Joey Maalouf Taught Me Bronzer 101 & Now I'm Sharing His Secrets With You!

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for a paid subscription since I recently shared that option. Your appreciation for my work is more meaningful than you know, and I have read every note you’ve sent. I love writing this newsletter and this amazing community; please know that I never take it for granted.

Hi everyone, and welcome back. Today, I have another installment in my unofficial series: “Celebrity makeup artist Joey Maalouf teaches me things I should already know.” (Also, FWIW, I am finalizing this at 11 p.m. on Saturday night, after taking my daughter to Disneyland for the first time today, so if there are mistakes, please know that I am sorry in advance.)

Past installments of “Celebrity makeup artist Joey Maalouf teaches me things I should already know” include my most-read story ever: I Paid $$$ For A Makeup Lesson With Joey Maalouf. Here Are My 9 Favorite Tips! He also is responsible for Eyes! Eyes! Eyes! Joey Maalouf Gave Me A Buildable Eye Makeup Tutorial Using A Single Palette And I’m OBSESSED. And if that wasn’t enough, he has his own Substack, which is a delight and you should subscribe today. I am a proud subscriber and I read every single one! And finally, if you have had a chance to book a Zoom session with Joey, I very much suggest doing so. He’s a delight and has so much to teach us all.

I booked another session with Joey recently because my bronzing skills are truly non existent. I didn’t own any product, and even when I did own some, once upon a time ago, I didn’t know what I was doing with it. I would just indiscriminately cover my face with bronzer, and ended up looking vaguely muddy and dirty.

But unlike contour, which doesn’t personally interest me at this moment, slash maybe ever, bronzer is a product I wanted to learn because my face doesn’t match my body. See, I always slather my face in sunscreen and hide it under a giant hat. However, I’m lazier about shielding the rest of my body, and considering how much I walk my puppy, the result is I am somewhat two-toned, and would like a fix for that!

Could I watch a tutorial on TikTok? Sure. Or a video on YouTube? Most definitely. But if you haven’t realized it yet, I’m a fussy Virgo who likes my information spoon-fed by an actual expert, so I booked another appointment with Joey and got to work.

The Products:

While you don’t need these exact products, this is what Joey recommended I pick up, and I did.

-Dior Forever Nude Jumbo Bronzer ($64) in Medium to Deep Skin (yes, I was surprised at the shade, but per Joey, it’s really lightweight)

-Hung Vanngo Beauty Tansculpt Cream Bronzing Contour Balm ($34) in Intentional

Side note: I already owned all three of the brushes.

-Sephora PRO Blush Brush #96 ($35) to be used with the Dior bronzer

-Sephora PRO Foundation Brush #47 ($35) to be used with the Hung Cream Bronzer

-Makeup by Mario EF 1 Dual-Ended Cream and Powder Makeup Brush ($26) to be used with the Hung Vanngo bronzer

THE PROCESS

Forehead

Starting with the Hung Vanngo cream bronzer and the Sephora PRO foundation brush, dip the flat part of the brush into the bronzer, making sure the white bristles are picking up the product.

Use the back of your hand as a palette, and tap the brush onto the back of your hand to remove excess product and disperse the remaining product evenly in the brush.

Starting with the forehead, apply bronzer along the hairline, coming all the way down across the temples to the outer corner of the eyebrows. You need to make sure you’re getting the product all the way to your hairline, so there’s not a pale gap there.

The key is blending. “You don’t want to see a halo of bronzer; you want it melted into the skin,” Joey says. Also, don’t take the bronzer too far down your forehead; you want the center of your forehead to be a smidge lighter. You will need to reload your brush a couple of times and pick up more product; just remember to use the back of your hand as a palette and tap the brush there before applying it to your face. And again: You need to blend. I know I keep writing that, but it’s everything.

Cheek

Using the same Hung Vanngo product and the same Sephora PRO foundation brush, you’re going to add a little bronzer to the top of your cheekbones. Again: Dip your brush in the product, and use the back of your hand as a palette to work in the product.

As for this application, I was surprised because you’re only applying it to the upper edge of the apple of your cheek. More specifically: Trace a line down from the very end of your eyebrow to your upper cheek, and then inward to the inner edge of your pupil. That’s the area. It’s tiny, really.

And yes, you gotta blend that product in so it melts into your skin. Again, you’re putting this where the sun would hit, on the peaks of your face.

Neck

Again, same product, same brush, but now we are going to warm up the neck. You don’t have to be super precise, you’re just harmonizing the color of your neck so there’s not a stark difference between your face, neck, and chest. And don’t forget the ears, especially if you’re wearing your hair up or in a ponytail.

Nose & Eyes

With the Makeup by Mario brush (using the shorter side) and the same product, do the usual dip into the product, bounce it on the back of your hand, and then trace the outer bridge of the nose up to the orbital bone and across your crease. You can always dip again and carve out your crease a little more; it just adds some definition to your eye socket. Also feel free to pop a little bronzer just under the center of your lip to play up your natural pout.

To Set

For the cream bronzer to last, you will want to go over many of the same places with the super fluffy blush brush and the Dior product, which is pretty translucent, but will also set your bronzer. It’s like setting powder! But it also adds subtle color!

Once again, the technique is the same. You’re going to dip your brush into the product, tap it on the back of your hand, and then tap over the areas you put the cream bronzer. “You want just a light veil of it,” Joey says. He also pointed out that this product has a very light scent, but both of us like it.

Tap the Dior powder bronzer on your forehead, the top of your cheek, and your neck. Then, take the fluffy side of the smaller Makeup by Mario brush, dip it into the Dior product, tap it on the back of your hand, and then go over all the smaller places you bronzed on your face: Under your lip, the side of your nose, and in the orbital crease.

And voila! A little bronze, a little glow, just for you.

Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.