Sometimes when I tell people that I use bronzer, they look at me sideways because I am a dark-skinned woman. I understand it – I had no idea about the unbelievable magic of bronzer until I actually tried it! Bronzer is a fabulous way to give shape and sheen to skin, enliven it and also subtly contour. When I’m wearing bronzer, it looks like I just came back from a beachy vacation because my skin looks even healthier and beautifully sun-kissed!
To learn more about the correct way to use bronzer on darker skin tones, we tapped MelanieMills, Emmy Award-winning makeup artist and one of Hollywood’s leading style-makers and beauty consultants. Melanie is also the creator of the high fashion makeup line Gleam By Melanie Mills and the author of the gorgeous beauty book Glitter & Glam.
How Darker Skin Tones can Benefit from Bronzer
“Women with tanned and deeper dark skin might not think they have much need for bronzer, but I disagree. I use bronzers all over and finish eye makeup with them too. I love usingbronzers to warm up lighter complexions, plus bronzer can also even out skin tone and add a luminous glow,” says Melanie.
How to Use Bronzer on Darker Skin
To make it work on darker skin, you have to choose the perfect shade. “Along with my Gleam Body Radiance and Radiant Dust, you can try deep, shimmery (not copper) hues of bronzer,” says Melanie. To use bronzer, concentrate on the areas where the sun naturally hits your face: cheekbones, bridge of nose, and forehead.
Bronzers for Darker Skin Tones
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“Gleam Radiant Dust and our new angled Face & Body Brush were made in four shades and can be used by the lightest to the deepest skins, all for different purposes. I love Deep Gold, our deepest shade, as an eye shadow and cheek color on a lighter skin,” explains Melanie. On deeper skins it just pops and perfects the face, giving a nice soft shimmer and life to the skin. All of the Radiant Dusts can be interchanged and they can be used on the body skin too.
As for other products, I have been using Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Deep, says Melanie. “It’s a matte and it’s flawless! For inexpensive picks try CoverGirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Bronzer Q120. I love it. The most important thing is to make sure you have a great brush to apply bronzers because they can either make or break the look you are trying to achieve.”
Images courtesy of Melanie Mills
