Becca launched their new Sunlit Bronzers ($38 each for 7.1 g/0.25 oz, made in USA) at the end of April and these are hands down among the best bronzers I’ve ever tried. At this point in my beauty testing life I seriously thought that there was little room for improvement in the bronzer world. I’m a total bronzer addict and have tested all kinds – liquids, powders, creams, gels, shimmers etc. I often wear bronzer instead of blush to add depth or color my beauty look. The Becca Sunlit Bronzers have the softest sheen without any hint of frost on the skin. The texture is finely milled without a lot of fall out. They blend beautifully with the skin. I’ve historically been normal to oily but with the heat in Florida (and change in water) I would say I’ve become more normal to dry and some powders have started to emphasize lines or patches. Not the case with these bronzers. They have a rich pigment that is easy to smooth out and build. They look incredibly natural on the skin and lasted all day on me.
There are five colors and the Becca team sent all the shades for review. Those who have fair skin have often commented that they have trouble finding any bronzer that will work for their skintones. With this line I think you will finally be able to use one that won’t turn orange on your complexion. For my deeper skin tone readers there are a couple shades at the deeper end of the spectrum that have amazing pigment so you should be able to layer for a beautiful glow. The shades:
The shades have a noticeable shimmer in the pan, on the face it just glows. There’s no frost or flashback. From left to right:
Bali Sands is a soft golden sand
Capri Coast is slightly deeper but still a light bronze
Bronzed Bondi is a medium amber bronze
Ipanema Sun is a deeper brown bronze
Maui Nights is a reddish terracotta bronze
The pans comes with an embossed wave/sand like pattern. You can see the flecks of shimmer in the pan in the sunlight:
All five on me applied with a light hand. The color is layerable but I wanted to show how natural these can look. On my complexion you can’t really see Bali Sands and can barely see Capri Coast – which I think will help my fair-skin readers get a sense that these are truly lighter bronzer shades. On the face I’m wearing the Diorskin Forever Foundation in 31 and the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger on spots. Face is also set with the La Mer Powder. On the lips is Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink topped with MAC Lipglass in Beaux (the new version). Stripe tee by Joie.
Prior to testing these my top picks for bronzers included Edward Bess Daydream, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers, Tom Ford Bronzing Powder (original formula) and Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel. Other favorites rounded up here. The Becca Sunlit Bronzer joins my list for top picks – it’s definitely one of the most natural looking bronzers that gives the skin a sunkissed look. The color options give you a decent range to pick from depending how natural or deep you want your bronzer to be. Bottom line it’s pure love and I highly recommend them.
Hourglass fans rejoice because they’ve added new products to their Ambient Lighting Collection with their Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush ($38 each for .15 oz/4.2 g) and two new shades of Ambient Lighting Bronzer ($50 each for .39 oz/11 g). As a long-time fan of the Hourglass highlighters I’m thrilled to be able to review the new shades and swatch them for you.
Up first, a look at the blushes. For those new to the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes these are the most glowy blushes in the Hourglass line. I find that on my medium toned skin the colors appear borderline more like highlighters than blush. The shimmer is finely milled but on the glowy side. While I don’t see any frost in them, I will note that if you don’t like shimmer, you may want to opt for the Ambient Lighting Blushes instead. They have more color and less glow.
What I love about these is that they are glowy without being too frosty. They apply smoothly on the face and don’t emphasize pores. I do find they warm up a little bit about 30 seconds after application, however they don’t oxidize in color.
Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush comes in 4 colors:
Incandescent Electra is described as a cool peach blended with Incandescent Strobe Light
Brilliant Nude is described as a deep amber blush with Brilliant Strobe Light
Euphoric Fusion is described as a lilac blush blended with Euphoric Strobe Light
Iridescent Flash is described as a vivid magenta with Iridescent Strobe Light
Note that three of the four Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders were in the limited-edition holiday palette and Incandescent Electra has been released as an individual color for quite some time
Face swatches of all four on medium-olive skin. On the face I’m wearing the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick in Nude. Lip colors worn with each blush listed below:
Hourglass Incandescent Electra with YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7 (swatched here)
Hourglass Brilliant Nude with GIRL Lip Stylo in Believer (review here) + YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7
Hourglass Euphoric Fusion with GIRL Lip Stylo in Activist (review here)
Hourglass Iridescent Flash with GIRL Lip Stylo in Creator + Achiever mixed (review here)
Up next are the bronzers. The original two bronzers Luminous Bronze Light and Radiant Bronze Light looked almost identical on me. The variation for me was slight but I do suspect colors will vary depending on how much highlighter versus bronzer you have mixed into yours. The powders are hand made which means each one is unique and different. I really loved Luminous Light and I still do. On me for some reason Diffused Light pulls warm even though it looks cool-toned in the pan. I love Nude Bronze Light because it appears slightly more matte than the other two. That being said they all look similar on me. The difference is in the undertone. These bronzers also warm up a little after application but they don’t darken or oxidize. A little goes a long way and they are super easy to apply/blend.
Ambient Lighting Bronzers are now available in 4 shades:
Luminous Bronze Light is a medium toned bronzer with Luminous Light highlighter mixed in (reviewed here)
Radiant Bronze Light is slightly deeper and warmer with Radiant Light highlighter mixed with a beige base (reviewed here)
Nude Bronze Light is a new shade with a neutral nude bronze and a soft matte nude powder
Diffused Bronze Light has a mix of cool brown bronze and a pale yellow powder
These were swatched with a heavy hand on the face to try and show the difference in undertone. On the lips is GIRL Lip Stylo in Idealist for all the face swatches below. To me they all look very similar. Nude Bronze Light seems to be the darkest on my complexion. Brush shown below is the Hourglass Brush #2. I have a couple of their brushes and need to explore more of them. They are synthetic and PETA friendly. They’re among the softest smoothest brushes I’ve tried. I think they’re under-rated.
If you missed out on the holiday palette you can find the shades individually now. I swatched my palette next to the individual ones and the colors, pigment and texture are the same. I still stand by original review and feel like the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes have more of a highlighter feel on me, but I still love them. For the bronzers variations will most likely be more apparent on you if you have lighter or deeper skintone. I’m right in the middle where all four have a very similar effect. My favorite is Luminous Bronze Light.
Bottom line beautiful powders, gorgeous packaging, seamless application. I love a good glow and these have a perfect mix of shimmer and color to look natural but still noticeably glowy.
Last month I was lucky to get an early sneak preview of the Tom Ford Summer Soleil Collection in Los Angeles at Violet Grey. I went with my friend Rae from The RaeViewer and we were able to check out everything and get our makeup done by their National Artist Executive Allan Aponte (he’s amazingly talented). Both Rae and I are huge Tom Ford fans – we still remember the first time we each splurged on a Tom Ford lipstick, so being able to play with the new collection together was just the best. You can see a few sneak peeks of her makeover on her YouTube channel (I’m kinda proud of these clips because it was my first time filming someone!).
In today’s review I have the following new items to share with you:
For quick reference to those who want to know what else is in the collection, other items includes the Ultimate Bronzer in Terra, Fire Lust Skin Illuminator (repackaged in the same size as the Shimmer Shots), a Bronzing Gel and the Soleil Contouring Compact in a new shade Soleil Afterglow, Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette. Some of the Soleil Blanc items have been launched in more body product formats as well.
Up first are the new Ultimate Bronzers which are the large size bronzers in a new formula. The Small Bronzing Powders have been repromoted and the colors/formula remains unchanged (swatched last year here). The larger ones come with an almost creamy texture that have a subtle luminosity and blend on the skin beautifully. I want to warn you first that they swatch on the arms and hand very orangey – but I promise on the face it looks amazing. On the skin it has a semi sheer finish but the pigment is enough to give the skin a warm slightly bronzed healthy look.
Here are the two new ones swatched compared to the original formula (which you can still find in the small size). Note that I swatched these with a heavy hand so you could see the color variation – on the face with a brush they apply a lot sheerer and look very natural.
Both Rae and me after our makeovers. We both are wearing the bronzers in Gold Dust with the Reflects Gilt Highlighter. You can see below the bronzer doesn’t look orangey on us but rather warms up the complexion. Also as a side note her skin is always glowing in the most beautiful way!
There’s a new retractable brush called the Soleil Bronzing Brush made with synthetic material. We were told at the event that Tom Ford brushes are all going to be made with synthetic materials going forward. I’ve bought quite a few of the original ones which I love so I will do some investigating to compare the new to original launches. Given how well made this new one is I have high hopes they will continue to be just as good in quality. The Soleil Bronzing Brush has a tapered tip and comes in a beautiful white and gold packaging. I love how soft it feels – it almost feels like a kitten it’s so soft!
I’m pretty much excited about everything in this collection, but if I were to pick my two favorites it would be the cheek duos. There’s a Sheer Highlighting Duo in Reflects Gilt which has two variations of beautiful gold shimmer. It has the most incredible formula like a metallic cream to powder that almost has a wet sheen. It looks incredible on the skin and just the tiniest amount dabbed with a brush gives the skin an amazing glow. I saw it on several members of the Tom Ford team, one who has fair complexion and it looked like a blush on her. On me it’s a highlighter that can be easily layered. Pigment is smooth and flawless. It’s just so so pretty. For the cheeks there’s a new Sheer Cheek Duo called Paradise Lust. This is a more coral version compared to the previously launched Bi-Coastal. Paradise Lust has an iridescent champagne gold and a satiny coral. Mixed this is perfect for summer.
All three duos swatched side by side:
For the eyes there are two new Cream and Powder Duos called Young Adonis (silvery taupe) and Sun Worship (gold). Two colors have been repromoted in Golden Peach and Naked Bronze (both long-time favorites). If you scroll up to the photo above of me and Rae, I’m wearing Young Adonis on the eyes and Rae has Sun Worship (it might be hard to tell with the lighting in the studio). So many of you wanted to know if the cream in Young Adonis was a dupe for Platinum. I thought that was the case the minute I saw it but Allan confirmed it was lighter in color (a swatch below will show the difference). Sun Worship is a yellowy gold which looked so so pretty on Rae. I find it wearable on me too but if you don’t like yellow golds, I’d say skip this one.
Swatch comparisons of the cream sides to Tom Ford Opale and Platinum (review here) and the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Norma Jean and Marie Antoinette (review here).
Last but not least are the Clutch-Sized Lip Balms. These are the same size as the Lips and Boys and are just the cutest! The balms are super comforting and come with a dome tip. All but two of the colors look really bright but since they are balms they give the lips that really pretty soft pop of color. I love sheer brights because they give the lips a nice glow but don’t look overdone. The texture is really smooth and they glide on the lips easily. Since they are balms they won’t last as long as a lipstick but they stay put in the sense that they won’t disappear within minutes. The day I went to the event in LA I took a flight right afterwards to meet my husband in Tuscon, AZ. He was driving the moving truck while I was at the event and we met up in Arizona. I had the balm applied around 11:30 am and it stayed put and did not budge for 6 hours. The only reason it came off was because I stopped at the airport for a snack because I forgot to eat that day with the travel and moving things on my mind.
Swatches applied straight from the tube:
L’Odissea is a sheer peach
Neotropic is a pretty orange coral
Cruising is a cool sheer pink
Fathom is a cherry pink
Pure Shores is a pinkish red
La Piscine is a sheer plum
Below the colors can be intensified if you apply with a lip brush:
Swatched on bare lips straight from the tube. On me Fathom and Pure Shores almost look identical. It’s hard to tell the difference even in the tube. I cannot pick a favorite – I love them all.
Bottom line lots to love to refresh your look. As a Tom Ford lover and long-time collector I was a bit worried there would be a lot of repeats or colors that looked the same. At first glance the theme and look is very similar to past launches, but if you give them a chance you’ll find there are actually quite a few new items that are different enough to justify adding to your collection. I love the cheek duos and the new bronzer formula is really good – but given that I have a LOT of bronzer I wouldn’t call them must-haves. A the same time I really like the formula and and they are very wearable. For the eyes I love Young Adonis – I’m a taupe-silvery eye shadow lover but Golden Peach and Naked Bronze are still my favorite out of all the eye duos. The lip balms are super fun – I think everyone needs at least one even though they are the splurge they really do a good job of adding hydration to the lips in a way that doesn’t feel thick or goopy.
My top picks: Reflects Gilt, Paradise Lust, Young Adonis and any one of the Clutch-Sized Lip Balms.
Many thanks to the Tom Ford team for inviting me to the preview! Summer Soleil collection provided courtesy for review with the exception of the Cream Powder Duos which were purchased by me.
Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops ($42 each for 15 ml/0.5 fl oz, made in Italy) are super pigmented liquid highlighter and bronzer drops that you can use in a wide range of ways. They have been extremely popular and sold out for months – it appears they sold out almost instantly, the Cover FX team sent me samples back in July and by the time my package arrived, all the colors except the bronzers were sold out. They just restocked them on coverfx.com and according to their Instagram plan to restock them as of Friday morning 8/26 are back online Sephora.com today. I’ve spotted the bronzer shades in store at a few Sephora stores near me but all the shimmery colors have been sold out for ages. In case you have had these on your radar I wanted to give you a heads up to check Sephora.com this afternoon so you don’t miss out. I know everyone’s preference for shimmer with highlighters is different but I will say right now that my quick take is these live up to the hype and are among the best I’ve tried. I think you need at least one in your life.
There are four highlighters and two bronzers (Sunset and Sunkissed featured in my summer bronzer edit). If you’ve seen these featured online Instagram, blogs or YouTube channels you may have been a bit concerned that the highlighters have that super high-frost overly dramatic shimmer effect. I love a good shimmer but if you’re a conservative makeup like me you find that some shimmers are really just too much for everyday wear. They look good on camera or for inspirational makeup looks but for normal everyday regular life I’m not sure how many of us really wear that much shimmer.
The Cover FX Enhancer Drops are extremely pigmented and can give a very intense highlight but what I love about them is that you easily sheer it out for a soft luminous glow. They are very fluid which makes a tiny bit easy to blend. I like these on the eyes, dabbed on cheekbones and especially mixed in with foundation. Mixing these in with foundation doesn’t change the foundation formula too much which is nice. Sometimes I like my foundation formulas just the way they are I just want to add a bit of shimmer or glow. Since the formula is liquid and lightweight it won’t add any emollient texture like Armani Fluid Sheers, Estee Edit Flash Illuminators or Estee Edit Beam Team.
They come with a dropper. I’m usually not a fan of droppers for makeup because it just gets messy, but they are easy to use and dispense just the right amount of product.
I tried each color mixed in with my foundations (including the bronzers). Two drops is all I needed to add a glow. My two favorite shades are in the middle which include Moonlight and Sunlight – they matched my skintone the closest so the colors didn’t change the color of my foundation too much. The others were too light or dark to mix in with foundation for all over the face, so those were best used as a highlight on eyes or cheeks or to bronze the cheeks.
Onto the colors, they come packaged in a sturdy glass vial. The colors of the packaging mimic the actual color which is nice so you can see at a glance what color you’re grabbing:
Colors left to right:
Celestial is a pale pearly white
Moonlight is a champagne silver
Sunlight is a warmer champagne with gold tones
Candlelight is a shimmering bronze
Sunkissed is a non-shimmer neutral light bronze
Sunset is a non-shimmer medium brown
Because the shimmer is very intense, almost foiled-like when you swatch, these will look different in every swatch photo you see depending on how the light hits the product. Here they are swatched a few different ways:
Blended:
Heavy in sunlight:
Bottom line definitely worth checking out. My top three are Moonlight, Sunlight and Sunkissed. I like that they are easy to mix in with foundation or apply on top of your makeup. I really like them on the eyes for an all over wash that’s easy and effortless. Sunkissed is a great color to add some life to the face – for medium-skinned girls, think of it as a very natural contour to add some color to your face without having that contour look. If you’re one who loves shimmer you will really like these. There’s no detectable scent, they dry to a satiny finish, last all day long, great for normal to oily skin and are easy to sheer out. If you’re super conservative with shimmers and need something a lot softer or with a dewy finish I’d recommend you opt for the Estee Edit Flash Illuminators, Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow or Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust for a more subtle glow.
Update: As of Friday 8/26 these are back online at Sephora! Some still available online at Cover FX. Have you tried these? What did you think? Have you tried the Custom Infusion Drops or Custom Cover Drops – they seem to be really popular as well but I’m always nervous about testing new things on my face – if you’ve tested them let me know what you thought! I’ve tried a couple Cover FX foundations before and they were too heavy for my skin, but given the success I’ve had with the liquid highlighters, perhaps the drop foundation will be better?
Custom Enhancer Drops provided courtesy of Cover FX for review consideration.
I’m working my way through reviews of the Estée Edit line. In today’s review includes thoughts and swatches of The Barest Bronzer in Medium-Deep ($32 for .56 oz) and Flash Illuminator Fluid Powder in Heat ($32 for .27 oz). Both are exclusive to Sephora and are smooth finish pressed powders that come with an embossed surface. The textures are very soft and finely milled for flawless and streak-free application.
The Barest Bronzer
comes in two shades, Light-Medium and Medium-Deep. I was sent a press
sample of the shade Medium-Deep which is one of the darkest bronzers
I’ve tried so tan to deep skin toned girls will rejoice! On my
complexion it’s too deep and warm for my preference. There’s a
shimmering gold design on the surface but it’s only overspray. I suspect
the Light-Medium would be the better option for me, but given the
extensive number of bronzers I already own (summer favorites in this post here),
I did not venture to test it out. The finish is smooth and blends in
seamlessly with the skin so it looks very natural in terms of
texture/finish. Pigment is medium to rich but easy to blend out on the
skin.
The Flash Illuminator Fluid Powder in Heat is a gorgeous highlighter. In the compact it looks like a champagne but it’s got a peachy undertone to give it some warmth. It’s on the shimmery side but unlike most highlighters this is one that smooths the skin, doesn’t emphasize imperfections, doesn’t make the pores look big and also doesn’t look overly frosted. Those who love a good glow but think most of the popular highlighters on the market right now are too shimmery will love this one. It blends in beautifully with the skin and I highly recommend it. You can use it on the eyes or cheeks – anywhere you want a pretty sheen. I’m not sure why it’s called a fluid because it’s definitely a powder without any creamy feeling.
Both lasted all day on my cheeks from morning to late afternoon. The Barest Bronzer did warm up on my skin but it didn’t oxidize too much.
I think both are solid beauty launches. The texture is smooth, well pigmented and super easy to blend on the skin. The Barest Bronzer in Medium-Deep is too dark for me, but I can appreciate the good quality and texture. I think it will be something tan to deep skin beauty lovers will like. The Flash Illuminator Fluid Powder is something I absolutely love. It gives a pretty sheen to the skin and as you can see in the comparison swatches it has enough warmth in it that makes it better suited for my skin tone compared to other super pale highlighters.
You can find both The Barest Bronzer and Flash Illuminator Fluid Powder exclusively at Sephora. If you’ve tried these or any of the other cheek products from The Estée Edit let me know in the comments!
By popular request, I’ve rounded up some new bronzers I’ve tried this summer along with tried and true favorites. Bronzers are probably one of most favorite makeup products – there’s just something about a glowing tan that I love. Living in Southern California we have warm sunny weather almost year round. I do use sun protection for the face and body, but living here there’s just no avoiding the sun – but I love it.
I’ve pulled an extensive list of bronzers and split them by type. It’s by no means a comprehensive list of all the bronzers on the market, nor is it a list of all the bronzers I have tried or own (that would be a post a mile long). I have picked out the ones I thought were either new and interesting, tried and true or new found loves. A quick note before I go into the details – I have medium olive toned skin with normal/combination skin. I prefer warmer bronzers as cool-toned bronzers often look ashy or grey on my complexion. Foundation shades most reached for include the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in 6 + 7 mixed, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland and St. Moritz mixed. I love bronzers of all types whether it’s liquid, powder, shimmer or matte.
Finding the right shade or formula for you will depend skin undertone (pink or yellow), skin tone (fair, light, medium, tan or deep), skin type (oily, dry, combo, etc.) and also things such as shimmer or formula preference.
Up first are some matte bronzing powders. Several of you have asked for recommendations on more affordable options. Two lines I’ve tried I think are excellent are the Colour Pop and Benefit.
Shown above:
Urban Decay Beached Bronzer in Bronzed (reviewed here) is a deep warm matte bronze, I think this is best suited for deeper skintones, on me it’s a bit dark, but good for days I want a more dramatic look.
Colour Pop Super Shock Cheek Bronzer in Skinnydip is a soft light neutral matte bronze that looks like a skintone color for me, for those with fair skins who find most options too dark, this might be a good option to look at.
Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzing Powder (c/o) is a classic that is neutral so it will work with a wide range of skin undertones, it’s one of the best more affordable matte bronzers I’ve tried.
Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronzer Tantric (c/o, on the face here) is another well-loved one by me, it’s huge! The color and pigment is semi sheer but buildable, so if you’re looking for one that is impossible to overdo, this is a good one.
Tom Ford Bronzing Powder in Terra and Bronze Age (c/o review and both shown on the face here), Terra is one of the few wearable cool-toned bronzers I can wear, Bronze Age is one of the darkest bronzers I own, it’s a deep warm golden color, if you need something deeper try the Chanel Les Beiges Summer Duo reviewed here.
Next up are more luminous glowy bronzers ranging from a soft shimmer to high shimmer.
Shown above:
Colour Pop Super Shock Cheek Bronzer in Poolside (medium-deep bronze) and Paradise Cove (cool-toned neutral) both have a soft luminous finish. They have a unique formula that I thought would be powders but are more of a bouncy gel cream. The price is affordable but the amount of product you get pretty small at 4.2g. Still I think these are fun and easy to build.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Radiant Bronze Light (reviewed here) is a soft luminous highlighter + bronzer in one. More details on the review linked above. It’s almost identical on my skin to the lighter version Luminous Bronze Light which happens to be the shade in the Nordstrom Hourglass Luminous Light Palette.
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Medium- Dark (review + look here) is a gorgeous bronze and orange shimmer duo. It’s more dramatic on me, but still wearable. For tan to deeper skintones I think you will love this one. More details in the review linked above.
Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Sunlight is one of the latest additions to the celestial powder line, it’s not really a bronzer, but on my skintone it is. It’s a medium to deep golden shimmer that gives my skin a golden sunkissed look. (It’s also coming soon in the Celestial Skin Liquid formula, available for pre-order.)
Edward Bess Black Sea Golden Hour Mousse Bronzer is something I bought while in New York. It’s the most beautiful warm golden coppery shimmer I’ve ever seen. It’s a mousse formula that is super lightweight and easy to blend. I swatched it with a heavy hand below but once you blend it on the skin it becomes a more soft glowy gold that gives the face a beautiful golden glow. I highly recommend it.
Liquid bronzers up next. I have used and liked the Armani Liquid Summer Bronzers but didn’t love it enough to repurchase (even though they added more shades). A few more affordable options below.
Shown above:
Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops (c/o) come in 4 highlighter shades and 2 bronzers. I’ll have a post on the entire collection soon, but for now a quick peek at the bronzers in Sunset and Sunkissed. Both are neutral to cool toned. Sunset offers a deeper bronzed look. If I look in the bottle there is a sheen but on the face it looks more creamy. Sunkissed is my skin but better. These have been swatched heavily but blend out nicely and are very easy to layer and blend.
Benefit Dew the Hoola (c/o) looks super orangey in the swatch, but let me assure you, it is not orangey on the face. It is on the warm and peachy side but I think that’s what makes it work. It’s sheer but buildable and dries to a semi-matte finish. I’ve worn it alone or with a tiny bit of powder blush layered on top.
NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer is another new one that looks super warm and almost orangey in the swatch but often times with any kind of cheek product what you swatch on the hand/arm looks very different on the face. I love this one because it’s fluid and blends into a very soft finish on the cheeks. It leaves a soft sheen without looking greasy. I almost hate posting these swatches because I think they will deter many of you from trying it, but I really urge you to try if you have a NARS counter near you. It’s one of the most natural looking bronzers I’ve tried that is visible but looks like your skin, just better and with a bit more life.
Last but not least, the three I consider classic staples:
Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream is my holy grail of all bronzers. It’s soft and luminous just like the name implies, it’s impossible to overdo, not too shimmery and warms up the skin beautifully.
NARS Laguna Tiare (limited-edition Tiare version shown) is a classic with a scented twist for summer. It’s the same as the classic Laguna but has a summery tiare scent added in a special limited-edition packaging. The original was one of the first high end bronzers I splurged on and it lasted for what seemed like forever. It’s a classic soft luminous medium bronze that doubles as a soft contour powder. In the event you don’t want something scented or want this in a palette form, there are a few Nordstrom Sets you may want to check out including the Cult Survival Kit or the Nordstrom’s Best Cheek Palette.
Tom Ford Bronzing Powder in Gold Dust is another classic, it was quite the splurge when I first bought it because they only had the large size which is over $90. They’ve since launched smaller versions for the past couple of years which are still pricey but more affordable and nice to travel with.
For those who were asking for a summer bronzer roundup, I hope you found this helpful! I focused mainly on stand alone bronzers rather than ones in palettes. If you have any favorites please share them in the comments along with your skintone, maybe 1 foundation shade you use for reader reference.
There are two face and cheek products in the Chanel Summer 2016 Collection. The Les Beiges Powder Duos are available in two limited-edition shades Duo No. 01 and Duo No. 02 ($65 each for 11 g/0.39 oz, made in France). These are similar in texture and feel to the regular Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powders which have a very natural look, soft velvety texture and semi-sheer but buildable coverage. Ever since originally reviewing them a few years ago, I’ve used Shade No. 20 to set for a very soft sheer setting powder. The new duos for summer have a very soft shimmer to them – if any of the blushes, bronzers or highlighters of late have seemed way to shimmery for your taste, these two are among the most subtle. They are perfect for those who don’t want a pure matte but don’t want a lot of shimmer either.
No. 01 is a duo with a shimmering orange and deep bronze. No. 02 is more like a blush with a pale champagne pink shimmer and medium reddish blush color.
Swatched with a medium to heavy hand below:
No. 01 is a duo with a shimmering orange shade that has a very soft glowy finish and a dark bronze. Mixed together creates a warm and deep bronzed look. You can apply with a fluffy brush for sheer coverage but I found it to be on the pigmented side for a Les Beiges powder. The first time I tried it I put too much on the brush and ended up with dark streaks on each side of my face. Definitely use a lighter hand when applying. That being said the color can be easily blended out. This is one of the darkest bronzer powders I own. If you are light or fair skinned you will most likely find this too warm and too dark.
No. 02 is more blush material for me with a soft pinky shimmer highlighter on the top and a warm reddish coral shade on the bottom. It’s a really pretty color for summer I think goes well with the pink Aqua Glossimer in Adenium (reviewed here).
Overall thoughts are that these are very good powders quality and color-wise. I bought them last month so I’ve had some time to play with them. The Les Beiges Duo No. 01 is definitely more along the lines of a bronzer while No. 02 is more of a highlighter/blush on me. Based on pulling a few other powders to compare, a few final thoughts:
The powder texture is very finely milled and very pigmented for a Les Beiges powder formula.
By comparison to other formulas, the Les Beiges Duos are not as pigmented as the Becca Luminous Blushes, but you can still build the color for more intensity.
I applied by swirling a large fluffy brush to combine colors, the darker shades in each compact are more pigmented than the lighter top color so the result is that the deeper bottom shade dominates. The top shade helps diffuse and soften the bottom color if that makes sense.
No. 01 is easy to overdo – at least it was for me, I consider myself to have medium toned skin. If you’re lighter than me, it will probably look orangey on your skin as it is on the warm side. If you’re medium to tan to deep, you will probably rejoice that Chanel has finally released a darker colored powder!
No. 02 has a very similar effect on me to Hourglass Diffused Heat.
I don’t have any regrets buying these but am not sure that I can call them must-haves. If you’re looking to update your bronzer or blush collection with new colors that have that lovely satiny soft glow I think you will really like these. Even though it’s probably best for conservative makeup wearers like myself to go easy on the shimmer and frost I can’t help but be really into the super shimmers for the face that are popular these days.
Both duos are limited-edition. They retail for $65 each, available at Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers.
