How To Find The Best Bronzer For Your Skin Tone

Those in the know avoid sun damage at all costs by saturating skin in SPF 100 and sporting heavy-duty sun repellant garb, but there is something utterly irresistible about sporting a healthy, sun-kissed glow during the summer season. Instead of throwing caution to the wind and allowing detrimental UV rays to wreak havoc on your complexion, finding the best bronzer for your skin tone will help emulate that covetable glow without the repercussions. However, pinpointing that ideal bronzer is easier said than done. An inexpertly chosen facial bronzer can easily transport your skin into tangerine-hued territory or lend your typically luminous complexion a dappled, unhealthy cast.

Luckily, snapping up the perfect bronzer is simply a matter of taking into account your skin hue and its predominant undertone. By matching your complexion to the undertones in your chosen bronzer, you can create a simulated sunlit incandescence that corresponds with your natural tone instead of clashing. Bid farewell to the highlighter-hued tanner you once thought flattering and the decade-old compact that somehow lends your skin a dusty appearance, and scroll through to find the product that perfectly corresponds with your natural radiance. After all, no one has to know your faux glow isn't the product of a weekend jaunt to Saint Barths.

1. Fair Skin With Pink Undertones

Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Tailor-Made Bronzing Powder in 00 Nude, $76, Sephora

Those with a rosy, fair skin will look their most radiant in a subtly tan hue imbued with pink undertones. Achieve the look by swirling a large blush brush through a palette divided into blush and bronzer and buffing across the nose, cheekbones, forehead, and temples.

2. Fair Skin With Golden Yellow Undertones

Jane Iredale Quad Bronzer in Moonglow, $48, Jane Iredale

If your complexion boasts gilded yellow undertones, steer towards a bronzer with a yellow cast to correspond with your skin. A bronzer quad with champagne, gold, and caramel hues will give warm complexions a beautiful boost without appearing unnatural.

3. Ivory Skin With Warm Undertones

Too Faced Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer, $30, U lta

Ivory skin with warm undertones will achieve a sun-kissed gleam with the addition of a slighter deeper bronzer in a light cocoa shade. Choose a duo-toned bronzer for a more customized shade.

4. Olive Skin With Pink Undertones

CoverGirl Clean Glow Bronzer, $8, Covergirl

Play up the innate flush of pink-toned olive skin with a bronzer that boasts a rosy terra cotta hue. A pinch of pink will further amplify a healthy glow, so don't be afraid of reaching for a shade that appears more coral than bronze.

5. Tan Skin With Golden Undertones

NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna, $40, Nars Cosmetics

Those who possess skin that is tan in hue with yellow undertones can and should experiment with bronzers infused with gold lowlights, whether in the form of subtle shimmer or well-placed sparkle. A bronzer with metallic accents will pick up and magnify the natural glow of tan skin with gilded undertones.

6. Deep Skin With Golden Yellow Undertones

Maestro Liquid Summer Bronzer in Sun Bath, $64, Giorgio Armani

An iridescent liquid bronzer rendered in a chestnut or mahogany hue will illuminate and give further dimension to deep complexions with yellow undertones. Use your fingers to sparingly dot liquid bronzer on the tops of the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, and the perimeter of the forehead and chin for an alluring glow.

7. Deep Skin With Red Undertones

bareMinerals Ready Bronzer in The Deep End, $25, Bare Escentuals

Those who have deep complexions with blushing undertones will find bronzers with a berry cast bestow a winsome glow by playing up the skin's natural bloom.

Images: EpicStockMedia; Courtesy Brands