With a combination of Irish, English and Welsh blood, it comes as no surprise that my natural skin colour equals that of a Wrigley’s Extra. Recently I went an entire six months without fake tanning. Call it giving up now that I’m engaged or call it protecting my Egyptian Cotton bedding – either way I looked like a walking A4 copy sheet (only with witchy hair, swollen ankles and ten stone heavier). The construction of a bronzed selfie takes effort. When I do tan, like most girls my makeup has to change too. Pale coloured foundation is not a good look on top of a spray tan and I need a different bronzer too. I don’t like a matte bronzed look – for me it has to have a 3 dimensional touch. It’s no secret that Estée Lauder is my go to brand for lots of makeup (you’ve probably seen how much I loved the new Double Wear Cushion Stick Foundation on Instagram) so it comes as no surprise that I can’t get enough of their Bronze Goddess range.
To keep an even tan, be it fake or natural it’s important to get a gentle exfoliation each time you shower to ensure it doesn’t become patchy. Dry skin it the number one sin in tanning because it makes tan flakey and uneven. Most people see it under their arms, elbows and behind the knee. With an exfoliators like the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Exfoliating Body Cleanser though, it isn’t a problem. Priced at £30, the exfoliator isn’t too harsh or abrasive and leaves skin feeling moisturised without that awful tight dry feeling most exfoliators leave behind. Following up with the gorgeous tub of Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Whipped Body Créme (£30) leaves me confident with the fact that my skin is going to be silky soft for the majority of the day. Tanning for the body? Tick. What I wanted to spend most time talking about though is the cute Summer Glow Eyeshadow Palette, (£40), the Summer Glow Illuminator highlighter and THAT new Summer Glow Multi-Palette for bronzing (already about four of my friends have seen me use and since bought for themselves).
When it comes to eyeshadows, I prefer a gentle shade of pastel that isn’t too popping so the tan has all the attention. One that makes eyes look bright and enhances a tan is for me, the one. The eyeshadow palette from the Bronze Goddess range takes all of this into consideration, coming complete with six seductive shades. The lightest is perfect for under brows and the inner corners of the eye while the pale pink is great for contouring and defining the lid. In the evening I add a little of the teal in the outer corners – it looks great on those with brown eyes.
To construct a bronzed face, there’s no denying that contouring makes such a difference. Still even now contouring can scare people – probably thanks to those tiger faced Instagram videos – but the Summer Glow Multi-Palette is super simple to use. Using an angled brush simply swipe the darkest shade under cheeks, across the jawline and either side of the nose. Then using the lightest shade, highlight cheek bones and down the nose. The silky smooth texture of the powder is so easy to apply and blends really well. I like to dab a little of the pink tone onto the apples of my cheeks but some like to swipe up. Personal preference I suppose. It gives the the perfect radiant, sun-kissed colour for face, cheeks and eyes.
Last but not least, the Summer Glow Illuminator is great for those areas where you’d like a little more glow. Personally the face is fine for me with just the palette so I’ll use a drop of this shimmering highlighter on the lowest parts of my collarbone and swiped across my shoulders. A little on the sweetheart shape of your neck line/décolletage also works wonders for reflecting light and enhancing a bronzed look. It’s lightweight too so perfect for those Summer holiday evenings and boat trips.
Et voila, the construction of a bronzed selfie.
Have you tried Estée Lauder’s Bronzed Goddess range? What are your favourites?
