Blusher is a product I tend to waiver on, but bronzer is a non-negotiable. A subtle wash of warmth to the cheeks defies the UK climate and the right shade and finish can add the perfect pinch of colour negating the need for the highlighter, contour and blush bolt-ons. After attempting to slather on mismatched shades of foundation for too long I’ve got a new philosophy: be honest with myself and accept that the word ‘Ivory‘ usually appears in the name of the correct foundation colour for me, and to add a bit of bronzer to the appropriate places to sunkiss everything up instead. So here’s the need-to-know on four compacts of powdered sun I like to dust on all year round:
NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna – £26 – from Space NK. My first real bronzer love. The subtle shimmers ramp up the glow without a chunk of glitter in sight, and the naturally warmed up tones just sort of pull everything together whenever I sweep it on. I tend to pick up the fluffiest brush I’ve got and go a bit wild when it comes to application with this one. Sorry I’m not sorry.
Giorgio Armani Sheer Bronzer in 1* – £31 – from Selfridges. Now doesn’t this look a little terrifying in the pan? Yep I too was a little bamboozled when I lifted the lid on Armani’s bronzer offering. But shunning the usual orangey tones for a russet hue – more akin to what my complexion looks like after a day in the sun, surprisingly works. And the sheer formula means it’s near impossible to go too overboard with this one.
Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in Brunettes – £33.50 – from FeelUnique. If Guerlain do one thing well, it’s bronzers. Never orange, never chalky – the definition of powdered sun. I’ve got a few in my ranks, but this pan is the one I always go back too. The most subtle of the four (and the prettiest), I reach for this on paler occasions when I need something to eke out some colour to my complexion.
CHANEL Les Beiges in B40 – £38 – from Selfridges. A lightweight, non-dectable wash of bronze, I tend to use this one – with the brush included in the compact, it’s an exception to the crappy applicator rule – for topping-up while en route. Whipping it out does add some glam to my tube journey. There’s some confusion over the function of these powders, but I like a bit of B40 round the edges of my face to give some much needed definition and B20 down the centre for that extra scrap of coverage.
Of course four is a tad unnecessary – but a girl’s got to have choices, right? I pick one and dust on that powdered sun come rain or shine, but mostly rain. Hey, it is the UK.
*PR Sample
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