Okay, so, bronzer, right? I always felt like I was just slapping on orange dirt on my face. For years! I just grabbed whatever looked “brown” and hoped for the best. Spoiler alert: it NEVER worked. I looked muddy, or like I’d been tanning under a busted lightbulb.
Then, I was doomscrolling (as you do) and saw some makeup artist talking about undertones. Undertones! Apparently, bronzer isn’t just about being “brown.” It’s about working WITH your skin, not against it. Mind. Blown.
So, I started digging. I watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials (seriously, so many). They all said the same thing: figure out your undertone FIRST. Are you warm, cool, or neutral? There are a few ways to figure this out.
- Vein Check: Look at the veins on your wrist. Blue/purple usually means cool undertones. Greenish veins lean towards warm. If you can’t really tell, you’re probably neutral. My veins looked kinda blue-green, so I figured I was somewhere in the neutral territory, maybe leaning cool-ish.
- Jewelry Test: Which looks better on your skin: gold or silver? Gold usually flatters warm undertones, while silver looks great on cool tones. I always thought silver looked better on me. Another point for leaning cool!
- White vs. Off-White: Hold up a pure white piece of clothing/paper near your face. Then, try an off-white or cream color. Does one make your skin look brighter and healthier? Pure white tends to flatter cool undertones. I definitely looked better in pure white.
Armed with this newfound knowledge, I bravely ventured into Sephora. It was terrifying. So many bronzers! But I was determined. I decided to focus on bronzers that were described as “neutral” or “cool-toned.” I swatched a TON of them on my arm. Seriously, my arm looked like a Jackson Pollock painting.
I noticed a few things: Some bronzers were way too orange (automatic no), some were too shimmery (I wanted contour, not disco), and some were just… flat. They didn’t add any dimension to my skin.
Finally, I narrowed it down to three:
- Benefit Hoola Lite (apparently this is a cult favorite, and it’s pretty neutral)
- Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick in Amber (this is technically a contour stick, but it looked like it could work as a subtle bronzer on my fair skin)
- Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer (this one seemed to be a bit warmer, but I wanted to see how it looked on me anyway)
I bought all three. Yes, I know, I went a little overboard. But I wanted to do a proper test!
Here’s what I did: For a week, I wore a different bronzer each day. I applied them the same way: lightly under my cheekbones, along my hairline, and a tiny bit on my jawline. I used the same brush for each application to keep things consistent.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Benefit Hoola Lite: This one was pretty good! It gave me a subtle, natural-looking tan. It wasn’t too orange, and it blended easily. This was a solid everyday option.
- Fenty Beauty Match Stix in Amber: This one was amazing! It created a really defined contour, but it still looked natural. It wasn’t muddy at all, and it lasted all day. This became my go-to for more sculpted looks.
- Too Faced Chocolate Soleil: This one was… okay. It wasn’t TERRIBLE, but it definitely pulled a little orange on my skin. It wasn’t as flattering as the other two. I think this one would work better on someone with warmer undertones.
The Verdict: For my skin (fair, neutral-leaning-cool), the Benefit Hoola Lite and the Fenty Beauty Match Stix in Amber were the winners. They both gave me a natural-looking contour and a subtle bronze without making me look orange or muddy.
So, moral of the story? Don’t just grab any brown powder off the shelf. Figure out your undertones and choose a bronzer that complements your skin. It makes a HUGE difference! Good luck, and happy bronzing!
