How to Use Bronzer According to Makeup Artists

We’ve been there. It’s spring and you’re wanting to warm up a bit. You pop on a bronzer you bought thinking you’ll get the best, sunkissed radiant glow, and…it’s orange. Not natural, not tan, not radiant. Just…orange. Or worse, it simply just doesn’t show up at all.

We get it. We’ve tried thousands of bronzers, and we know how disenchanting it can be to think you’re getting that gorgeous tan only to have something muddy, orange, too matte, too dark, too light or even too shimmery.

But here at RMS, we know that a good bronzer can change just about everything. It can make you look tan, sure, but it can also accentuate facial features, warm up your look, help define and contour, and give you a healthy, sunkissed glow that sings just-back-from-Bermuda.

That’s why years ago, we launched our cult-classic Buriti Bronzer, a glass pot of creamy, golden, never-glittery goodness you can use all over the face. And why, after years of formulation, we just launched our latest Bronzer, an addition to our Hydra Powders collection—the ReDimension Hydra Bronzer.

In creating our new bronzer we kept hearing that people were complicated on how exactly to apply a bronzer. So we tapped a few of our Artist Experts to dish on their top tips and tricks for bronzer so easy, you’ll think you were already at the beach. Let’s get started.

What is Bronzer?

Bronzer is a makeup product designed to give your skin a sun-kissed glow without the sun exposure. It comes in various forms including powders, creams, and liquids, and each can be used for something different.

“Living in Miami, bronzer is essential,” William, our Artist Expert with over 14 years of experience says. “They can bring a warmth to the face—whether you haven’t been to the beach all season or you just got back a day out there and want to amplify your sunkissed look.”

Traditionally, powders were great for oily skin types or for those looking for a more matte finish, while creams and liquids offer a dewy look, ideal for dry or mature skin. “But working at RMS, I’ve kind of done away with those rules,” William says. “The products we create work on every skin tone and texture, and I love to use them for their benefits.”

Benefits of Using Bronzer

The primary benefit of using bronzer is obviously its ability to mimic a natural tan (when you get the right one!), enhancing your skin tone and evening out your complexion. But bronzerst can also be used to define and highlight cheekbones, jawlines, and temples, helping to subtly sculpt the face. Basically, bronzer can totally elevate and amplify your look, from flat to radiant with just a few strategic sweeps or blends.

Meet Our ReDimension Hydra Bronzer

“After the viral popularity of my Hydra Powder Blushes these felt like the next piece in the collection,” Rose-Marie, our founder and master makeup artist says of our latest launch. “These easily add warmth to the skin and look so natural—I would’ve loved to have these on set when I was working with Victoria’s Secret.”

The ultimate two-in-one complexion enhancer, our ReDimension Hydra Bronzer comes in four naturally sunkissed, glowing shades, combining the nourishing texture of a cream with the light-reflective finish of a luminous powder to enhance the cheeks and face with a golden glow.

Depending on the depth of tan that you want, all colors are universal. However, if you want to shop by skin tone, here is a guide from fair to deep.

Beachwalk Betty: A sweet kiss of sun with neutral nude undertones (for fair skin tones).

Malibu Muse: A golden hour glow with warm amber undertones (for light to medium skin tones).
Tan Lines*: An endless summer tan with neutral undertones (for medium skin tones).
Bikini Beach*: A deep bronze with a slight terracotta base (for medium to deep skin tones).

We infused our sugar-derived wet powder technology, also known as Gel2Powder technology, into our latest formulation, providing the bouncy application of a gel with a multifaceted 3D finish. And, of course, because we’re RMS, we couldn’t leave out the skincare-meets-makeup signature; skin-loving, clean ingredients like Wildcrafted Buriti and Organic Jojoba Oils to nourish and smooth.

3 Ways to Use ReDimension Hydra Bronzer

1. Bronze

“This might sound obvious, but until you use this bronzer, you’re going to feel like you’ve been cheated all your life,” Allana, our Artist Expert with over 14 years of experience says. “Rose-Marie says she wishes she had these on set at Victoria’s Secret, and she’s not kidding around.”

What makes this bronzer different is the longwear, talc-free Gel2Powder formulation that gives a bouncy, golden glow to the skin, looking like skin without feeling like it’s sitting on top of skin.

To get bronzed in a flash, our Artist Expert Becky suggests using our Skin2Skin Blush Brush. “Take the brush and make a ‘3’ shape, starting at the top of your forehead where the sun normally hits, sweeping it down onto the cheekbone and apple of the cheek, and then finishing at the jaw. This motion will give you a natural-looking bronze that hits where the sun hits. It’s foolproof sunkissed.”

If you want to deepen your bronze, Allana suggests using Buriti Bronzer first, and then “setting” it with the ReDimension Bronzer.

For lighter skin tones, we suggest Beachwalk Betty and Malibu Muse, and for darker skin tones we suggest Tan Lines and Bikini Beach.

2. Define

“This is one of my favorite products to use for definition, because it looks so natural and it’s so buildable,” Zoe, our Artist Expert with over six years of experience says.

“To get a multifaceted definition, I use two shades; a lighter one and a darker one. First, I’ll go in with the lighter shade of ReDimension Bronzer wherever the sun hits using the Blush Brush. Then I’ll take the Everything Brush and, using the darker shade (or just the lighter shade again if you only have one) go in the hollow underneath the cheekbone, defining and sculpting the area.”

You can also use the Everything Brush to sweep Bronzer onto the eye; it works great as an eyeshadow as well.

3. Highlight

“Using this as a highlighter is magical,” Allana says. “It gives this luminescence that’s out-of-this-world, while somehow not looking shimmery or glittery. To get it, use the bronzer like a highlighter, taking our Skin2Skin Classic Fan Brush and sweeping it along the cheekbone and up under the brow bone, exactly where you’d apply highlighter.”

Rose-Marie also loves to apply it on the lips for a kiss of bronze; just tap your forefinger onto the Bronzer, kiss your lips after applying Liplights Cream Lip Gloss or our Legendary Lipstick, and you’re good to go.

How to Incorporate Our Buriti Bronzer

“Buriti Bronzer is the OG, and I like to think of it like setting the stage for the powder,” William says. “Anywhere you apply the ReDimension Hydra Bronzer, you can and totally should apply Buriti Bronzer first. The skin-loving, cream formula of Buriti nourishes the skin while also giving the powder somewhere to stick to, so it lasts for even longer than our normal 8hr wear.”

These two products work seamlessly together, because they’re both meant to be ultra-buildable. After priming the skin with our ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer and applying our ReEvolve Natural Finish Liquid Foundation and/or UnCoverup Concealer mixed with our Kakadu Beauty Oil (mixing the two is a trick Rose-Marie loves to do to make a tinted moisturizer!), go in with the Buriti Bronzer on cheeks, forehead, tip of the nose, and eyes for an all-over bronze.

And if you’re wanting to stick with just Buriti for the day, that’s fine, too! Top off your look with a Lip2Cheek for a pop of color on cheeks and lips.

Need Some Advice?

We know it’s a lot of information, and if you’re not a bronzer girl, it can feel even more daunting. If you need help shade matching with the ReDimension Hydra Bronzer, or you’ve got it but are stumped on how to use, we’re here for you! You can book a free, virtual, one-on-one Artist Advice session with William, Zoe, Allana, Becky, or any of our other Artist Experts (with over 40 years of experience!) by clicking the link here.