All of our girls always ask about the latest and greatest ways to fake a gorgeous bronze glow for summer. Here’s the low-down on our favorite products that make it easy!
Natura Bisse Cure Sheer Touch, $105, is hands-down our favorite secret weapon for a natural-looking faux bronze! It is a SKINCARE product meant for face and body designed with ingredients to hydrate and firm the skin all while delivering a beautiful translucent bronze hue through its lightweight gel formula! The perfect summer moisturizer because it’s not too heavy and provides a bit of color. But that’s not even half of it: It also has low levels of the self-tanning ingredient DHA that gradually builds color with extended use. We all need this to get through summer! It’s an investment, but the tube is HUGE (5.3 Oz) and there’s a lot of bang for your buck. This isn’t just makeup. A major plus is that it doesn’t have the same gross smell most self-tanners do!
Like the idea of Cure Sheer Touch, but not the price tag? T Le Clerc Soleil Gel tint is very similar in texture and color but it is just a makeup. It’s also more conveniently sized for your purse or makeup bag at just 1.01 fl oz. Regularly $45, this little puppy is a steal at just $27 on sale while supplies last! Try adding just some to your moisturizer or foundation for a subtle addition of a bronze glow or use all on it’s own for a little extra oomph! It’s also great for arms, legs, and chests!

Like the idea of the Soleil Gel Teint but don’t want to get your fingers messy? Instead, try Era Everyday Sun Kissed ($28, pictured above) or Era Rayz 1 In the Sun ($40) spray bronzers! 1 in the Sun has more pigment than sunkissed, and is also more expensive because it is packed with pharmaceutical grade vitamins A, E, and C to fight free radical damage your skin may have already experienced! Decisions, decisions…Either way, shake it well and mist over your face as desired. We like to gently whisk over it with a synthetic brush (like IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Brush, $48, pictured above) or to buff it in quickly with a big powder puff. The best part? These babies are WATERPROOF so they are summer (and even beach)-proof!


Are you usually a fan of cream blushes? Beauty For Real’s GoldRush/After Glow Cream cheek combo ($30) will quickly become a bronze babe’s favorite go-to product. Use fingers, a sponge, or a synthetic brush (we like the Mixer brush from Geri G, $16). To use this gorgeous bronze/gold hi-lighter combo as desired. (Hint: The gold also looks pretty on lids and either are great on lips!)

Want a more traditional powder bronzer but still love that gorgeous luminous look? We are smitten with Kevyn Aucoin’s Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Days (top photo) and Tropical Nights (bottom photo). Both leave behind a gorgeous bronze glow. Both have a pretty ombre effect which is majorly convenient because you can sweep your brush to the top for a little less color or toward the bottom as you develop more color in the summertime (or sans spray-tan) or you can swish through everything for a nice medium mix! We love Tropical Nights for girls afraid of looking too orange since it has a beautiful cool undertone that will NEVER leave you orange. Tropical Days has a bit more warmth and is pretty for girls who have warmer skin tones or a deeper tan. Just the perfect amount of warmth–not too dark, and never fake-looking. $45 each.
Prefer a more matte finish? We absolutely adore Diego Dalla Palma Tanning Cake #99 ($45). No shimmer, no sparkle. Just realistic-looking bronze color. For that just-got-back-from-the-Caymans look. This fool-proof bronzer is tough to over-do.
For the perfect application of powder bronzers, look for a large fluffy brush with lots of air between the bristles. This will ensure that you add just the right amount of product and it gets diffused over your face instead of instantly overloading one spot. Our Facade Bronze Beauty brush ($75) is absolutely indispensable to us for that reason. Wash it once before using it the first time and the bristles will blossom out to be even fuller and fluffier!
Curious how to make it Humidity-proof? Take a couple of squirts of Geri G Transceutical Skin Canvas, $46, and use your hands to press it over your face. This product WATERPROOFS everything! (Seriously the uses for this product are endless–we also like dampening a liner brush with it, and then using any eyeshadow as waterproof eyeliner!)
Slick on a beautiful summery shade of lipstick, and you are a bronze goddess!
See below for some Suggestions of our Facade Lipstick, $25 each.

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