Bronzer has a bad reputation, especially once we’re over 50. It promises a sun-kissed glow and a healthy, lifted look, yet all too often it just looks flat and muddy. In fact, bronzer is a product we commonly skip altogether as we get older because we simply have no idea how to make it look youthful and flattering.
And that’s a huge shame, says makeup legend Ruby Hammer, who’s worked with a host of A-listers and supermodels. ‘Done properly, bronzer is one of the best things you can use on mature skin because you’re going to look well and fresh. It can make anyone look alive and awake, but particularly if you’re older, you’re menopausal, and haven’t slept at night. Bronzer will really help.’
The secret, Ruby explains, is to make a few simple adjustments that will turn it bronzer from a tricky misstep to one of the most flattering products in your makeup kit. Here’s how.
Don’t mistake what it does
People often confuse bronzer with contour, says Ruby. ‘It’s not that! Yes, bronzer does enhance how light falls on the face, but it is not about sculpting your face.’
This isn’t the product for carving out cheekbones or trying to visually cheat a slimmer nose, in the style of a Victoria Beckham beauty tutorial. It’s about cheating sun-kissed health; end of.
Downsize your brush
Bronzer needs a medium-sized brush; one that will allow you to whisk on glow without stripes but emphatically not something gigantic. ‘Sometimes I look at people applying bronzer and I think, “Are you using a mop to put on your face?” says Ruby. ‘If you use an enormous brush, the bronzer will just go on everywhere and look totally flat. Your face will look the same, just darker and possibly muddy.’
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Many women wrongly use an over-sized brush like this for bronzer, says Ruby
Aim high
The secret to bronzer is to use the right size of brush, ‘then apply it only onto the high point of your face,’ says Ruby. ‘This is what will add flattering dimension. Everyone’s face is different so what you need is to look at yourself in a good light, front on, to see exactly where the high points are on your cheeks, forehead, chin and nose. Anything that juts out should be brushed with bronzer.’
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Focus on the high points
If you blend it down onto ‘low’ areas of the face, especially the area below the cheekbones, it will visually drag things down, warns Ruby.
Take a light touch
‘If you pile it bronzer, it’s going to age you,’ Ruby says. ‘Everyone when they get to a certain age needs to be light-handed. You can always add more.’
Don’t miss key areas
The nose is an area that is very commonly missed, Ruby says. ‘It looks strange if you don’t put bronzer there, because that’s where the sun hits. Same with backs and tops of ears; especially if your hair is up and you’ve got lovely bronzer on your face and your ears are pale and pink. Remember people look at you from 360 degrees, even though you only look at yourself front on.’
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Don’t forget nose and ears!
Go beyond the jaw
To keep it believable, the neck, too, needs a light blend of bronzer. ‘I’d recommend doing it after you’re dressed, so you see what you need to go with your neckline,’ says Ruby. Tucking a tissue helps to protect clothes if you’re using a powder bronzer.
Choose your textures
Speaking of textures, Ruby recommends cream bronzers for ease. ‘They’re easier to manipulate and apply evenly if you’re a layperson. Powder is harder because you can pick up so much and then not look as uniform.’ Her new Cheek Colour Stick has a subtle sheen that’s especially flattering on older skin, and the shade works across a wide range of skin tones.
If you prefer powder bronzer, be wary of putting it straight over foundation, says Ruby. ‘It’s not a setting powder, and the ‘wetness’ will make the bronzer streak’. To avoid a dark, uneven look, Ruby advises ‘a light wash of translucent powder all over, followed by powder bronzer. That’s my trick as an expert’. Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzing Powder is the GHI’s top performer.
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Bronzer is ‘also lovely over the eyelids to bring your look together,’ says Ruby. ‘I like to use my cream stick on legs too.’
Enhance bronzer with blusher
It’s not an either/or – blusher really complements the sun-kissed effect of bronzer. ‘Add a pop of colour above your bronzer,’ she explains. ‘You want to marry the two, so that there’s no line of where it stops and where it blends. Put blusher high on the apples of the cheeks, then go up and out, to give that lift.’
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Do a final check
When you’ve finished application, take a good, straight-on look in a mirror, advises Ruby. Daylight is ideal, especially if you’ve applied it in sub-optimal light. ‘Ask “Have I overdone one side because of the light?” You need to take those 10 seconds to look. If it’s uneven, it might be easiest to just build it up a little. If you’re overdone it, don’t rub it off – just gently buff the excess away on the side that you have over-indulged in.’
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