First we contoured, then we strobed and now - just when we thought the world of face-sculpting couldn’t get more complicated - there’s a new method of bronzer application to wrap your brain around. Stripping. And before you ask, this is the type you can do with your clothes on.
A more natural and, thankfully, far less faffy technique than its predecessors, sun-stripping mimics a natural-looking tan with a “strip” of bronzer across your cheeks and over the bridge of your nose. The result is a look that instantly blows away the winter-skin cobwebs and says “I’ve just come back from a week skiing in Verbier”, rather than “I’ve just spent half an hour carefully carving out my cheekbones”.
It was also a look that went down a storm on the spring/summer catwalks. At House of Holland, St Tropez’s Jules Heptonstall and MAC’s Isamaya Ffrench complemented the designer’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-themed collection by creating a three-days-in-the-desert-without-SPF type of deep bronze look.
At Alberta Ferretti, the sunburnt-in-the Sahara trend continued as Charlotte Tilbury created a deep, goddess-like tan by buffing on a cream bronzer with a sunkissed pink blush. Over at DSquared2, MAC’s Lucia Pieroni opted for an athletic, outdoorsy flush by sweeping on layers of fine-milled bronzers.
To recreate the look at home, your most important tool is a big, broad kabuki brush (above). As for the powder, opt for a matte not metallic finish - the result should be natural, not shimmery.
Kevyn Aucoin’s Matte Bronzing Veil is among the best and comes in two shades - Desert Days and Desert Nights - so you can tailor how terracotta you want to go.
Topshop’s Deep Bronzer and Stila’s All Day Bronzer for Face and Body are also winners for a natural two-weeks-in-Tulum result.
For a more suntanned-in-the-city effect, try By Terry’s Sun Designer Palette in Light Tan Vibes or Guerlain’s Healthy Glow Powder, while Eve Lom’s Golden Radiance Bronzing Powder simplifies the process with a built-in brush applicator.
If you prefer a cream or liquid formula, try Nars’s Matte Multiple in Vientiane. Simply draw a band of colour below your eyes (apply wet for a sheer veil of colour or dry for more intensity) and soften the edges with a blending brush for a radiant finish.
Tata Harper’s Very Bronzing cream also offers a thoroughly blendable formula applied straight from the pot, while Perricone MD’s No Bronzer Bronzer offers natural-looking liquid colour in a dropper form for a truly customisable glow.
But the award for most innovative sun-stripper goes to Vita Liberata’s Trystal Minerals. Not only do the clever pigments deliver a foolproof faux glow, it’s also infused with the brand’s signature tanning agent, DHA, to give you a lasting, sunkissed lustre long after the make-up’s come off.
