IS THIS THE NEW BRONZING? TOP TIPS FOR ‘SUN STRIPPING’
We came, we saw, we contoured... then we strobed. Now, we're 'stripping'. The best way to brighten a post-winter visage, 'sun stripping' is a brilliant way to create a believable faux-glow. Just apply a broad 'strip' of matte bronzer across your cheeks and the bridge of your nose, like an eye mask that's slipped down an inch.
We first shared this trend back in 2018 and now it’s back and we’re very much here for it! This is our complete guide to ‘sun stripping’ with top tips for getting the placement right and a few new make-up launches worth adding to your kit.
- What Is Sun Stripping?
- Our Top Tips For Sun Stripping Like A Pro
- The Best Bronzers For Sun Stripping
- FAQs About Sun Stripping
What Is Sun Stripping?
A much more modern and authentic take on traditional bronzing, sun stripping mimics a natural tan, so you look healthy and like you’ve been outside in the sun all day instead of a little bit grubby. People will ask, “Have you been on holiday?” and remark, “You look well,” as you queue for the coffee machine, and who doesn't want compliments with their caffeine?
Rather than sweeping bronzer everywhere, the technique is all about strategic placement. It's less product and more precision, which is what makes it so believable on the face.
Our Top Tips For Sun Stripping Like A Pro
It's an easy look to recreate once you know the placement, but a few small tweaks make the difference between looking sun-kissed and looking smudged. Here's what we've learned.
Tip One: Choose A Broad, Flattened Brush
Equip yourself with a brush built for placement rather than precision. The large end of the PATRICK TA Dual-Ended Blush Brush is ideal, or use the Sculpted by Aimee Perfecting Duo Brush to buff pigment into skin without harsh lines.
£38.00
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Tip Two: Keep It Matte
You can use a powder or crème formula, but make sure it's shimmer-free. You want skin to look naturally tanned rather than sparkly; save the shimmer for your eyes instead.
Tip Three: Build It Up Gradually
Start light and layer as it's far easier to add more bronzer than to take it away, so work in thin passes across your cheekbones and nose bridge, softening the edges as you go.
Tip Four: Balance With Forehead And Chin
Finish the look with a light dusting of bronzer on the centre of your forehead and your chin. This stops the stripe from looking isolated and gives the whole face a balanced, believable warmth.
Tip Five: Match The Formula To Your Finish
For a soft-matte look, reach for a powder or cream compact. For something dewier, a liquid or gel formula blurs beautifully into bare skin. Either way, aim for a formula that blends easily and a shade 1–2 tones warmer than your natural skin tone and a light hand. You can always build more bronzer than take it away.
The Best Bronzers For Sun Stripping
Whether you're loyal to a long-standing favourite or ready to try something new, these are the bronzers worth having in your kit this season.
PATRICK TA Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo comes in two shades and is ideal for simulating that post-holiday glow. Or try Too Faced's smooth, buttery Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, which lends a warm, olive-toned kiss of soft colour.
Alternatively, Coco & Eve Bronzing Face Drops in Dark Tan has the inclusion of the tanning ingredient DHA means it tints skin both instantly and over time as well as hyaluronic acid. If sun stripping becomes your thing, this could be the way to the ultimate buildable glow.
For a dewier look, Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops Soleil can be used neat, or mixed with moisturiser to lessen the intensity. Just dab across the apples of your cheeks and up over the bridge of your nose, blurring with your fingertips for a diffused, soft-focus effect.
Or, for the fastest route to the look, use Morphe Sudden Heat Creamy Bronzer Stick, which has an ultra-creamy texture that can be applied straight from the bullet. Draw a stripe, then quickly soften the edges for a gorgeous, just-caught-the-sun radiance.
£37.00
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NEW In: Bronzers To Add To Your Kit
New this year from Westman Atelier, the Sun Tone Bronzing Crème is a two-tone, cream-to-powder compact designed to be layered for a dimensional, hydrated finish; think of it as sun stripping with a built-in blend.
Fenty Beauty's new Sun Stalk'R Soufflé Pressed Mousse Cream Bronzer has a feather-light, bouncy texture that melts into skin for a soft-matte, sun-kissed glow, and it's built to resist transfer and humidity, ideal for warmer months.
For something more fluid, Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balm is a nourishing, blendable formula that creates a natural, radiant sun-kissed glow while nurturing the skin.
Finish with a warm-toned lip to complete the sun-stripped effect, and nobody will know you haven't just come back from two glorious weeks somewhere hot.
£69.00
£32.00
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FAQs About Sun Stripping
What is sun stripping in make-up?
Sun stripping is a bronzing technique where a broad strip of matte bronzer is applied across the cheeks and bridge of the nose, rather than all over the face, to mimic the look of a natural tan.
Is sun stripping the same as contouring?
Not quite. Contouring uses a cooler-toned shade to sculpt and define, while sun stripping is about warmth and placement, designed to look like sun-kissed skin rather than shape.
What's the best type of bronzer for sun stripping?
A matte or soft-matte formula works best, as shimmer can look unnatural in this placement. To recreate the look: A) sweep bronzer in a broad stripe across your cheekbones and nose bridge B) soften the edges with a clean brush or your fingertips and C) finish with a light dusting on your forehead and chin for balance.
Rina is Cult Beauty’s SEO Content Strategist and Beauty Expert and has always had a passion for beauty and skin care (rich moisturisers are her obsession). What started as a love for The Body Shop and their famed Born Lippy lip balms (in ‘Watermelon’ of course!), she is now more interested in finding products with proven effectiveness instead of broken promises. A loud and proud VIEVE fan, Rina owns nearly every item of the range and recommends the brand to anyone who will listen... When she’s not intently reading ingredient lists, you can find her either immersed in multiple true crime podcasts or a fantasy romance novel, with an *extra* hot cappuccino in hand.
