with blue undertones.

  • The type of bronzer you use is up to you. Powder bronzers are the easiest to work with. Cream and gel bronzers offer a lit-from-within glow, but you need to apply them sparingly.

  • To apply powder bronzer, use a large, flat brush on the apples of the cheeks. Dust over the nose, chin, and forehead, where the sun usually hits. Apply to the neck as well.

  • To apply gel or cream bronzer, begin at the apples of the cheeks and blend outward toward the hairline. You can also place on the forehead and nose, but use only a very light amount. Make sure to blend.

  • Always check your application in daylight, making sure it looks natural and not streaky or orange.

  • Bronzers come in both shimmer and matte versions. The shimmer versions look beautiful at night and catch the light. The matte versions tend to look more natural and are a good choice for day.

  • I always put on a pop of pink, peach, or plum blush as a last step. To further enhance your glow, you can also add a bit of shine with a highlighter powder or carefully applied rich face balm.


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