Golden Summer Glow, Imagine.
When we are loved, we glow. Summer gives us plenty of fun and love from the sun. Golden Sun. Bronzed sun-kissed skin looks not only healthy but also glows like Aphrodite.
There are different kinds of skin glows. There are icy winter glows that are focused on the radiant and translucent skin by diffusing light and reflecting the inner glow. Pale Metallic Illuminators (Highlighters) or foundations are used to blur blemishes and lines, and add instant brightness. And then, there are golden glows during summer. Applied over tanned skin to express natural and healthy looking skin.
Do you know this story of Snow White? The Queen asks the mirror. “Magic Mirror on the wall, who now is the fairest one of all? The mirror says, “ Oh, Lady~~~ You’ve got to get a bronzer!”. End of story. We need to get tanned!
So go buy bronzer(s). Many types are out there. Liquids, powders and sticks but get a shimmering ones. The trends in the past used to be just bronzers to contour and add dark colors to mimic tanned skin. However highlighters/illuminators have been a major trend for several years now. It adds some subtle glow to your skin like you have aura without holiness.
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b r o n z e r s
- Laura Geller Beach Matte Baked Hydrating Bronzer $33 This could be one of the purse items to have around. Powders are drying, but this bronzer is whipped with hydrating moisturizer and other nourishing ingredients.
- Wanda Beauty On-The-Glow Bronzer and Illuminator $45 This is perfect for lazy beauty and traveling. This has dual Bronzer and Illuminator in one stick. Click the link and watch the how to use video.
- Benefit Sun Beam Golden Bronze Liquid Highlighter $26 This popular liquid illuminator now comes in Golden Shade. NEW! Gives golden bronze complexion and easy to apply in liquid form. Just dot wherever you want to shine and blend in!
- TEMPTU 'Airpod Highlighter $35 If money is not your concern, you can invest on the makeup airbrush $195. This Temptu airbrush can be used with foundation or blush pods. It is like Nespresso machine for your skin. Plug in the color pods and spray on.
- By Terry Sun Designer Palette - Tropical Break 3 $82 I like this palette it has all three in one. Bronzer, Illuminator and Blush! You won’t need anything else to glow and this is a palette with a variety of shades to play with. Love the case, too.
i l l u m i n a t o r s - h i g h l i g h t e r s
6. Maybelline New York Master Strobing Stick Illuminating Highlighter ($7.94) This popular budget friendly drugstore item has a solid performance rating. Try the strobing technique suggested by the manufacturer.
f o r L I P S & B O D Y
8. Caudalie Divine Leg Tinted Body Lotion $38 Body also needs some shimmering. If your face is tanned but body isn't, it's a faux pas. This lotion isn’t a self tanner as it washed off in the shower. I tried a self tanning lotion and I failed miserably with blotched spots that lasted for months - so hard to fix. I had on hands and somehow touched face and neck and slept on it. Gosh, what a disaster. So please please, unless you actually tan at the beach or salon, be careful with those self tanners/lotions. Follow instructions religiously and read tips online before the execution.
If you want to make your own shimmering tinted body lotion or oil. Try mixing 9. gold metallic pigments with baby oil or body oil of your choice. Some even suggested leftover eye shadows in metallic gold, maybe.. For the oil, I like 10. Bio-Oil $20. This one smells great and clinically proven to work on scars, stretch marks and un-even skin tones with some oil called PureCellin oil. I haven't really noticed any miracles but, I use it after shower alternative to lotion during summer. It is famous for Kim Kardashian used on her pregnancy stretch marks.
t e c h n i q u e s
I like this youtube video. She is super cute and pretty down to earth. Very straight forward, right on the point and informative. The reason to watch her is where she applies the highlighters and bronzers. Modify the steps according to your personal needs. A lot of times, you don’t want to go overboard. We always want natural looks that you’ve done something, but can’t tell.
Long story short, Illuminators go first with your moisturizers preparing the base. Then you make points and corrections with bronzer, foundation and concealer. Finally, illuminators/highlighters are reapplied to set the final glow. Blending well is also the key.
Depending on the use and the techniques, both brushes and sponges are used. Some are better with brushes and some are with sponges. Or someone like to use both. Personally, I like brushes as I don't like to have color makeups on my hands. It goes to my clothes. However, sponges can go more precise in application than brushes like sides of nose and where dabbing/patting action is needed. It is generally a good practice to use makeup tools than hands, especially due to sanitary reasons but also better applications. But if you do tools, it is important to maintain them by proper cleaning.
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11. Real Techniques Core Collection Hand Cut Hair Design Makeup Brush Set $17.88 Developed by pro makeup artist Samantha Chapman- she is one the firsts to host makeup videos on youtube. This affordable and solidly performing synthetic brushes are my all time favorite makeup brush set and great for starters. I took her advice and find an oil cleanser for the brushes. 13. Makeup Brush Cleanser like Japonesque $14 (I use and this kind of lasts forever and I use this for cleaning other stains, too). Japonesque also has great brushes and other type of cleansers. Click the product link to watch video on how to clean makeup brushes. Great information.
12. BEAKEY 5 Pieces Makeup Blender Sponge Set $9.99 Blending and even application of the products is the key to a flawless skin. Water drop shapes became popular by k-beauty influence but it is so common now together with triangle wedge sponges. This product is latex free and hypoallergenic. 5 piece set is quite a deal.
Well, that was about it. Hope you enjoyed the tips on how to glow. Now you can definitely glow.. I'm saying this again. We glow when we are loved. Summer is full of love from the sun, and it's free!! Haha. Enjoy it while it last and show that you have been loved. Golden, shimmering and illuminating skins. Glow, glow like you've never been kissed and loved before.