You can keep that sun-kissed summer glow all year with a few simple makeup tricks that will have your friends wondering which beach you snuck off to over the weekend.

Begin with a self-tanner. There are multiple options for sunless-tanning from spray-on tans in the salon or at home, to tanning wipes, gels, lotions and daily moisturizers with self-tanners built in. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most effective sunless-tanning products contain dihydroxyacetone or DHA, a colorless sugar that interacts with dead cells in the epidermis causing a color change on the skin. This coloration usually lasts about five to seven days from the initial application. Be sure to moisturize well in the days prior to using the self-tanner and exfoliate just before applying. Apply over desired areas of the entire body. Use sparingly and rub in completely over any boney areas such as elbows and ankles. During application, be sure to wash hands and between fingers often in cold water to avoid staining your palms and cuticles. To evenly tan the backs of your hands, squeeze a small amount of tanner onto a cotton ball and gently rub from wrist to just below each cuticle.  

For a natural looking glow, apply a face brightener or bronzing gel – two of the best kept secrets to a sun-kissed look – in conjunction with self-tanner or alone. Skin brighteners contain light reflecting crystals that even the skin’s tone and brighten the skin’s appearance. Bronzing gels are similar but add a bit more color. Brighteners leave skin with an afternoon-in-the-sun look. Bronzing gel looks more like a deep end-of-summer tan. Both are lightweight and deliver an instant glow. Use your fingertips to gently apply over the entire face or simply highlight the areas you want to enhance like your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. Bronzing gels can also be mixed with your foundation and blended for an all over radiant glow.

Powder bronzers build on your “base tan” to increase your sun-drenched look. Most powder bronzers are long-wearing and oil-free with anywhere from a hint to a full-on light show of added shimmer. This shimmer helps increase your level of “tan,” however, bronzers with a lot of light reflecting particles do not blend as easily as those with a slight shimmer. Bronzers are best applied with a blush brush. Dab the ends of the brush into the powder, tap to remove excess and pat over forehead, nose, cheeks, chin and between the browbone and lashline of your eye – the areas where the sun hits naturally. Use regular powder to lighten any dark areas.

Now that you have a glowing base, makeup application should be kept to a minimum to achieve the fresh-from-the-beach look. Mascara is a must. It opens and brightens the eyes and accentuates your bronzed lids. If you need a little color, dust white, sand or gold tones of eye shadow over the browbone and lid.

Although cheeks are already bronzed, smile and add a pat of pink over the highest part of your cheek. (Patting on powered makeup looks more natural and less made-up than sweeping or rubbing.)

Finish your sun-kissed look with a neutral lip liner and a gloss in natural, bronze or cream and sugar shades.

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	How To Fake A Year Round Glow The pursuit of the golden glow was introduced in the 1920’s with the growing popularity of outdoor sports. By the 1950’s, tanning lotions helped accelerate the tanning process but often resulted in streaky, orange skin and stained clothes. From the 1970’s through the early 1980’s, dark   ...Read more		What are Bronzers and how do you Use Them? Bronzers refer to both sunless tanning creams/sprays and powders used strategically on the face and body to get a sunny glow. Products are getting easier to use, better at conveying a natural look and eliminating possibility of user error, but there are still some basic things you should keep   ...Read more