How To Apply Bronzer For Killer Cheekbones

Real talk: we think bronzer might be the most underrated product in your makeup bag. Skip it, and you’ll be missing out on some majorly glow-boosting benefits. If radiant, healthy-looking skin is your ultimate #makeupgoal, a bronzing powder has you covered, and we’re here to show you how to apply bronzer in the most natural-looking way. Hello, bronze goddess…

1. Pick Your Powder

The best bronzing happens with a powder. Not only are powder bronzers buildable, but they’re also pretty much foolproof, providing you with a believable tan you can layer up for intensity.

So, how do you pick the perfect powder? If your vibe is matte and velvety, Natural Bronzer is your BFF, veiling skin in tawny colour that’s shimmer-free. Ideal for oily skin types, it’ll give you glow without enhancing shine. Plus, it’s waterproof – the dream for beach days when you want a subtle boost of colour that lasts.

Prefer a soft shimmer finish? Try Radiance Brick. It’s a multi-tonal powder that brings new meaning to ‘sun-kissed skin’, combining tan and luminosity in a single sweep.

2. When to Apply Bronzer

Bronzer is one of your finishing steps. Apply it after foundation, concealer and powder, but before you start sculpting in cheekbones with blusher and highlighter. If you’re working with bare skin, it’s still best to dust a little face powder over your t-zone first, as this will stop bronzing pigments from sticking to oily areas.

3. Where to Apply Bronzer

Grab a large, fluffy brush (like a kabuki) and swirl it in your bronzing powder. Then, get your glow-up on-point by targeting four key areas:

• Start with cheeks. Apply your bronzer along cheekbones in small, circular strokes, then curve up to your temples to form a ‘C’ shape.

• Add warmth along the hairline by buffing bronzer from one temple to the other.

• Very gently, dust a little bronzer down either side of your nose. You don’t want harsh lines here, so always go in with a light hand.

• Finish by gliding your bronzer brush along your jawline to subtly sculpt, then diffuse colour down to your neck.

4. Complete Your Bronzed Look

Fierce bronzer and creamy blusher are a match made in glowy heaven, so finish your look with a few taps of Jelly Blush in the shades Peach Punch (right) or Melon Madness. These coral-y colours have that just-spent-a-week-in-Ibiza look down, delivering a juicy, dewy tint when tapped on the apples of your cheeks.

Then, set off bronzed skin with a killer highlight. We have all the tips you need on how to apply highlighter, from which formula you should use to clever ways you can take your glow even higher.

5. Bump Up the Bronze

Take your tanned look next-level with these easy bronzing tricks…

• Achieve a deeper shade of bronze by starting your routine with SunShimmer Instant Tan. Add a dot to your makeup primer for a tanned base, then blend down to the neck.

• After sweeping on bronzer, choose a tan-enhancing shade of lipstick. Our ride-or-dies are Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nudeshock and Stay Satin Liquid Lipstick in Scrunchie (left).

• You can turn up your tan with a mani, too. Channel those bronze vibes from cheeks to tips with 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish in the gilded shade Darling You Are Fabulous.

Looking for more top tannings tips? Discover the ultimate guide to finding the best self-tanner for every kind of glow.