Contouring is a makeup technique that has been gaining popularity in recent years. It allows you to sculpt the facial features, visually minimize imperfections, and enhance or slim down specific areas of the body. Recently, traditional dry products have been increasingly replaced by wet cosmetics in liquid or cream form.
In contouring, one of the essential products is bronzer, which not only helps to visually slim or reduce selected areas but also creates a sun-kissed effect. Learn how wet bronzer works and how you can incorporate it into your makeup routine.
When to Use Bronzer?
Bronzer (whether in cream, liquid, or powder form) is a cosmetic with several uses.
Primarily, it is used to mimic a tan. When applied in a thin layer to areas of the skin that naturally tan the quickest (such as the tops of the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, and the collarbones), it gives the effect of a sun-kissed glow. This way, even in the middle of winter, you can look as though you’ve just returned from a two-week vacation in a warm country. For this purpose, it’s recommended to use a warm shade of the product.
The second role of bronzer is contouring, which involves correcting the shape of the face using cosmetics (in addition to bronzer, blush and highlighter are also used). A dry or cream bronzer in a cool shade is applied to areas you want to “conceal.” For example, applying the product along the hairline can visually reduce a forehead that appears too high. Placing it on the tip of the nose can make the nose seem shorter.
Both warm and cool-shaded bronzers are available from Inglot. The Tan Feeling Bronzer can help you achieve your desired look.
Advantages of Wet Contouring
Contouring with blush, highlighter, and cream bronzer is an increasingly popular technique, embraced by both professional makeup artists and amateurs at home. Why has this method become so trendy? As it turns out, using wet cosmetics for contouring offers undeniable benefits:
- cream bronzers and blushes are easier to apply than their dry counterparts. Cream products merge more naturally with foundation, avoiding unflattering patches. This makes them particularly beginner-friendly;
- A cream bronzer allows you to achieve a variety of effects, as it enables you to build up the intensity of the product—from a subtle, natural touch to a bold, vibrant colour;
- It is more long-lasting than a powder bronzer, adhering better and staying on the skin for longer;
- a cream bronzer is ideal for people with dry skin. Not only does it avoid emphasizing dry patches, but it can also gently moisturize the skin, just like Inglot’s product. This bronzer contains ingredients such as shea butter and apricot kernel oil.
How to Use Cream Bronzer?
Using a cream bronzer for contouring is not difficult, and even those new to makeup can achieve stunning results with a few attempts. How to do it?
- The first step is, of course, properly preparing your face. Apply a moisturizing cream and wait until it is fully absorbed. Next, apply foundation and conceal imperfections and shadows with a layer of concealer. Now it is time for contouring.
- Use your finger to scoop bronzer from the jar and dab it onto the areas you want to visually hide, reduce, or slim down. Bronzer on the tip of the nose will visually shorten it, while applying it to the sides will narrow and slim it. Applied diagonally under the cheekbones and on the temples, it will slim the face. Bronzer along the hairline will visually thicken it and make an elongated face appear smaller.
- Blend the bronzer using a makeup sponge or a dense, tightly-packed blending brush. Remember, for cream-based products, it is best to use synthetic brushes that do not absorb the product.
It is worth noting that some people switch the order, applying cream bronzer first and then foundation on top. This technique can achieve a softer, more natural effect but is more challenging and requires greater practice.
