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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Bronzing 101

Bronzers are one of those make-up products that lay neglected in my drawer for the most part of the year. Being very fair in the cold months, I just look quite odd even with a tiniest amount of anything darker on my skin. But come the sunny days, I dig out my small selection of bronzing products and make myself a bit sunkissed.


There is more to my bronzing routine than just powder bronzers. Even with a high SPF on my face, I always get a bit of natural color and a load of freckles, which I then emphasize by using a self tanning lotion on my face and body. I also mix my regular foundation, be it powder or cream, with a darker shade to adapt to my newly formed tan.


The three products captured in the photos all serve a slightly different bronzing purpose. I use the Limited Edition The Body Shop Bronzing Powder in Fair Matte in my early self tanning days on high points of my face (where the sun would naturally hit me), and when I go darker, more liberally all over. It's excellent for very fair gals, looks very natural, feels moisturizing and can't be overdone.

Benefit Hoola, a matte cool brown, serves as an ideal mix between a bronzer and a contour. When I'm pale, I use a very light hand with it and only apply it to my cheeks slightly beneath the cheek bone, blending upwards. With a bit more color in my face, I can use it more like a typical bronzer on the high planes of the face.

Wet'n'Wild Ultimate Minerals Bronzer in Amber Glow (supposedly a dupe for MAC Stereo Rose) is a mix between a blush and a bronzer. It's a lovely warm shimmery pinkish bronze color and can be of great use to anyone who struggles with regular bronzer. I apply it concentrating on the apples of my cheeks and blending outwards towards the ears, sometimes together with either The Body Shop bronzer or Benefit Hoola on the sides of my face and temples.


In the photos below, you can see my everyday summer look. I didn't take most of the products mentioned here with me on my trip, so I'm only wearing The Body Shop bronzer with a touch of La Femme Coral blush on the apples of the cheeks. You can see, however, what I like to pair it with: a neutral shimmery eye (Wet'n'Wild trio in Walking on Eggshells) and a brighter lipstick, which I'll feature in my next make-up haul.



What are your favorite bronzing products?

16 comments:

  1. You look gorgeous!
    I love bronzer. The one I finished - yes, I did- was the Cargo Blue Ray and I need to get a new one but I also need to use the other ones I have. My LE Givenchy Frangipaniers is my go-to at the moment. In the Winter I use Burberry in shade 1 Warm Glow as it's very light and perfect for fair skins!

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  2. Thank you, lovely! I haven't tried anything from Cargo yet, but I've heard a lot of good things about their blushes and bronzers. I'll have to have a look some day! x

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  3. you look so stunning! :) beautifully sunkissed x

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  4. U look so lovely hun..

    I've been loving my Dior Sunser Bronzer.. It's just so creamy and soft.. I love it.. Also lately I've been enjoying my Burberry Blush in Russet which can be a blush and a bronzer at the same time.. Really amazing shade..

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  5. You are so pretty! Love this post! Bronzers are my best friend these days!

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  6. @Nikki: Thank you, sweetie! x

    @Delyteful Speaks: You've been tempting me with your Dior reviews for the longest time :)

    @Jackee: I'm glad you liked it :) x

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  7. Great post, it's really interesting to hear how you use each product. I have only tried the Benefit Hoola and I used it mostly for contouring. The bronzing product i cannot live without is NARS Laguna, I use it all the time, pale or tanned, I just love it! xx

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  8. The one from The Body Shop looks pretty! Great picks (:

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  9. I ♥ my Hoola too.:D

    ***** Marie *****
    allthingsmarie.com

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  10. You have a lovely collection and those swatches look very tempting. :) LOVE the summer look on you <3

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  11. @Saskia the Style Fairy: I'll try Laguna one day, I was just wondering whether it wasn't too yellow toned for my pink skin...

    @GABY: Thank you, lovely!

    @Marie: Some people hate it, but I think it just requires more work sometimes :)

    @Sara.H: Thank you, sweetie! x

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  12. I have fair skin too! When I use bronzer (even a tiny bit) it's very noticeable! That benefit bronzer looks really amazing though :)

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  13. My fave bronzer is the MSF in Comfort. It was overlooked by many because of all the hype of Stereo Rose, but Comfort goes on so smoothly, lasts all day, and suits a wide variety of skin tones.

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  14. Your bronzer looks SO natural! I can't even tell you're wearing it. I'm having a love-hate relationship with bronzer as I can't find any drug store matte colours in the UK so I might have to splash out on Hoola x

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  15. Yay, you picked up the Body Shop bronzer! I'm glad you like it :) x I have such a hard time naming my favorite bronzing products...I seriously have a sickening (yet not to me) amount. Korres Monoi Bronzer always gets a lot of love from me x

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  16. You look stunning! I also got The Body Shop bronzer and really like it. It looks so natural on face and as you also mentioned it really can't be overdone! :)

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