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Eva Longoria is one of the many celebrities whose red carpet looks prove that style gets better with age. While her fashion choices usually feature dramatic flair and sophisticated elegance, her makeup is always bronzed to perfection. And it’s all thanks to Longoria’s makeup artist Val Garland. Garland became known in the industry as a beauty extraordinaire after she began doing makeup for runway models in Paris and was named global makeup director for L’Oreal Paris. Her unique bronzing technique has repeatedly made people take notice, especially Longoria.
This method involves carefully applying the product to specific areas of the face rather than the entire body. For Garland, the best locations are those where natural sunlight tends to hit the face. “Don’t apply it too low. (…) Keep the bronzer high on your cheekbone,” she shared in an interview with Hello! Magazine. From there, she blends the product towards her temples. This, she explained, gives a more toned, youthful look that accentuates rather than models. Her technique is evident on Longoria’s face, adding a subtle warmth to it without being too harsh or boring. This approach allows the bronzer to not work as hard as a traditional contour.
Eva Longoria uses bronzer in her everyday makeup
Of course, proper bronzer placement is just one piece of the puzzle. If you want to achieve the best results, the formula matters too. Those with mature skin should avoid using highly pigmented bronzers as they can unintentionally accentuate fine lines. As makeup artist Christian Briceno told Vogue, “The best thing is the subtle, skin-like glow that keeps your face from looking dull.” Val Garland especially recommends cream products because they are easy to blend and blendable.
While it’s unclear what kind of bronzer Longoria’s makeup artist uses for special occasions, the actress herself has been known to use Makeup by Mario’s Soft Sculpt Blurring Bronzer in a medium-dark shade. The popular product is described as providing light to medium coverage and being shimmer-free. In a video posted to Vogue, Longoria explained how she achieves a natural-looking glow using the product at home. “I use many different types of cream bronzers (…). I like to bronze just the outer part of my face because I want to look dramatic,” she said while applying the product.
As recommended by her makeup artists, the Desperate Housewives actress used the fluffy end of IT Cosmetics’ Heavenly Luxe Complexion Enhancing Brush #7 to apply bronzer to the outer edges of her face. As a general rule, it’s best to stay away from the center of the cheek to prevent it from looking cloudy. In conversation with Hello! Val Garland said, “Use big strokes (and) (d) don’t press too hard.” This thin application creates a luminous finish without harsh contouring.