Style Beauty Lifestyle

Mirror, mirror, on the wall who's the best bronzed of them all?!

Bronzing makeup is in full effect and must be considered from head to toe whether you want to achieve a subtle sun-kissed look or monochromatic metallic glam to pair with your swimwear and nail polish. The best bronzers are the ones that complement your skin tone and enable you to carve out your features to mimic all- over depth and warmth. 

Bronzing basics will have you choose a powder, cream or liquid formula and texture keeping in mind that you should always select a bronzer that is two shades darker than your skin tone to start. Then if you want to go a little darker you will have more options. It is best to think "less is more." The simplest technique for beginners is to sweep bronzer (in this instance I would choose a powder formula, especially if you have oily skin) on your forehead, cheekbones, along your jawline, the sides of your nose and down into your neck. Also move your fluffiest bronzing brush across your hairline and ears for the most flawless finish especially if you are taking photos so that your entire look is cohesive. 

Now if you want to master the art of bronzing for contouring, sculpting, and chiseling out your beautiful features, I would suggest following the tips and tricks of the one and only expert in bronzing, Scott Barnes. Scott Barnes has always been my favorite since his signature creation, Body Bling, which revolutionized "The Glow."  As an expert in skin finishing, I like to whip up my own recipe using Body Bling and my favorite body cream for an immediate golden goddess glow. I have many clients that I create special formulas for who covet their spring/summer formula all year round. When using bronzer to contour always use a matte formula. If you can work with a cream texture, I would go for it as it is simply second to none for contouring.

Watch the master artist, Scott Barnes, at work below with the stunning Tati:

There are a wardrobe of bronzers to select from and here are a few of my faves: 

Powder formula: Nars Laguna Matte Bronzer 

Cream formula: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer and the Cheek Hugging Bronzer Brush

and Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Creme Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo

As for the bougie part, life is much too short not to be bougie!