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Temptalia Asks You - Do you love yourself some bronzer?

Do you love yourself some bronzer? Only on certain occasions? What’s your favorite?

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I tend to get so caught up with blush and highlighters that I forget about bronzers! I love lots of things that give me bronzy glow, though! I think it’s an easy way to add va-voom 🙂
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48 Comments

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Sara Kye Avatar

I absolutely love bronzers. They are almost a mandatory step in my routine unless of course I wish to skip the effect. My favorite is MAC’s Bronzing Powder in Bronzed. Wet N Wild also has a really nice matte bronzer but I like MAC’s a little more because it gives a pretty sheen as well as bronzing.

dolce aria Avatar

Never been able to find a bronzer that looked good on me. I’m freakish pale though. There were a few lighter shades in one of the Dior sets that looked nice, but i couldn’t justify the expense, since even THOSE were difficult to blend into a natural glow. I think thats just me though-i do much better with pinkier shades, and then just a faint golden shimmer. So stuff that you might use as a highlighter usually makes it onto my face for contouring or bronzing.

Curse being pale! So difficult to find good products!

sprut Avatar

I’m with you. I’ve never found a bronzer that didn’t make me look hideous but my pale skin doesn’t bother me. Instead of bronzers I just go for highlighters.

Lesley Avatar

Much like yourself, I have very pale skin. However, I’ve found that a Mac 187 brush with a good bronzer is magical. It’s all about the brush in this case. I use NARS Laguna. It’s scary at first, but the 187 really sheers it out and makes it looks pretty and natural. (*Even with the 187, you don’t want to load the brush up with the powder. Kinda tap the brush on the bronzer a few times and then apply it to your face)

IZzySA Avatar

Try the Clinique Matte bronzers.. they are not orange and suit pale skins… I agree the Wet n Wild are good. I don’t like MAC so much because they are too dark on my skin. Stila has a good bronzer in various tones. The old Terracotta Guerlain is good but pricey too. I usually wear bronzer with a lighter color blush to accent… otherwise I look about two shades darker. I have yet to try NARS which I am told is very good — I will when I run out of bronzers that I already own..lol

Llefenni Avatar

I’m a big fan of the Avon Arabian Glow range, really reasonable prices and really summery. Only works if I’ve already got a good (real or fake!) base glow though – for pale summer me the Boots 17 bronzer and hoghligher (budget version of Benefit’s 10) does the job very well. The Uk is great for finding more reasonable alternatives!

Tia Avatar

I love MAC Bronzing Powder. I’ve used it for over 2years now. I’ll go through a compact, every 3mos. I’m an NC30 and the bronzing powder is the very last thing I apply and it works SO well for my fair-skin tone. I can’t live w/o it!!

Cat Avatar

I’ve noticed that I use bronzer more in the summer months and nights that I’m going out. Other than that I stick to regular blush. Right now I’m loving NARS Laguna.

G Avatar

Has anyone tried the new Soleil Tan de Chanel – the 4 strips of bronzer with colors from bronze to pale beige (Lmt Edition) – Looks very cool – will have to check it out.

viv Avatar

I LOVE BRONZERS. 😀 I’m dying to try MAC bronzers.
Even my blushes tend to be on the warmer side like MAC Enough Said or Everyday Minerals Launch Party.

Emm Avatar

I like bronzers, but don’t love them. For work it seems a bit much. Depends on the time of year though. My fave is Nars Laguna, it’s buildable which makes it great.

haley Avatar

I’ve never really been a fan, I tend to think that (especially on me) they just make me look like I’ve got a fine dusting of dirt on my face. worse yet is when it’s shimmery, as then it looks like oily dirt.

Jody Avatar

I Love Giorgio Armani’s Sheer Bronzer!! I couldn’t live without this now, it brightens up my whole face with not one bit of orange. It looks very dark but it doesn’t go on that way at all. It is expensive but it’s definitely worth it.

ashley Avatar

NARS Laguna alll the way!!!!!
Love this to bits! I totally agree it is buildable AND its not orange-y as some of the other bronzers I’ve come across!

For a matte bronzer I like MAC Matte Bronzer, Esp. when I do male makeup.

claudine Avatar

i use a bronzer everyday and i love it im NW15 – NW20
my fave is MACs Golden Bronzer ive tried other brands but they were to muddy or orange looking

Stephanie Avatar

I like using bronzer’s. It makes me look alive, and I don’t like to tan on purpose anymore because of the damage it will do to my skin. Currently I am using Too Faced Snow Bunny, but I really want to try MAC Bronzer in golden. I am NC30-35.

Jennifer Avatar

I love my MAC bronzer in “Bronze”!!! I literally can’t live without it….I use it every single day. It really brighten’s my face up and makes me glow. It gives me great color and I swear by it. I use MAC StudioFix powder with the 129 Brush and then apply MAC Bronze on the apples of my cheeks and to top it off…I highlight my cheeks with MAC’s blush “Pink Swoon”….Just lovely!!!

Nicole15 Avatar

I am a huge bronzer fan but it is also the one product i have the most trouble finding the perfect one for me. i have oily skin so any bronzer with too much shimmer just enhances the shiny look which i don’t like. and any bronzer too matte, just takes on a muddy look. last summer i came upon Smashbox Suntan Matte bronzer. it was totally matte, it had a subtle sheen. it definitely worked well for me when i was tan, but couldn’t be used during the winter. i would like to find a universal bronzer that would add a healthy glow to my skin no matter how tan or not tan i am at the time. i just want a healthy glow, not an orange muddy look. any suggestions???

Nicole15 Avatar

whoops – i meant to say the smashbox bronzer was NOT totally matte although the name might indicate otherwise. it has just a touch of sheen without being too shimmery.

Jennifer Avatar

For oily skin try MAC studiofix powder foundation applied with a brush & then MAC’s bronzer pick a sade (my favorite is “Bronze”). Both products are great for oily skin and have talc to minimize shine. I’m particulary oily and both products work wonders for me.

Nicole15 Avatar

Jennifer – thanks for the tip. i used studiofix for years when i was younger & strayed away from it at some point, but it did always control my shine. i think it’s time to go back & also try out the MAC bronzers. Thanks!!!

Michelle Avatar

The one and Only bronzer I’ve ever used is NARS laguna. It really is my HG bronzer. I’ve been using it for about 4-5 years now. It gives me a great glow in the winter when I’m pale and adds to my tan in the summer… I can’t say enough about it. I love it!!

Tekoa Avatar

I tend to avoid bronzers because I love my inner vampire (aka pale skin dark brown hair. Tanning of any kind horrifies me. I salute those who go the way of the Golden Goddess but it isn’t for me.

mm Avatar

As one of the pale (NC15 is usually a tad dark for me) bronzer has always made me look muddy and dirty. I’ve had the best luck with Guerlain’s lightest bronzer, MAC Solar Riche and using a Med Plus or Med Dark Mineralize Skinfinish. I mainly use it to just add a little contour. Most of the time I just use a Beauty Powder. I got 2 Tahitian Sands from Hello Kitty because it’s perfect to give me a little glow without making me darker.

Heather Avatar

I love bronzer! I am pretty light so I like anything that gives me color! I also use sunless tanning, and I refuse to put it on my face, so I will use a bronzer to make my face match the rest of myself! My favorite bronzer right now is the LORAC bronzer in the Hot Flash Blush/Bronzer Duo; however, I am currently looking for a new bronzer for the summer that will hopefully become my new fave!!!
Twitter: makeupgirl513

CeeBee Avatar

I like me some bronzer! Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Matte is good for a subtle hint, Bourjois do another matte one (that smells like jaffa!)that is perfectly acceptable, the Smashbox Soft Lights in Dusk is fabulous as a multi-purpose – the colours can be used individually as eyeshadows – and adds just the right amount of glow but the one I fell completely and utterly in *love* with was Stila’s Sun Highlighting Powder – I opened it, marvelled at the gorgeous shimmery goodness, used it and then immediately went out and bought a back up. Lasts for ages too, because you only need a teeny tiny dusting to get that sublime glow!
Love!

Selene Avatar

i would die without my nars laguna!
i’m fair, but even with a normal brush (i like using a flat complexion brush) it looks so natural and glowy!

Erin Avatar

I LOOOOVE bronzers. I can’t wait for Style Warriors due to all of the bronzing options LOL.
My current favorite bronzer is Tarte Mineral Bronzer in Hotel Heiress or something like that. I love it and wear it every day, it’s very natural looking.

Sarah Avatar

heart bronzer!
i’m not a major fan of elizabeth arden but i am lemming for their annual – summertime limited edition bronzers that come with the free matching kabuki brush, they are a decent price, and i get loyalty points for them.
i’m going to get this year’s version too which looks even hotter than all the rest they’ve had, even 2007’s gorgeous summer collection.

i love lancome’s star bronzer but this year i’m going to splash out on guerlain’s LE and also both of mac’s style warriors – so excited. mac’s honey collection has some bronzey matt looking powders too which i know i’ll be getting for their cute honeycomb look. i’ll be swimming in bronzers at this rate!

Nina Avatar

I LOVE Bronzer! I use MAC Refined Deeper Bronzer.
I’m NW50 and it adds that extra needed glow to my skin.
I don’t really need foundation because it makes me look
washed out, have a caked face, or sometimes just plain ashy.
Plus my skin doesn’t have too many discolorations I need to even
out and foundation usually ends up making the unneeded breakouts happen.
So I use bronzer just where the natural highlights of my skin
are and it works so perfectly and it’s the only thing I use on
my face. I’m done this in the winter but it looks very good in
the summer when I start getting the darker “tan” on.

Mikki Avatar

I happened to use bronzers, but lately I’m loving my pale skin so I only apply blush, because I have like no pigment in my face. I don’t have red/pink/orange cheeks naturally! 🙁

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