As much as you crave a nice summer tan on your face, every beauty expert (and dermatologist for that matter) would urge you to avoid the sun’s harmful rays as a means to an end. Instead, we suggest using these fabulous Alpha Beta Glow Pads from Dr. Dennis Gross to get an enviable, natural-looking glow that’s totally customizable.

Why would you ever risk wrinkles, sun spots or worse when these pads are so easy to use and so effective? Trust us; your skin will thank you!

You don’t have to live in sunny territory to embrace a sun-kissed look this season, especially when you’re armed with the right beauty gear. Bronzers, golden eyeshadow and lightweight foundation are the must-haves for creating that beach goddess look you crave, and it’s easier than you think to get that just-got-back-from-an-island-vacation look. Here are six simple steps to getting that youthful glow for the season:

Step 1: Cover Up with Concealer
A lightweight concealer is a must for covering up blemishes and for evening out a ruddy complexion.

Step 2: Apply a Mattifying Foundation
Even though you want to up the shine factor for your summer look, a mattifying foundation will help you create a flawless and smooth finish. You can use a few makeup tricks (see below) to create some contours and add some shine with glitter and gloss.

Step 3: Use a Bronzer to Warm Up Your Look
Apply a dual bronzer powder to the apples of your cheeks and dot on your chin and nose to create some contours. A powder or cream bronzer will warm up your look in a flash, giving you a subtle, sun-kissed glow that will make people wonder where on earth you jetted off to over the weekend.

Step 4: Brighten Up the Eyes with a Golden Touch
Use a gold-based eye color and glimmer powder to add some shine to your lids. These are perfect for day or night, and you can intensify the color by adding a dab of moisturizer or Vaseline to the mix. Use these generously on your lids to enhance your sun-kissed look.

Step 5: Go for Nude Lips
When you’re playing up your eyes, stick with a nude-colored lip gloss or lipstick to round out your look. If you do want to add a hint of color, go for pink or a light brown shade to complement the golds and browns on the rest of your face.

Step 6: Use a Translucent Finishing Powder
A light dab of translucent powder on your T-zone will keep shine at bay without flattening out your look. It’s the perfect finishing touch!

From cream eyeshadow to nude lip gloss, you can pull off that sun-kissed look with a few simple tweaks to your makeup routine. Just follow these six steps to get a fun, fresh look for the warmer months ahead!

Temperatures are heating up, the days are longer, but that drab and dreary complexion you’ve been hiding all winter isn’t exactly the hottest thing around! Nothing says summer like a goddess-like glow, and the safest and easiest way to get this is through bronzers .

There are tons of different formulas and shades of bronzers on the market today and the selection can be mind-boggling. However, there are some great products out there that are fool-proof and have buildable, sheer shades to complement most skin tones.

Take the Illuminating Finishing Powder by Stila for example, the baked, hand-milled formula goes on sheer and adds a totally ethereal glow along with that “just-hit-the-beach” color. Try it in the Bronze shade for a flattering and wearable way to get bronzed!

Another great option is purminerals ’ Universal Marble Mineral Powder & Bronzer. These mosaic-like discs blend several shades of bronze to create a flawless glow. This easy-to-use formula is also packed with vitamins and minerals to condition the skin as well as evening out the skin tone. Just sweep it on and go!

For a quick dose of shimmer and bronze anywhere, we also love Lola ’s Shimmer Powder Brush in Bronze. Its purse-friendly applicator has a handy built-in brush so you can sweep it on your face and shoulders when you’re in a hurry.

A great option if you’re planning on laying out poolside would be Stila ’s Sun SPF 15 Bronzer. It adds lightly shimmering color while the SPF shields your skin from the harmful rays…which as we all know by now is a huge no-no! You can even dust this product on your décolleté and shoulders for glamorous, healthy-looking glow, like you just vacationed in St. Tropez or South Beach.

No matter what shade you choose for your complexion, the key is proper application using the right tools. It all starts with the right brush. Use a blush or bronzer blush like Stila ’s #17 retractable bronzing brush. Keep it in your purse or makeup bag for on-the-go glow. For all-over color, the Perfect Powder Blush by Paul Dorf is also a great option. Its large, fluffy bristles disperse sheer color and make blending a breeze.

The best places to apply bronzers are where the sun naturally hits your face first, so start lightly on your forehead, then dust along the cheekbones and work up into the temples in a “heart” formation. Adding a touch of glow to those areas really bring out the cheekbones…now who wouldn’t want that?
Adding a darker shade of bronzer on the hollow parts of your cheeks (just below the fleshy part usually referred to as the “apples” of your cheeks), is also a great way to coax out those cheekbones to maximum exposure!

So if you’re craving a bronze-goddess glow that rivals that of Jennifer Lopez, skip the harmful sun and reach for the safe and easy alternative: the season’s must-have bronzers!