I mentioned in the Ways to Treat a Sunburn article that I am on the fairer side of the skin spectrum. Otherwise known as pasty white. When summer rolls around and I pile up on the sunscreen (so as to not burn my paper white face), I feel good I knowing that I am protecting my skin. Though I will admit, I feel a twinge of jealous when I see all those tanned bodies at the beach. For that, I turn to my dirty little secret: self-tanner and bronzer. I don't like to admit to using bronzers or self-tanners because of the Snooki-esque connotations but truthfully, I love the sun kissed glow I get from them.

While we already rounded up some great sun-free tanning options, I thought we needed to give you some fabulous bronzers as well. If you're new to the whole sunless scene, a bronzer is a good way to start off. They're little commitment, you can good quality ones at your local drugstore and they're far easier to apply than a self-tanner. 

For all the newbies out there, a good rule of thumb to follow when applying bronzer is to use it where the sun would naturally hit you. Avoid going overboard, remember that less is more. When I apply bronzer, I like to add in a little contouring with my bronzer as well. 
 
Here's a basic guide to where you should apply bronzer:   


Tip: Depending on your personal preference and skin tone, you can use blush with your bronzer or forgo the blush altogether and use bronzer in its place. Personally, I usually put on blush as I normally would and then use bronzer high up on my cheekbones to contour.    

Believe it or not, bronzer can definitely be worn for every skin tone. The trick is to find one in the right shade and knowing whether or not to go matte or shimmer. Being quite fair myself, I recommend using a matte bronzer in a lighter, brown shade. Avoid bronzers that are too orange and with too much sparkle. If you have darker skin, try a bronzer with more shimmer and feel free to use one with more pink or orange. It doesn't look as stark and creates that glow-y look you're after. 


1. Too Faced Caribbean In A Compact in Sun Bunny (C$36.00) 
2. Tarte Matte Waterproof Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess (C$38.00)
3. NARS Highlight/Bronzing Blush Duo in Sin/Casino (C$50.00)
4. Cargo Beach Blush in Coral Beach (C$30.00) 
5. Rimmel London Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze 002 (C$7.49)  
6. Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer (C$40.00)
7. The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder in 04 Deep Matte (C$18.50)
8. Revlon Colorstay Mineral Bronzer in Deep Bronze (C$14.39)
9. Benefit Cabana Glama Bronzing Kit (US$19.00, on sale)  
10. Guerlain Beaute Terracotta Light in 05 Sun Brunettes (C$56.00) 
 
Are you a bronzer newbie or a bronzer addict like me? Do you have a bronzer recommendations for me?