7 tips to follow so that you are applying your bronzer properly

There's a fine balance to find when applying your bronzer. From finding the right shade and undertones, the perfect brush, and the best method of applying, it's easy to get a sun-kissed glow or a muddy mess if you aren't paying attention.
I've pulled together some of the best tips around from beauty bloggers everywhere to get you the low-down on how to ace your beautiful bronzed look the first time around.
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1. Create an even base with foundation and concealer (h/t Eman)
The most important step is the start. Create an even, flawless base with foundation and concealer before adding any color to your skin. Great foundation and concealer will cover blemishes and dark circles, making you look wide awake and perfectly pretty for your sun-kissed look.
2. Select a bronzer two shades darker than your natural skin tone (h/t Lisa Eldridge)
Selecting the right colors is incredibly important. Lisa Eldridge walks users through selecting the best undertones for their skin. If you have warm or cool undertones, you'll want to choose a bronzer that has a more pink base versus a more true brown or yellow base for the most natural look.
3. Pick the right brush to apply bronzer (h/t Mariah Leonard)
Beauty bloggers will unanimously tell you that a wide, tapered brush is the best application tool for bronzer that will keep your look from becoming dirty or muddy. A flared out brush will help sweep color on evenly instead of concentrating it in one area, and a slightly tapered edge will help reach into hollow points of your face, like just under your cheekbones.
4. Apply bronzer in light pats to build color, rather than dramatic sweeps (h/t Breonna Queen)
Because bronzer can become concentrated in one spot so easily and look like dirt smudges on your skin, it's best to dip your brush into your bronzer powder, lightly tap off any excess and then gently pat the color onto each zone, rather than getting a dramatic swipe off the bat. Building the color will help you keep it more natural and glowy.
5. Starting at your forehead, gently contour in a large reverse 3 shape to deposit bronzer under cheekbones and jaw (h/t Amela Nuhanovic)
Universally, the best way to achieve a sunkissed look is to focus your efforts along the edges of your forehead, under your cheekbones and along your jawline. This tends to be a large sweeping number "3". You can concentrate on each zone of this with light pats and small swooshes to create that even coverage we talked about in number 4, but focus your attention on forehead, cheekbones and jaw for the most natural glow.
6. Using a kabuki brush, lightly dust bronzer on chin, nose, and neck and blend, blend, blend. (h/t Beauty and the Boutique)
After you finish your main applications of bronzer, you can create a dewy sunkissed look by very lightly applying bronzer to a kabuki brush and dusting it over the bridge of your nose, your chin and your neck. The same brush can be used to sweep over your entire face to ensure everything looks blended and fresh.
7. Set with setting spray or powder. (h/t ipsy)
Your final step to make sure that your bronzer doesn't cake, sweat off or get patchy is to set it. Using either a setting spray or a good setting mineral powder, you want to apply it all over your look to keep it fresh and in place for hours.
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