Bananas for Bronzers ~ A Recent Collection

I have never purchased a bronzer in all my life… that is, until I started watching a few many YouTube videos on how to contour one’s face. By the way, I think I’m addicted to YouTube of late and have discovered quite a number of really fab “beauty gurus”.

You see, I have stuffed chipmunk cheeks. The kind of cheeks that are fat and round and wide. I didn’t get around to looking at bronzers or contouring powders before because my cheeks used to really ruddy and splotchy, and I was afraid bronzers would emphasise the redness. However, my face redness has somewhat lessened after using Clarisonic Mia and several skincare products that seemed to help even out my skin tone. This makes me so happy because I can finally use cheek and face colours without looking like a clown.

The Body Shop Honey Powder Bronzer in #001 Light Matte
I got this after reading SkinDeco’s review and I really liked the fact that it’s a very subtle bronzer and it’s matte. As a first timer with bronzing, it’s probably safer to start out with something subtle and not too pigmented. This bronzer looks very natural in person and quite honestly, hardly shows up so I find myself dipping my brush in a few more times. I have used it as a face powder and it warms my complexion slightly without looking too obvious.

Bloom Aloha Bronzer
The Bloom bronzer may look rather dark in the pan but when applied with a light hand, it shades my face in a rather subtle manner. I use it as a blush or a contouring powder, to shade the shadowy areas beneath my cheekbones and on my jawline. It is mostly matte and not too orange or muddy but I’d need to be quite careful to not use too much because it can appear a little dark on my skin. I switch between a MAC 209 and a MAC 187 brush to blend.

Essence Bronzing Compact Powder Matt in Love to be Matt
That’s right, it’s spelt without the “e”. I got this from Watson’s for only RM13.90 and it is probably the most budget-friendly bronzer available in our local market. I am quite pleased with this product although it is rather powdery and requires a bit of blending to smoothen it out. I use it as a contouring powder and it performs quite well. I don’t think it’s very lasting though but for the price, I cannot complain.

Essence Bronzing Compact Powder Shimmer in Bronzing Queen
I got this together with Matt. As it has subtle shimmers in it, I only use it as a blush and not so much a contouring powder or bronzer. The colour is really nice and creates a light, healthy flush against my skin tone. The shimmer is not noticeable and adds enough shine without making me look oily. Like Matt, the texture is powdery however it seems to stay on longer than it’s matte counterpart.

Paul & Joe Blue Horizon Bronzer in Siren
This is limited edition and may be hard to find these days. The girlie and pretty packaging is typical of Paul & Joe. It is a really nice and versatile product. When swirled together, it creates a subtle allover glow applied lightly and the peachy-pink shade works beautifully as a blush too. The white decorative overspray on the etched fish comes off after a couple of uses.

Etude House Aloha V-Line Slim Maker in #02
Don’t you just love the name “slim maker”? I really need something that can tone my fat face down and am hoping that this product will work as claimed. I have not used it yet as I just got it yesterday. I like that it’s a two-in-one product (good for travel) with a contouring shade (Cherry Wood) and highlighter (Sun Pink) packaged together in a slim, pretty compact. I tested at the counter and the texture is smooth and soft.

theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer
This is the darkest bronzer shade I now own but I have not used it yet because I just bought this yesterday. I did test it over the counter and it appears as a matte, bark brown when swatched heavily. When used with a fluffy blender brush, it adds some depth to my face, making it look a bit more defined but I need to use very little otherwise it will be too dark on my skin tone. The texture is very silky and smooth, really lovely stuff.

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I now use bronzers to add a bit of warmth and to shade parts of my face. A couple of them can be used as blush to achieve that healthy flush of colour that looks a bit more natural than bright pink blushes. Admittedly, I’m not that accomplished at applying them yet and am still experimenting with different brushes and techniques.

So, I’m really interested to know… What are your favourite bronzing or contouring products and why do you like them?
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