Clever beauty tricks that will make you look more tanned instantly
Having a tan makes everything better, right? If you're not lucky enough to already have a natural tan to enhance with makeup but still want to get the glow without using fake tan, your wish is our command.
We've called on makeup artist, Maria Comparetto, to share her pro tricks that will make you look like you've literally just stepped off the plane.
Go up one base shade
Looking more tanned is as simple as amping up the cosmetics you already own, according to Maria. "Add a couple of drops of darker foundation into your regular base and blend it around the outside of the face to frame your features," she suggests. "Work it in under the cheekbones and natural contours of the face to create the illusion of a sunny, tanned glow."
Get The Look: Try L'Oréal Paris Pro Glow Longwear Foundation, £11.99
Dust on sunshine
Maria says your beauty utensils will be your best friend when it comes to looking more tanned. "Use a large brush dipped in bronzer and dust it across all the high points of the face, the cheekbones and temples, where the sun naturally hits the face," she suggests.
Get The Look: Terracotta The Bronzing Powder, £37, Guerlain
Sun-kissed cheeks
A glow might be synonymous with bronzer but Maria maintains you can also get the look by using blush. "Work a warm biscuit-tone under the cheekbones, a warmer pink or peach blush blended on the apple of the cheeks and a highlighter on the tip of the cheekbones," she said. Stick to liquid and cream textures as they blend well on skin and enhance the glow effect.
Get The Look: Highlighting Palette in All-Over Sunkissed Glow, £9.99, Revlon
Eyes in the shade
When it comes to emulating a holiday glow, it's essential to go au natural on eyes. Apply primer to lids or a shadow one shade down from your skin tone. It lets your complexion make the sunny statement and appears as if you've been basking behind shades.
Get The Look:Eyeshadow Primer Potion, £17.50, Urban Decay
Golden gleam
Make like a Kardashian and add an illuminator into your beauty arsenal for a full-on holiday glow.
"Mix a drop of illuminator in with foundation to give an all-over iridescence," she said. This is ideal for paler or darker skin toned women who prefer a golden glow over a bronzed finish.
Get The Look: Custom Highlight Drop, £26, Lancome
Colour pop
Now you've got your bronze base perfected, you can add a subtle pop of colour on your lips. Corals and pinks offset and enhance warm tones in your skin.
Get The Look: Water Lip Stain, £19, Clarins, launching in May
Body glow
Use body makeup to warm the skin, or try a golden body oil such as cult favourite, Nuxe. Then highlight down the shin or across the décolleté with a highlighter to create the glow.
Get The Look: Huile Prodigieuse Or, £21, Nuxe
Scorching hot hues
White may be the obvious choice for nails to pop against skin, but red and yellow-toned colours will accentuate warm tones in the skin. Think bronze, corals, and raspberry pinks, through to high-voltage oranges and sunny yellow hues.
Get The Look: Le Vernis in new shade Giallo Napoli, £22, Chanel.
Can't decide which bronzer to make your sunshine friend?
Here's the lowdown on the best bronzers out there...
Best holiday glow
Tom Ford Bronzing Powder, £55, John Lewis
There's nothing like a Tom Ford bronzer when it comes to luxury. This lovely compact comes in two sizes (the larger at £68) and is packaged beautifully. The product in the pan is also stunning, and you only need to lightly run your brush over it in order to get the perfect amount.
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Best mineral bronzer
Dior Forever Natural Bronze, £40, Boots
Containing 95% mineral-origin pigments, this bronzer blends seamlessly while preserving the skin's natural hydration for comfort and radiance. Plus, it's available in eight shades to suit a variety of skin tones.
Best bronzer for dark skin
Makeup Revolution Splendour Bronzer, £8, Beauty Bay
This bronzer has hundreds of reviews from brown and dark-skinned girls stanning the “stunning” shade range. The six shades focus majorly on providing options for deeper skin tones. The second shade in the range works across medium-deep complexions, with four further options to go after that.
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Best matte bronzer
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, £26, LookFantastic
Too Faced's gorgeous bronzer not only smells faintly of chocolate (careful not to eat it!), but it also ensures a perfect tanned glow. It's also perfect for contouring due to its matte finish.
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Best warm bronzer
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer, £49, Space NK
The beautiful marbled effect of this Hourglass bronzer makes it tempting enough. But when you take into consideration the fact that it gives a gorgeous glow and has a light, airy texture, it's extremely hard to resist.
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Best bronzer for deep skin
Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder, £33, Look Fantastic
Bobbi Brown always gets undertones spot on. The bronzing powder is rich, gives a silky smooth matte finish and comes in a range of shades with ultra considered options for deeper skin tones.
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Best bronzer for fair-to-medium skin tones
NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna, £29.90, Feel Unique
Bloggers and celebrities alike love this bronzer, and for good reason. It's not orange-toned and is matte, which makes it perfect for contouring, as well as adding a holiday glow.
Best bronzer for fair skin
Benefit Hoola Bronzer, £27.50, LookFantastic
Another classic, Benefit's Hoola is a bronzer in a compact little box, making it perfect for travel. It has a warm tone and a lovely silky feel, and is an iconic product we will always love.
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Best bronzer for medium skin
Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer, £20, Boots
Fenty has worked hard to be inclusive since the beginning. The eight different bronzing shades pay attention to undertones to ensure nothing ever looks muddy or orange. The rich shades add warmth and depth to cheeks and offer a soft-matte, skin-like finish, perfect for those who don’t want too much shimmer in their bronzer.
Best for emphasising your tan
St. Tropez 3-in-1 Bronzing Powder, £12, LookFantastic
Leave it to St. Tropez to nail our makeup for summer. This trio bronzer is matte and ideal for those looking for some warmth, without the dewy end.
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Best bronzer for olive skin
Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Bronzer, £30, Cult Beauty
The shade “tawny” regular crops up in olive-skin makeover thanks to the complementary terracotta-brown colour that warms up olive-toned skin beautifully. Though Rich Amber, a neutral honey is another great option.
Best all-rounder
Huda Beauty Tantour, £26, Cult Beauty
Perfect for when you can't decide between a sunkissed glow or a chiseled look, this hybrid powder provides both!
Best for strobing
Beach Stick Ibiza, £30, Charlotte Tilbury
If you're a fan of strobing, this one is for you. It applies a gorgeous sun-kissed complexion with a glossy finish.
Best cream bronzer
Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel, £42, Selfridges
This is an incredible bronzer if you're after a dewy look. With a cream base that turns into a moisture-pack powder, the formula glides onto the face and leaves a super glowy finish.
Best clean bronzer
Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer, £23, Selfridges
Ever since Milk Makeup launched into the UK, we've been obsessed with the on-the-go stick products. But perhaps our all time favourite is this creamy but matte bronzer. It blends in effortlessly for a believable tan while the swipe-on format also means it's great as contour.
Best drugstore bronzer
NYX Professional Makeup Matte Body Bronzer, £8, Boots
Available in five shades from light to deep, this gives a beautiful warm glow across all different skin tones, plus the pigment is rich so a little goes a long way.
Best body bronzer
Marc Jacobs O!mega Bronze Perfect Tan, £26.50, Harvey Nichols
This silky-matte bronzer is a favourite for those who like radiance, but not shimmer and the jumbo size means it's great if you want to bronze your bod, too.
Best for Indian skin
Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer, £39, Harrods
Guerlain's Terracotta bronzing products always receive lots of praise, and for good reason. With eight shades to choose from, you're bound to find the right level of bronze for you.
Best bronzer for pale skin
Invisible Bronze Powder Bronzer, £25, BareMinerals
This one should be your go-to when doing a no-makeup-makeup look. The colour blends perfectly with any foundation for a healthy-looking complexion.
Best customisable bronzer
Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick, £52, Victoria Beckham Beauty
The two toned, matte-finish powders within this refillable, keepsake compact mean you can adjust your shade in keeping with the seasons for an always believable finish.
