Sephora Collection Harmony Trio Bronzer, Rose, $16

I made it my mission to get into bronzers a lot more this summer. This little compact was included in The Waterproof Bronzing Kit that I purchased a little while ago (and have been reviewing bits and pieces of it ever since then). This bronzer is a mix of three varying shades including a dark copper color, a rosy bronze, and a sheer yet shiny beige.

There are a few ways to make this bronzer work for you, they are all pretty straightforward. You can just take a brush and swirl it all on the compact itself, though you might end up mixing the colors a bit. You can even just stroke your brush across the palette and blend the different shades on your cheeks (with the brush) as you please. Another use for this bronzer is to just use the different shades individually for your eyes. The third tone would be a great highlighter and mixing the first two would probably create a pretty cool eyeshadow shade.

So far I've used this on my cheeks over some blush for a subtle bronzing effect. I was wearing a deep cut dress on Friday at the beach and decided to bronze up the exposed area of my chest. It definitely made a difference! It made me look more tan but didn't look weird because I didn't use too much. Just a little tip, I know you guys aren't dumb but seriously only do this if you are wearing dark colored clothing. I can just see a pretty light-colored top getting ruined by bronzer because we want to bronze our boobs (lol).

Final verdict:
Cost: $16, I think this is a little too expensive because this is a pretty small compact. Last week they had it on sale on the site for half off so if you are interested I would just keep my eye out for a sale. The set it came in was $28 total and came with a lot more stuff.
Is it hard to get an even bronzing color because there are 3 shades?: Not at all. The three tones blend beautifully to give you the glow you want. You don't really have to worry about it looking like you have three different colored streaks on your face. Just remember: Blend! Blend! Blend! It really does wonders.
Repeat offender?: Though I'm giving it a good review I'd say no. It is a little too small for $16 and with so many bronzer options out there I'd feel lame just sticking to one kind.

-M

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, Refined, $26

For years I have wanted to try MAC's infamous Mineralize Skinfinish but for some reason or another have put it off until this weekend I found myself at a makeup outlet that carried a few Skinfinishes from past (but still pretty recent) collections. I picked up this particular skinfinish in Refined. This is not a new product but MAC still makes the skinfinishes just in different shades. You can also still find Refined for sale online.


This pressed powder comes in a dome shape and is a beautiful swirl of golds, pinks, and bronzes. I thought that this would be perfect for summer and since I was in the market for a bronzer-type product I thought that this would be what I was looking for.


Using a regular blush brush you can use the skinfinish as you would blush. What I do is apply it like I would blush (apples of the cheeks up to the cheek bone) with a few heavy strokes--don't be scared to use too much it is subtle! I then take the brush and apply just a light dusting on my nose and all over my face for a nice smooth shimmery coat.


I don't wear any other skin products like foundation or anything so for me the skinfinish is perfect to even out my skin and add some dimension with the swirls of shimmer. I think this would be great to use with a skin primer as your base but moisturizer helps hold the product on your skin.



Final verdict:
Cost: $26-28, it is a little pricey but well worth it! It is also very big so you are definitely getting your bang for your buck.
Will it work on all skin tones?: The best part of the skinfinish is that it is a multilayered marble of colors so no matter what your skin color this is going to uniquely work. But of course we all know what works for us so use your own judgement, there are plenty of shades out there!
Repeat offender?: Oh yes. I am completely infatuated with this product and I am mad at myself for waiting so long to have it in my life. One of my friends is a MAC loyalist and has been using this for years so I knew it looked good--why did I wait?! I am going to definitely get one with a pink hue and I want one for the winter that has a white pearly effect.

PS--I tried to get a picture on my skin but they all looked awkward, sorry guys! By the way don't forget to follow us so that you can find out about something really awesome/special we have planned!!

-M

Lorac TANtalizer Baked Bronzer, $32

Lorac's TANtalizer Baked Bronzer is probably one of the first deluxe-sized samples I ever got from Sephora (this little container has been through a lot). I had never tried bronzer before. I mean, at that point I was just figuring out what blush was! As a pale girl who is nervous about melanoma (not to mention that I tan all weird and uneven), I've pretty much given up the idea that I'll ever be effortlessly golden. But, I love wearing this bronzer in the summer to give the illusion that I've had a little shimmering sun kiss my skin.

The color is a mix of warm browns and light, soft golds, and is super shimmery (just make sure you don't accidentally get the matte one). It is highly pigmented, blendable, and buildable, which makes it really easy to get anything from a tiny hint of shimmer to a deeper golden tone.

To me, the effect is a lot like Orgasm's shimmer, but without the peachy-pink tone.

(top/left: Lorac's TANtalizer Baked Bronzer; bottom/right: Nar's Orgasm blush)
In fact, my favorite summer look is to blend the bronzer on top of the blush, creating a peachy-pink-golden-shimmer duo of awesomeness (which I attempted to re-create between the two, above). Then I just dust the bronzer everywhere else--shoulders, collarbone, chest, etc. I love it! It would even make a really pretty eyeshadow if you're a fan of shimmery neutrals.

Final verdict
Cost: $32 is pricey but I think it's worth it. The sample size shown above is much smaller than the regular size. Plus, it comes with a mirror and little brush (shown in the second photo here).
Color: Beautiful and warm, even on pale skin. I think it would work well on many skin tones.
Buildable: It's really easy to put on a little bit or a ton. It's soft and blends really easily.
Repeat offender: Once this is up, I'll definitely buy it again. It lasts a long time and is just a really good product. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, even if it does cost a little extra.

-T