ColumnQuick tips on how to make bronzer work for you this summer.

I got a letter last week from a High Definition reader, Jessica P. Jessica writes:

“Dear Kristen, I’ve been loving your articles with all the cool makeup how-to’s.  You’ve written about bronzers a few times and I still feel like I don’t really know what I’m doing. I have a medium skin color and some of the bronzers I’ve used seem like they don’t show up at all, others are too orangey and streaky.  Is it best to use a matte, cream or powder.  I’m confused. Please help!”

Jessica, this is definitely not the first time I’ve heard confused over choosing bronzer. Let’s start with texture. Cream bronzer melts into the skin, appearing to give you a glow from within, and can easily be applied with either fingers or a brush.  It’s great for keeping a hydrated, dewy look on the face, but if it’s nearing triple digits, I’d set it with a powder to make sure it doesn’t slip away.

Nearly every makeup line has a powdered bronzer, so that can make it even more confusing to decide which one to choose. These bronzers glide on effortlessly with a brush and have more staying power through hot and humid weather than creams. Depending on how matte the finish, they can also offer a dewy look.  Be careful because they don’t always blend easily and you don’t want to look streaky or overly powdered up.

The Sparkle Factor

The majority of bronzers have some shimmer in them because consumers love their sparkle, even if it’s not always the most flattering look on their faces. Often on photo shoots, I start with a matte bronzer and build in the amount of shimmer over it that feels right for the face I’m working on and the overall makeup look we are going for. More shimmer can be a lot of fun for a candlelit summer soiree, but for a more natural look, like at the workplace, keep the sparkle factor to a minimum.

Truly matte bronzers are few and far between, so if that’s what you are going for, use a foundation about 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone.  The above photo is an example of how I used a warmer, darker foundation shade on this model to create a tanned and sculpted cheekbone.  There’s dewiness to the skin, but it doesn’t come from using shimmer.

Not Faking It

The hue of bronze is where it can get trickier, because “tan” for one person could be a totally different type of shade for another and the goal is having that color look realistic. There are two extremes you never want to touch: a shade that is so orange that it looks as if you are cousins with an ompah loompah and a shade that is so cool and muddy that you looked as if you got some dirt on your face.

You said you have a medium skin tone, and now the question is do you have more golden, olive, or pink undertones? That will help determine the hue of bronzer to use. The best way to see which shade complements you best is to compare swatches of the color on your forearm side by side.  Usually that area is more tan than the face and there you’ll be able to see very clearly which bronzer comes closest to the shade of your natural tan.

Some of my favorites include:

Revolution Organics (cream, slight shimmer)

Josie Maran (cream, no shimmer)

ZuZu Luxe (powder, slight shimmer)

100% Pure (powder, slight shimmer)

Jane Iredale (powder, very shimmery)

Alima Pure (powder, a variety of finishes)

Once you’ve settled on your perfected shade of bronze, refer to the High Definition article Tropical Eyes for the exact application technique.

Thanks for reading and asking such a great question!

Editor’s note: Got a celebrity look you’d like to copy or a trend you’d like to see incorporating healthy, non-toxic makeup? Send your questions to High Definition columnist Kristen Arnett at beauty@ecosalon.com

New York City based Kristen Arnett is an internationally renowned makeup artist and founder of the Green Beauty Team, styling high profile celebrities and runway models as well as a sought after beauty expert, educator and teacher for other makeup artists.

Image: Kate Owen

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You’ve probably heard a lot of marketing hype about powders that are mineral-based. Mineral makeup is generally made from all natural, finely ground minerals from the earth (which is good!). Most of the time, it doesn’t contain any of the chemicals, dyes, and preservatives found in traditional makeup. But in order for a makeup to call itself mineral, it has to do”¦exactly nothing. Like many “green” industries, there is no regulation as to what ingredients make a mineral cosmetic. You’ll want to do your homework. Here, we put several leading brands to the test.

Best All Around: Lavender Silk Finishing Powder by Jurlique
This product really is fantastic. I started using it months ago and dread the day it runs out. I generally wear it without a foundation and it gives my face a nice, even tone. The best part? This powder has a lovely scent of lavender that is almost like a light perfume for your face. (And as a person who hasn’t worn a drop of perfume in 20 years – hi, allergies – this is a treat.) This product comes from the Australian natural product powerhouse Jurlique. Best of all it is certified biodynamic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia.

Best Dash of Color: Certified Organic Flora Foundation by Zuii Organic
This product provides a smooth, even finish- think bronzing powder. It is free of talc, synthetic chemicals, parabens, petro chemicals, and genetically modified ingredients. It could also get the title of “most organic,” as it has a number of certifications, including USDA Organic, Australian Government Certified, and more.

Provocateur Pressed Mineral Powder with SPF 8 by Tarte
This mineral powder goes on light and gets high marks for the SPF8. (Most mineral-based makeups do have an SPF factor to them as minerals naturally protect from the sun.) It claims to have vitamins added to the powder – frankly, the said vitamins did not make my skin feel or look any different than the other powders. Paging marketing!

It does earn points for a cool, quilted case that has a magnetic closure (hmm, made in China from “man made” products – which means it is animal free but probably not petro free). It is free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances or dyes, petro-chemicals and phthalates. Skin Deep gives it a rating of 4 out of 10. (10 being the most hazardous).

Compact Power by Nvey Eco

This product gives you a nice smooth finish, and it is available in different shades to add a bit of color. It works well if you want to forgo a cream foundation and just leave it up to powder. It is free of talc, parabens, preservatives, genetically modified crops, and petroleum. NVEY ECO Make-up is OFC Certified Organic (Organic Food Chain Certificate Number #0464) and Australian Government Certified. It gets a 4 out of 10 rating from Skin Deep.

Transparent Loose Powder by Lavera
This gave my skin a nice, creamy tone and seemed to last for an extended period of time. It is a mineral product, so it’s also rocking an SPF. It does contain talc (some experts warn talc can be problematic). It is BDIH certified and contains some organic extracts. It is an excellent way to “finish” your makeup but not a foundation by any means.

Finishing Powder by Lauren Brooke Cosmetics
This product is effective for what it is – a finishing powder that doesn’t pretend to be a foundation. It does even out your complexion, but it doesn’t give you any color. In fact, it creates a bit of a whitening effect. It is a bit grainier than the other products and more like an old-school powder. Skin Deep gives it a 0-2 rating, making it one of the safer products on the market.  It has a simple composition comprised of organic Arrowroot Powder and natural clay powders.

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I live in Arizona, a hot and arid land, not generally thought of as a farmer’s paradise, and especially not a place that would produce any highly nutritious, medicinal food that could feed the world. But it can.

Like other arid landscapes around the world, Arizona is rich in mesquite. Yes, you’ve heard of mesquite barbecue and mesquite honey, and this is the tree from which those products come. Mesquite’s rock-hard seed pods were stone ground by native Sonoran people and eaten as a staple for centuries before anyone showed up with wheat, rice or grocery stores.

Because of its sweet, caramel-like flavor and high nutritional value, I’ve been using mesquite powder in my smoothies and desserts for a while now. Mesquite’s sweetness comes from fructose, which makes it ideal for diabetics, and people who want to avoid gluten can bake with mesquite flour.

Benefits of Mesquite:
High in protein.
Good quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc.
Rich in the amino acid lysine.
An ideal sweetener for diabetics (it is fructose based).
Can be used as a gluten-free flour for baking.

Not to mention, this humble tree grows like a weed, thrives in poor soil and needs very little water.

So why aren’t there more mesquite orchards in our dry southwestern states? Simply because there hasn’t been a demand. Most mesquite powder comes from South America, but I was thrilled to find locally grown mesquite at my town’s farmer’s market. The Arizona Mesquite Company might be the only commercial mesquite orchard in the country.

So give this incredible desert food a try and better yet, buy it American.

Image: kretyen

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