A Black Girl's Guide to Bronzer & Blush: Shade Selection & Application Tips
I briefly touched on bronzers and blushes in my Sephora Spring 2019 Beauty Insider Sale: Product Recommendations post, but I wanted to give them their own shine, because bronzers and blushes play a huge part in my makeup. On my light makeup days. I usually forgo foundation and pop on concealer, powder, bronzer and blush. Bronzer and blush take my skin to the next level by adding warmth, color and definition.
I find it to be super frustrating that although beauty brands are starting to expand their foundation shades, a lot of them still aren’t inclusive when it comes to products such as bronzers and blushes. I think there’s a major misconception in the beauty world that women of deeper complexions don’t use these products. I’m not sure what handbook says that we don’t, but FYI brands, we do! Black girls enjoy a sun-kissed glow and flushed cheeks too. Unfortunately, if we aren’t able to find shades that work for us, than of course we won’t be able to utilize those products. For the longest time, trying out new bronzers and blushes gave me major anxiety because of the lack of shade selection for my brown skin. 75% of them made me look ashy, so I stayed clear.
The beauty industry still has a lot of work to do when it comes to incorporating shades that cater to women with deeper complexions, but there are brands out there that currently make bomb blushes and bronzers that I’d like to shed light on. I’ve also added in some quick shade selection and application tips!
Bronzers
When looking for a good bronzer, I typically look for warm-toned brown shades. I don’t gravitate towards cool-toned shades because my objective when it comes to bronzing isn’t to get a sharp contour. My main goal is to add some warmth and slight definition to my skin.
Shade Selection Tip: Don’t pick up a bronzer that’s too light or too dark for your skin. A bronzer that’s too light will appear ashy, and a bronzer that’s too dark won’t blend seamlessly and may appear muddy. The general rule of thumb is to choose a bronzer 1-2 shades darker than your natural skin tone. Also, be sure not to judge a bronzer by how it appears in its packaging. Bronzers can actually appear lighter than they truly are. In order to see a bronzer’s true color, ensure that you swatch it on your skin. Your skin will warm up the product and you’ll be able to see how dark it truly is.
Brush Selection Tip: I recommend using a large fluffy brush that isn’t too dense. This will give you an airbrushed look. If you were to use a brush that is too dense, it will pack on too much product and look unnatural on the skin. Stick to brushes with light and fluffy bristles.
Application Tip: Apply a light layer of your bronzer in the shape of the number 3. Begin at your temple, hit your cheekbone, and then complete the 3 at your jawline. Follow this tip for both sides of your face. Apply a second and third layer if needed.
HERE ARE SOME BRONZERS THAT HAVE GREAT SHADE SELECTIONS FOR DEEPER COMPLEXIONS:
Blush
I know how easy it is to skip blush because of not wanting to deal with shade selection, but the right blush can take your skin to the next level. Blush can give you a beautiful, flushed look. When layered on top of bronzer, blush can give you a natural, youthful, sun-kissed glow all-year round!
Shade Selection Tip: I find that plum/berry, peach/tangerine, and warm brown/raisin shades look wonderful on brown skin, but don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades. All shades are fair game; just ensure that the blush you choose is darker than your skin tone to avoid any ashiness. Also, don’t be afraid to try cream blushes! They give great color payoff in a way that still looks very natural.
Brush Selection Tip: I recommend using a small fluffy powder brush. Similarly to bronzer brushes, I would stay clear of anything too dense, because it will pack on too much product and look unnatural on the skin. Stick with soft, light brushes.
Application Tip: There are honestly a ton of different ways to apply blush, so I’ll highlight my top 3 favorites:
Natural: This is probably the quickest and most common way to apply blush. To create a natural-flushed glow, swirl a light touch of blush onto the apples of your cheek in circular motions.
Sun-kissed: This is my all-time favorite way to apply blush. I love the fresh-off-the-beach vibe it gives me. To create this effect, apply blush to the apples of your cheeks as you normally would. The trick is to also lightly sweep the blush across your nose, eyelids, and forehead. This will make you look as if you spent the day in the sun, minus the dreaded sunburn.
Sculpted: To help create definition to your face without doing any serous contouring, make a fish face, and lightly sweep your blush along the top of your cheekbones.
HERE ARE SOME BLUSHES THAT HAVE GREAT SHADE SELECTIONS FOR DEEPER COMPLEXIONS:
