How to Fake the Look of Sun-Kissed Skin in Seconds

Scroll through your Instagram feed during the summer months and you will see one thousand and one sun-kissed makeup looks. In reality, though, most of those aren’t au natural — in fact, it would be quite difficult to achieve skin that’s a combination of dewy, warm and bronze all at the same time from just a few trips to the beach. That’s where makeup comes in to save the day, or, at least make us look like the most radiant, beachy version of ourselves. We worked with NYC-based makeup artist Anne Kohlhagen to create a makeup look that fakes the look of sun-kissed skin in just a few easy steps.

You’ll Need: A priming sunscreen, your go-to foundation (we like a dewy formula for this look, like Maybelline New York Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation), glowy blush and bronzer, a powder brush, dewy highlighter and a touch of powder if your skin tends to get oily.

“I love how healthy and glowy this look is,” says Kohlhagen. Thankfully, the makeup artist-approved routine is seriously easy, too. To get the look at home, start by applying your favorite sunscreen (we recommend one that doubles as a makeup primer like Lancôme Aquagel Defense 50), followed by your go-to foundation. “Using a powder brush, sweep up blush and bronzer from your favorite palettes and apply the mix to your cheeks eyelids, bridge of the nose and sides of your forehead.” Or if you intend on making this your go-to look for summer, consider purchasing a palette made for creating this look, like the Lancôme Bronze and Glow Palette or the IT Cosmetics Confidence In Your Glow Palette. We guarantee you’ll be reaching for it time and time again.

Kohlhagen warns not too over-powder this look, though, as it’s meant to be dewy and fresh. “Only use powder in the center of forehead and sides of nose if your skin tends to get oily in these areas,” she explains. Once your face makeup is complete, add mascara and a tinted lip gloss to finish the look. We like to curl our lashes before applying a volumizing formula like NYX Professional Makeup On the Rise Volume Mascara to make our eyes look bigger (and more awake), but the choice is yours. Finally, for good measure, spritz with a glow-inducing face mist like St. Tropez Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist or lilah b. Aglow Face Mist. From there, shine on and put your best, most radiant, sun-kissed face forward.  

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