Bronze, Babe: How Not to Look Like an Oompa-Loompa (at Least on Your Face)

My current orange obsession has its makeup place: lips, nails, even as liner or on cheeks. But not all over the face. No. That way lies Oompa-Loompa and Valentino. The secret? Here are two.

1) A hit of pink in the bronze mix warms things up without tipping into Oompa-Loompa. Pink is in (from left, above) Lise Watier Havana All Over Baked Bronzer ($35), Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inpired by Carmindy Sun Glow Powder Bronzer ($14), Chanel 4 Facettes Bronzing Powder in 547 Bronze Rosé ($52), and Quo Baked Bronzer in Sun Princess ($20). If you're fair, you're looking for a golden base. If you're medium toned, look for copper, a light bronze. If you have olive skin, look for a rosy bronze -- Rose Bronze by Pandora's Makeup Box (above, lower left, $26), for example.

2) Rather than scout for bronzers, look for a face powder a shade or two darker than yours. That's fool-proof oompa-loompa avoidance. "Powder is designed to match skintones, so you're less likely to end up orange," says M.A.C Senior Artist Melissa Gibson, who worked bronze magic for The Kit's June 2011 cover. M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural ($34) is also one of my favourite bronzing tools. Shades shown above, from left: Medium Deep, Light Medium and Medium Dark.

Have you had oompa-loompa issues? Or have you found your perfect bronzer?