Basra Haider / Arabian Beauty: The Bronzed Goddess

I remember the first bronzer to come out. It was not as sophisticated as they are today. It was a loose powder, natural clay sand or something, marketed in a small red clay urn. I was thrilled and wanted to experiment with it; maybe, I thought, I could change my dull grey brown to a glowing Mediterranean tan! I had already learned that the only brown color that was acceptable, and worshipped, was when a white person tanned, a kind of orange, not the grey brown of my pigmentation.

Thrilled, I bought the powder and diligently followed the instructions, “Use a powder brush and sweep it on the forehead, cheeks, nose and chin for a natural tanned look.”

Needless to say, I realized that my experiment failed after my sister pointed out, “Basra, where have you been? You have dirt all over your face.” So I decided bronzers were off limits for me. It is funny recapping this time in my life, it reminds me of a movie I saw a few years back with Ralph Fines and Kate Winslet, where she goes through great lengths and destroys her life only to hide her “perceived” shame in her shortcomings; if I remember correctly the movie was called “The Reader.” I am sure that, like me, many women understood it well.

The Mediterranean tan is heavily marketed and is universally accepted as attractive. In the West people are obsessed with it, often ignoring the danger signs of sun exposure to get the results that they want. Bronzers in the West are one of the fastest moving products in any cosmetic line.

The make-up secret so revered in the West is often considered a taboo to woman of the Middle East -- perhaps because it has always been marketed as a skin “darkener.” However, being in this region and adapting to different tastes whilst still trying to do my job of introducing the best products to my clients, I started to call Bronzers skin brighteners, and often encouraged my clients in the Middle East to experiment with them. The trick to using it as a skin brightener is, firstly, to go with the lighter shades that have a pink undertone as opposed to the orange that works well for European skin tones. And secondly, go with bronzers that have some shimmer, not completely matt.

Once the Arabian Beauty has embraced her skin tone and once this healthy attitude has set in, she will look in the mirror and see the deathly pasty grey skin, achieved by using a too-light foundation, unbecoming. This is where bronzers come in; they are a very good way to introduce some warmth to her skin while the gradual process of getting her to accept her skin tone begins. This will eventually help her select the correct foundation. The radiance that the right bronzer can provide will enhance any skin tone and build self confidence.

In my case, I have never been able to find a bronzer that fully satisfies me. But what I am using these days is a brown bronzer by Lancôme with no orange tones; I add some light pink gold shimmer to it. It gives me the perfect radiance and glow and actually lightens and brightens my skin tone without changing it. I wouldn’t call myself a “goddess,” of course, but I think I know now how goddesses must feel. Bronze goddesses, that is.

(Basra Haider is an international make-up artist, stylist and grooming consultant based in Dubai. She can be reached at: [email protected])