Perfect Bronzer in 3 Easy Steps

Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D

Before

Elizabeth Satterlee Erşekal, 32, is pale. Very pale. (The foundation shade she's wearing here is called Siberia.) So when she tried powder bronzer to look sun-kissed, the effect quickly became sunburned. Nars makeup artist James Boehmer knows why: "The shade Elizabeth was using is too red and too opaque. A sheer peach- or yellow-based bronzer is most flattering on fair skin." He also points out a placement problem—for the most natural effect, bronzer should be applied around the perimeter of the face, not just along the cheekbones. Here's how Boehmer added the perfect amount of warmth to Elizabeth's cool, porcelain skin.

NOTE: Bronzers aren't just a tool for warming up pale skin. In rich, earthy shades with red undertones (think clay or terracotta), they're also a beautiful way to add contour to dark skin.

Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D

Step 1

Layering a cream or liquid bronzer (like Nars Illuminator in Laguna, $29; narscosmetics.com) underneath a powder keeps the finish from looking too dry and flat. With your ring finger (it applies less pressure, and product, than your index finger), dot the color along your hairline above your temples, over your cheekbones toward your nose, and then down along your jawline.

Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D

Step 2

Brush on a powder bronzer (like Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna, $33; narscosmetics.com) in the same configuration (hitting hairline, temples, cheekbones, jawline). Then, without adding more bronzer to the brush, dust it over your nose, neck, even the tops of your ears. (For a light application, don't use a bronzer-specific brush. A regular powder brush is less dense and will pick up less product.)

Photo: Chris Exckert/Studio D

Step 3

Finish with a sheer powder highlighter (like Nars Highlighting Blush Powder in Albatross, $27; narscosmetics.com) to make the bronzer look translucent on the skin. Dust it above your temples, on the tops of your cheekbones, over the bridge of your nose, and underneath your browbones. Complement your new glow with a sheer rose lip gloss.

Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D

After

For more makeover fun, flip through the new Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself, by François Nars. The book goes beyond juxtaposing barefaced "befores" and beautifully made-up "afters." Each "after" photo is overlaid with a vellum page marked with exactly what products were applied where.