“Start with less [bronzer] and build more (it’s always easier to add than remove!) Blend, blend, blend,” shares bareMinerals Global Makeup Artist and Educator Carly Giglio. “Choose a color that’s 1-2 shades deeper than your skin tone – stay within your undertone for a natural use of color. Use shimmering bronzers on the cheeks as opposed to shimmer on the hollow cheek bones (if you are using bronzer to create a soft sculpt keep it matte/soft matte).” Out of all the common mistakes made by makeup novices, Giglio identifies three: selecting the wrong color for one’s skin tone, applying too much of the product, and not blending enough. Bronzer, when used to add warmth to the skin tone, can even pair well with and compliment blush in many ways.

An example of this is by using bronzer as a sculpting product to hollow out the cheek bones, temples, chine, and jawline followed by sweeping blush across the cheeks and blending the two together for a seamless application. Another way Giglio recommends using bronzer is by using it to achieve the perfect sun-kissed look. “Placement for bronzer in this look is about applying where the sun would naturally hit (think about where you get the most color!) Cheeks, bridge of the nose, forehead, chin,” begins Giglio. “Once you apply your bronzer there, sweep a touch of blush over top the cheeks to add that natural sun-kissed flush.”