Bronze, Beach Beauty, Bronze!
Aside from the colorful clothes and accessories, my favorite thing about spring is the bronzing. After a winter with greenish-yellowish hue, my body, my soul and my spirit yearn to be tan. Nothing can change a girl's self-confidence like a little color on the skin. I tell you, it works miracles.

I think it's best to approach your bronzing as three separate components. There are the self-tanning/bronzing gels and creams for the whole body, what I like to call dusting bronzers for your face, and then your color bronzers for highlights. To fully bronze requires a bit of all three. Read on.

Self-tanners/Bronzing Gels:
Stroll the drugstore, the department store or your local skin care mecca and you'll see that there are oodles to choose from. (I usually decide based on my budget status: for cheap, I love Neutrogena. For splurge, I like Estee Lauder.) Make-up artist Patrick Thomas for Luxe Apothecary recommends bronzers that are not orange, but golden brown, adding that bronzing gels offer an easy solution. He likes BECCA Cosmetics Translucent Bronzing Gel (Available at Luxe Apothecary, 919.881.7828). Two faves around our office: RAMY Sun Smooched for the face, which actually improves your complexion, smoothing away fine lines and evening out skin tone, and Smashbox Illuminizing Lotion in Smashing Glow for the face (and limbs), which makes you look positively rich - honestly, it's like you've been dipped in gold!

But equally important as the product (if not more so) is the application. As streaking is not-so-chic and Tony-the-Tiger is not our model here, it is key that you work your product in evenly. The best tip I've ever gotten (and this applies to body bronzing and face bronzing) is to mix the product in with your regular lotion. It does wonders for equal distribution. And don't forget to wash your hands!

Dusting Bronzers:
To clarify, dusting bronzers come in a powder form, are applied with a brush and offer a sun-kissed effect to the face. Dusting bronzers are my favorite product as they are a quick way to give your face a kick of 'health' without the stress of streaking. Application here is simple. Think of where the sun hits first: forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. Thomas says, "Start at the apples and blend down rather than up to achieve a natural, sun-kissed look. It is also a good idea to lightly dust whatever bronzer is left in your brush around the hairline." Products worth considering:

• Stila Sun Sun 1
• Cargo Bronzing Powder
• LORAC's Glow
• For the fairer-skinned, BECCA Cosmetics Brazilian Bronzing Sheen or Cool Bronzer from 3 Custom Color specialists. (Available at Luxe Apothecary, 919.881.7828)

Thomas recommends investing in a fan brush or a brush especially designed for bronzer that gives a sheer application rather than heavy deposits of color.

Added Bronze Color:
It just so happens that metallic is in for spring. So our bronzing shouldn't be limited to our limbs and faces in general. Au contraire. We need to use bronze (the color) as a highlight to our faces (and wardrobes - at the very least gets some flops). This is the fun part, as the product offerings are broad; and as they are an embellishment on the already 'prepared' face, it's the place where we get to play. For your toy chest:

• Love, love, love Limitless Lid Shimmer Shadow by Smashbox, $16. Both Smashing Hermosa and Smashing Rose offer just enough bronze-mixed-with-color to add a pop to your eyes.
• Jilda Beverly Hills' Face Dew 3-in-1 in Bronze Baby offers a rich bronze accent for your eyes, lips or cheeks. $20.
• Bobbi Brown's Beach Beauty Face Palette provides a little something for all your face parts. All neutral enough for every day with enough pop for Bronze Beauty status.
• Benefit's Eye Jewel is a fabulous bronze-ish liquid eye shadow.

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