The Right Way to Apply Bronzer for Your Face Shape

Bronzer can give your complexion warmth and a sculpted appearance. Apply too much or apply it incorrectly, however, and it can look unnatural and severe. “Depending on your face shape, strategic placement of bronzer is key to creating the perfect glow and enhancing your complexion,” says makeup artist Rachel Halsey. “The basic rule I follow when applying bronzer is to focus on the areas of the face that the sun would naturally touch: the forehead, bridge of the nose and cheekbones,” says Halsey. 

Because the right placement can differ by face shape, we asked Halsey to share the best way to apply bronzer, whether your face is oval, round, heart or square. Read on for her tips. 

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Where to Apply Bronzer on Oval Face Shapes

With a light hand, apply your bronzer to the top of the forehead along the hairline, as well as on the cheeks. For a more contoured look, apply it in the hollows of cheeks. You can also lightly dust it along the bridge of the nose.

Where to Apply Bronzer on Heart Face Shapes

Similar to that of an oval face shape, bronzer application should hit the top of the forehead and cheeks. For heart face shapes, however, you’ll want to use more product along the hairline and temple area. Finally, add a touch of bronzer on the bottom of the chin — you want to accentuate your natural angles.

Where to Apply Bronzer on Round Face Shapes

To sculpt a round face, apply the bronzer along the cheekbones in a downward motion toward the jaw so it creates a soft shadow. It might be best to use a powder formula like the FENTY BEAUTY SUN STALK’R INSTANT WARMTH BRONZER for this. Blend well for a natural finish. 

Where to Apply Bronzer on Square Face Shapes

If you have a square face shape, sweep your bronzer in a curved line along the middle of the forehead and along the middle of the cheeks (right between the hollows and the top of the cheekbones) to help soften the corners of your face. 

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NYFW’s Softest Trend: Sleepy Girl Makeup

Sleepy girl makeup emerged as one of NYFW’s softest beauty trends at Sandy Liang’s FW26 show. Created by makeup artist Romy Soleimani in collaboration with Rare Beauty, the look focuses on luminous skin, pastel pink blush, subtly emphasized under-eyes, and glassy lips for an intentionally undone, just-woke-up effect that’s surprisingly wearable in real life.

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How To Prevent Makeup SMUDGING! Mask Friendly Makeup

Before you start bashing me in the comments section or on Twitter, hear me out first, okay? I know some of you are thinking, what’s the point of wearing makeup when half your face is covered, or it’s not the time to worry about makeup. Well, those are valid opinions but for some, applying makeup gives them a sense of normalcy during these severe times. I never thought of writing a guide on how to prevent makeup from smudging on face masks until a doctor in an online beauty group asked about it. She got criticized but I’m glad a majority supported her and gave her tips. And surprisingly, there are now a handful of face mask makeup tutorials online.

Below are some tips and tricks by some of my favorite beauty gurus on how to prevent makeup from smudging on your face mask, or how to prevent it from staining. But if you’re suffering from acne breakouts from wearing a face mask, you can read this post instead.

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Jackie Aina

I don’t know about you but keeping makeup off my masks has been quite the TASK so I brought back this old school tip on how to prevent makeup from smudging. This is a really amazing makeup transfer proof technique!! ENJOY!

Christen Dominique

These are my tips and tricks I’ve found that have been keeping my makeup fresh so none comes off when I put on or take my face mask off!    

Gabriella Elena

Yes, you might have a little transfer (YOU’RE WEARING MAKEUP! LOL).. ♥️

Koko Guerra

Hey Boos! I missed y’all! Waassssssup? Thanks for watching and I hope at least one of these techniques help your makeup to not just be mask proof but to last you much longer through out the day! Tis the summer to slay your smudge free, mask proof makeup!!

Beauty Over 40

For the 40 and over beauties, here are tips that you will enjoy!

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Despite the tips you heard from all those amazing beauties, I just want to tell you that, do what’s comfortable with you. If you’re not into the glamourized eyes, foundation or you are a minimalist makeup wearer, that is okay. Follow your mood. I actually go out often without makeup. I just do my basic skincare regiment ( ” basic ” might not be the right wording but I mean I do my quick skincare and go since I am usually in a rush for work).

Do you have tips on how to prevent makeup from smudging on face masks or do you have a face mask makeup tutorial? Don’t hesitate to share it below!

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People Are Sleeping Less in Quarantine—Here Are Our Favorite Concealers to Pretend We Are

This season of life has come with a lot of surprise challenges. Who knew I’d stay up all night listening to Megan Thee Stallion for days on end? Or that I’d learn the problem with my finances all this time was me going out to eat every other day? But the most surprising of all is that even though I spend the most time at home as ever, I get significantly less sleep. And I know I’m not the only one! The Sleep Foundation explained that everything from raised anxiety to changes to daily life to extra screen time can cause our sleep to decrease in length and quality

So we know we’re not sleeping, and while there are a few healthy, natural ways to get that under control, you know my style: I’ll show you how to Band-Aid the problem for a little bit. What better way to hide all the sins of yesterday than concealer!? Until you can get those glorious few hours of sleep, these will save you for any shopping trip, meeting, or virtual happy hour you have planned—and they’ll do it without looking cakey, dry, or heavy on your face. Here are our favorites (and a reader-favorite!)

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Best for dry skin:

UOMA BEAUTY

Stay Woke Luminous Brightening Concealer

If concealers typically make you feel parched under the eyes after a few hours, you need a creamy formula that keeps its moisture all day long, and Uoma’s Stay Woke concealer does just that. It’s hydrating right from the start and blends seamlessly into your skin or any foundation you might have underneath it. The creaminess doesn’t take away from the coverage though, so you’ll be sure to cover up those dark circles in a cinch.

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Best for oily skin:

TARTE

Shape Tape Concealer

As someone with dry under eyes, I never found love with this concealer, but I can see how it would be an absolute dream for oily skin (and also, it’s one of the top-selling concealers in the world, so maybe it’s me!). When I’ve used it on the parts of my complexion that get oily, it stays put all day long and doesn’t move, which is exactly what you want in a concealer. It boasts full-coverage, all-day wear that causes minimal creasing.

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Best for high-coverage:

JUVIA’S PLACE

I Am Magic Concealer

Of all the concealers on this list, this ranks as the highest coverage. If you’re rocking deep, dark circles, this will be your saving grace. However, the high-coverage doesn’t result in cakey or dry under eyes either. Instead, you’ll notice a smooth canvas that barely needs set with a powder. Coming in at 24 shades, you’re bound to find one that works best with your skin tone.

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Reader and editor-favorite:

NARS

Radiant Creamy Concealer

This concealer is basically makeup royalty. It’s in the makeup bag of most celebrities, beauty editors, and normal people alike. Our editor Cassie once said it best in our annual empties: “It’s super natural looking while still giving the perfect amount of coverage, and never creases or looks dry (even on my crazy-dry skin). I’ve been loving putting a little of this under my eyes and on blemishes when I work from home to put a little put-together and awake. I love that I can wear it on its own without it ever looking like I’m obviously wearing concealer. This was an obvious re-purchase for me—I’ll never be without it.”

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Best at the drugstore:

MILANI

Conceal + Perfect Longwear Concealer

This isn’t the first time I’ve raved about this concealer. It’s my favorite concealer I’ve ever found at the drugstore, and I think it’s ideal for all skin types. It has a natural matte finish, but don’t let that deter you dewy girls: it still looks gorgeous and natural when paired with your favorite dewy moisturizers, foundations, and highlighters. I love this all over my face to spot conceal as well because the coverage is amazing and it blends out to look just like my skin. At under $10, go ahead and buy your summer and winter shade.

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Best splurge:

ARMANI BEAUTY

Power Fabric Concealer

I know this one is a little on the pricey side, but I couldn’t leave it out because it’s basically the only concealer I’ve worn the past five months. It is everything you want in a concealer: light, natural, hydrating, creaseless, and blendable. The price might put an ache in your neck for a second, but you only have to use a little bit so the concealer goes a long way. I also use it as a foundation sometimes, and that is absolutely *chef’s kiss*. I feel a little fancy and extra confident every time I use it, and that’s worth double the price to me!

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Most long-wearing:

FENTY BEAUTY

Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer

Fenty Beauty has to make its way into basically any roundup because the products are truly made for everyone. I could have given this “Best Shade Range” or “Best for Special Occasions” or “Best for All Skin Types,” but the magic of this concealer lies in its staying power. Dab it on the under eyes and without setting it, it lasts hours upon hours. If you set it (ideally with the Fenty powder, which I can vouch for, and it’s one of the best!), it’s over for your under eyes. Dark circles who? Never met her. This concealer has all the properties of those above, but how long it lasts without creasing or separating is what makes it stand out. If you have a hard time with concealers rubbing off on you, try this.

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WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO CONCEALER? ( let us know in the comments)

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SOS! My Makeup Is Pilling — How Can I Fix It?

Do you ever find that your foundation balls up on your skin after you apply your favorite sunscreen or face cream? Similar to when your knitwear has seen better days and small balls of fabric sit on the material, this is called pilling — and it’s the fastest way to ruin your skin-care and makeup in one fell swoop.

Pilling is one of the most frustrating things that can happen when applying your skincare and makeup, due to the fact it takes extra time to blend, correct, and can waste more of your expensive beauty products.

Makeup pilling is no fun, especially after you just applied a full face of makeup and your foundation starts sliding off in tiny pieces. Pilling occurs when two makeup or skin-care ingredients don’t mesh well together on your skin, and although there are ways to avoid this (more on that below), we wanted to know if there’s any way to salvage your full beat in this scenario. Ahead, we spoke with NYC-based makeup artist Mary Irwin to find out how.

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What Causes Pilling

When your skincare or makeup pills, it looks like flakes or globs of product on your skin.

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Pilling happens when products haven’t absorbed into the skin, whether due to:

🤍 the type of ingredient

🤍 the amount applied

🤍 the other products you’re using

🤍 the condition of your skin

🤍 The tools you are using to apply your skincare and makeup

With so many of us experimenting with multi-step skincare routines, the pilling struggle is all too real!

Here are some best tips if you’re dealing with this issue.

Can You Fix Makeup Pilling?

Irwin gets straight to the point: “Unfortunately, aside from taking a damp makeup sponge and trying to blend it in, there’s not much you can do besides take it off.” If your foundation begins to pill, wet a sponge (the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender is our fave) and tap it over the areas where it pilled off. Once you’ve blended it out, set it with a loose powder like the Maybelline New York Lasting Fix Banana Setting Powder and don’t touch it. “Don’t add anything cream or liquid over it after the fact.”

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WE know and understand that you don’t want to remove the makeup that you spent hours perfecting so for that to not happen, the first thing you want to make sure you’re doing is exfoliate on a regular basis.

To be clear, the little balls that form are composed of product, not dead skin. But it’s still important to maintain a good exfoliation routine, because it will help your products to absorb more effectively, rather than remaining on top of a surface layer of dead skin. 

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How to Avoid Pilling

Irwin recommends paying attention to the ingredients you’re placing on your skin to avoid pilling all together. “Use products that have a similar formula — silicone with silicone, water with water, etc.” When applying cream makeup products (which have the most tendency to pill), she recommends starting with thin layers and building them up slowly. “Also avoid layering cream over powder, because this can result in pilling too.”

The more you touch your skin, the more you disturb the products and encourage them to pill. It goes without saying that rubbing your face is a a big no-no, as this will only cause surface residue to bunch and roll up. Use light, patting motions to apply your products, and resist the urge to touch your face any more than absolutely necessary.

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Just give yourself plenty of time in between layers and after the final layer. That will ensure you’ve absorbed most of the beneficial ingredients.

Here are 3 more videos that can be helpful when it comes to pilling:

Have you experienced product pilling?
What has helped you to prevent it?

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