For some of us, the temps are on the rise again. The days are getting longer we are starting to look forward to days at the beach or at least a little more time in the sun. You already know my opinion on sun exposure. In a word, SUNSCREEN. Still, who doesn't like a little glow? The question is, how to make it look natural. One place to start is in the sun. Take a moment and stand outside. Where does the light naturally fall? I can tell you that under your chin, it does not. As the sun comes down, it will bring light (and eventually, color) to the high planes of your forehead, your cheek bones, your nose, above the your upper lip and the top part of your chin. In other words, the sun shines DOWN and not up. These are the places where you can place a little bronzer and mimic the look of that healthy glow without the unhealthy damage. One of my most useful Makeup Mantras is BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. You can always add more but it can be hard to take away.
Here's how:
1. Apply your make up as you usually would.
2. Choose a small brush. One that is about one to 1 1/2 inches across. The bristles shouldn't be too loose. You need control here and not an all over dusting.
3. Sweep the brush through your bronzer of choice, tap off the excess.
4. Gently apply the color to the aforementioned high planes of your face. Depending on what you are wearing, a hint of bronzer on your shoulders and décolleté can be pretty and alluring, not to mention add to the overall illusion of the glow.
5. Always keep in mind where the sunlight would illuminate and let that be your guide. I like bronzers that have minimal shimmer. Beware of bronzers with titanium dioxide. I say this because they will reflect light and if you have your pictures taken, particularly with a flash, the bounce back from the titanium dioxide can look white.
Now go forth and get your glow on. Even if Mr. Groundhog and Mother Nature are giving us a few more weeks of Spring, we can look like Summer's already here.