How to fake sun-kissed skin: Our Beauty Panel shares their best bronzing tips
As the days grow hotter and hemlines grow shorter, it’s only natural to want that perfect sun-kissed glow. So what do you do when your mind is vacationing in Florida, but your body’s stuck in an office chair looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost? Why, you fake it of course! Whether you’re looking to add a little colour via a bronzer or get a little help from a self tanner, our Beauty Panel shares their tried-and-trued tips on how to fake sun-kissed skin. Hey, you gotta fake it ’til you make it, right?
Challenge 118: How do you fake sun-kissed skin.? See the answers now! »
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Julie Martinson
Toronto | Swatch and Review
If you have fair skin like I do, getting a sun-kissed look is essential during the summer months. And when I get bronzed, I really go for the glow.
1. Start with the perfect canvas
Since I have some redness in my skin, I start by colour correcting with a mint green corrector, in this case Becca Cosmetics Backlight Targeted Colour Corrector in “Pisatchio.” Once I’ve removed the red, I add a bit of a brightening corrector, Becca’s “Violet,” to really lay the perfect bright base for a glowy bronze look. I then follow that with my favourite satin finish foundation from Too Faced.
2. Go for the glow
Picking a bronzer that suits my skin tone can be tough, but the Too Faced Sweethearts bronzer is natural and well balanced, plus it packs a real punch of shimmer. I use a big fluffy brush and swirl the bronzer onto my cheeks, over my nose and on around the top of my forehead. To amp up my glow, I add a loose highlight powder on the tops of my cheekbones, so you can see my glow from space!
3. The finishing touches
I like adding a hint of bronze shimmer to the eyes, and Make Up For Ever’s Aqua XL Eye Pencil in “ME-42 (Metallic Bronze)” is perfect on the waterline, plus it is waterproof. For the lips, I prefer to stay within the bronze theme and opt for a bronze shimmer lip gloss, like “Honey Bronze” from The Body Shop. The last touch? A hint of shimmer and warmth all over the body with a bronzing oil, like Royal Oil from Too Faced… it smells like coconuts!
Products used: Becca Backlight Targeted Colour Correctors in “Pistachio” and “Violet,” Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in “Ivory,” Benefit They’re Real Mascara in “Beyond Blue,” Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eyeliners, Nyx Contour and Highlight Palette, Too Faced Sweethearts Bronzer, Dior Nude Air Illuminating Powder, The Body Shop Honey Bronze Lip Gloss, Too Faced Royal Oil Bronzing Oil
Colleen Conroy
Vancouver | Blush Rouge
There’s nothing like golden skin for the summer. Here are my favourite products and techniques when it comes to faking a sun-kissed tan.
1. Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel
I have been devoted to this self-tanner for a number of years because I find the formula to be so spot-on. It dries fast, gives a great tone, and I’ve never had any of those awful orange streaks that we all fear so much. It’s my favourite!
2. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs
When you want a little extra oomph for your tan, this is the product to turn to. I usually spray the formula onto a dark facecloth or tanning mitt, and then apply to my skin. It gives just the right amount of extra colour. Since it is also water resistant, it is great for wear throughout the day, and comes off easily in the shower.
3. Grapeseed Oil
Once you’ve got your skin looking gorgeous with a tanned tone, give the colour a little sheen. I love using grapeseed oil as a body moisturizer. It soaks into the skin beautifully and leaves it glowing.
4. For the face
My absolute favourite powder bronzer for the face is M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish in “Give Me Sun.” It is a great medium toned bronzer, without any shimmer (I like to add that separately if desired). Which leads me to my next favourite…Benefit High beam is a gorgeous highlighter that really helps show off your summer skin.
5. Bright nails
One of my favourite tricks for helping skin look even more tanned is wearing bright nail polish. It’s a great way to add contrast and tricks the eye. My two faves (and I always get comments about tanned skin whenever I wear them!) are “Lemon Fizz” and “Pool Party” – both from China Glaze.
Products used: Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel, Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in “Tan Glow,” Now Solutions Grapeseed Oil, M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish in “Give Me Sun,” Benefit High Beam, China Glaze Nail Laquer in “Lemon Fizz” and “Pool Party.”
Shawna Friedberg
Toronto | Spill the Beauty
The best tip that I can give to those delving into the world of bronzing, is to learn if you have warm or cool undertones, then choose a bronzer that will compliment it. In addition, I’d recommend that you not just bronze, but highlight as well, to balance out your look – the bronzer goes on the outer part of your face and the highlighter goes on the highpoints and more central parts of your face.
I actually just started using bronzer about a year ago, because up until then I thought that due to my fair skin tone, I wasn’t allowed to wear bronzer. My saving grace was the Too Faced Little Black Book of Bronzers. It’s a collection of eight different types of bronzers/blushers that is sure to make any beauty lover into a bronzer fanatic. And, bonus – it smells like chocolate.
I wanted to combine gold, pink and peach colours to achieve this glowy look. I started with a matte canvas – I find that using a foundation with a matte finish can really make your bronzer and highlighter pop. For my eyes, I went for a subtle golden tan look with the help of a thin brown eyeliner. To compliment the eyes, I added a rosy colour with a hint of gold to my lips and my cheeks. Then I took a fluffy face brush and bronzed my face in a ‘3’ motion. Don’t forget to blend it! Finally, I dusted my brow bone, inner eye corner and tops of my cheekbones with my favourite highlighter, Becca Shimmer Skin Perfector Pressed in “Champagne Pop.”
Products used: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in “Cool Bone,” Nyx Tame & Frame Tinted Brow Pomade in “Blonde,” Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer in “Y23,” L’Oréal Eye Shadow in “Smooth Latte,” L’Oréal Infallible Eye Shadow in “Iced Latte,” M.A,C Eye Shadow in “Amber Lights,” Dior Diorshow Fusion Mono Eye Shadow in “Blazing,” Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in “Hot Chocolate,” Covergirl Lash Blast Waterproof Volume Mascara in “Black,” Essence Longlasting Lipstick in “Cool Nude,” Nars Lip Gloss in “Supervixen,” Cover FX Enhance Click in “Golden Peach,” Too Faced Little Black Book of Bronzers in “Endless Summer,” Becca Shimmer Skin Perfector Pressed in “Champagne Pop.”
Katie Elwood
Vancouver | Katie Elwood
Summer is one of my favourite times of year. Since I am fair skinned, I have to work at it to achieve the sun-kissed look. In recent years I have been much more careful of staying out of the sun so I have found a few go-to products to give me tanned looking skin.
First in order to truly have a beautiful glow, make sure to take good care of your skin. I am currently obsessed with Lush Ocean Salt. I have been using it to exfoliate my face and body and my skin feels so soft afterwards. This is also extremely important when self-tanning. I always give my knees and elbows an extra scrub to avoid any self-tanning faux pas. To get the perfect tan I will apply St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse every few days to keep my tan looking consistent. Make sure to use the applicator mitt for an easier application. Next I focus on evening out my skin. In the summer I tend to use a lighter foundation. I recently started using Armani’s Maestro Glow Nourishing Fusion Makeup, which is a sheer coverage foundation that leaves the skin looking radiant. Lastly, I always use bronzer. Find one that is matte or has very little shimmer for the most natural look.
Products used: St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse, St. Tropez Applicator Mitt, YSL Bronzing Stone, Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow and Lush Ocean Salt.
