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

bareMinerals Blush in Pure Charm, $18

Another part of my Bare Escentuals kit is bareMinerals Blush in Pure Charm, a dramatic orangey-peachy-pink tone. The color is slightly more daring than I'm used to for blush. In some pics it looks neon! But when you see it it's actually much more of a rosy shade with hints of peach and gold.

The texture of the blush is really nice--soft, blendable, and buildable. I'm not really a fan of loose powder blush though, especially in such a small container, because it makes it hard for me to get it evenly distributed on my brush. I ended up using the cap as a little dish to catch the excess and moved the brush around in that. It seemed to work pretty well, but if I'm running around in the morning I'd be afraid of making a mess.

Applied sparingly (less than in this pic), it looks really nice on my skin tone. I think it would work with darker complexions as well. It's a perfect summer shade because it adds a bright pop of color that can blend well with a tan (or bronzer). And actually, I think it would look beautiful as an eyeshadow!

What I love about this color is the tiny gold sparkles. It gives the blush depth without compromising its strong pigment. I photographed it next to my staple, Nars Orgasm, which is more heavily infused with gold. As you can see, it's around the same shade, but more intensely pigmented.

Final verdict
Cost: $18 brand new, but they don't sell the color at Sephora anymore. Try looking for it on eBay and Amazon for as little as $8.
Texture: Just like the eyeshadow, I found it to be soft, blendable, and buildable. Feels like nothing's there at all!
Color: This color is a bit daring but it's easy to make it work. Just keep blending! The gold sparkles keep it from looking too shocking.
Repeat offender: I like this blush and would definitely understand why someone would want to buy it again--it's great quality and is a unique color. But I honestly can't really get over the inconvenience of the loose powder (it's slight, I know). I'll use it for sure, but I think I'll stick to pressed powder blushes. Maybe I'll just use this one as an eyeshadow instead!

-T

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

Korres Blush, $24

(Korres Blush in 22 Purple)
Sephora had a sale on Korres Blush for a while ($10 instead of $24), so I decided to try it out. One thing that got me interested is their all-natural stance: they don't use parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, or phthalates (ok, I don't know what the last one is, but I'm sure a quick trip to Wikipedia will tell me it's probably not good). Sephora gives it their natural seal, basically saying they found this makeup to be awesome and awesome for you. Sounds good! Also, I was interested to try a "purple" shade since I always lean toward pink or peach.

(Korres Blush)
(back)
The container is really clean and fresh, reflecting their belief in simple, natural products. First thing I noticed (as you might have in the first pic): umm, this isn't really that purple. Looks to me like a dusty rose shade. But, ok, still a really pretty color. Just not really what I expected.

The blush itself is really soft and very highly pigmented. I'd recommend dabbing the blush brush in once, lightly, before adding more. It's not shimmery per se (like my standby, Nars Orgasm) but it does have very subtle light-reflecting particles that add the tiniest bit of glow. Really cute and natural!

I put on a lot here for the pic so you could really get an idea for the color. I think it's beautiful and the texture is super light and smooth. I gotta say I'm impressed!

Final Verdict
Cost: $24 is almost the price I pay for Nars, and with a great product I understand why it's expensive. I say if you find a color you like, it would be worth it. You don't have to use much so it would last a while. Sold only at Sephora (or Amazon!).
Glowing: The blush is light and soft, and the color is highly pigmented, sprinkled with glow-inducing loveliness. It would be really nice for someone who wants a little bit of sparkle without it being obvious.
Color: You'll want to check out the colors in-person first--I was expecting a deepish purple and got a dusty rose instead. Not a bad color but a bit of a surprise, for sure.
Repeat offender: Based on my experience with this, I would definitely buy more from Korres. I'm not really in the market for more blush but their other products seem interesting. Plus, they seem to go on sale a lot, which is always a plus!

-T