Anastasia Cool Brown Cream Bronzer Review & Swatches
Cool Brown
Anastasia Cool Brown Cream Bronzer ($35.00 for 0.4 oz.) is a deep, plummy brown with cooler undertones and a natural matte finish. It was smooth, lightweight, and thin with moderate glide when initially applied to bare skin, which helped the product spread out evenly and diffuse well along the edges.
It had semi-sheer, buildable pigmentation with more medium coverage achieved when using a fingertip and sheerer coverage when working with a brush. It wore nicely for eight hours before fading visibly. The brand recommends going one shade deeper for a softer effect and two to three shades deeper for a more sculpted/defined effect; this is the coolest-toned shade in the range, which may make it a better contouring option for cooler-toned skin as the other six shades in the range are fairly warm-toned.
P.S. — You can see this shade as a bronzer/contour on deeper skin tones here and here.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
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- Coloured Raine Mocha Queen (P, $16.00) is warmer (80% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Deep (4) (P, $55.00) is lighter, warmer (80% similar).
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Formula Overview
$35.00/0.4 oz. - $87.50 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to be "buildable" and to "melt effortlessly" into a "matte, second-skin seamless finish" that can be applied "on bare skin" or "on top of makeup." They can be used to add warmth and/or definition (by choosing a shade two to three deeper).
The texture was emollient, lightweight, and thin with moderate glide, which made them work well on top of bare skin as well as layered on top of foundation, even more matte bases. They seemed more pigmented upon swatching on my arm, but in practice, they had medium coverage that was easy to sheer out further or build up for greater coverage if desired. The reason for this was because the formula had enough glide and spread that it naturally sheered out during application, so one had to layer for truly opaque coverage.
For higher coverage, apply with fingertips and give it a little time to dry down before blending. For sheerer coverage, apply with a stippling brush. It was a very forgiving formula and hard to overdo.
The formula dried down to a more matte finish but seemed to let my skin come through, so it didn't appear flat or dry. They wore well for eight hours before fading visibly on me.
Browse all of our Anastasia Cream Bronzer swatches.
Ingredients
PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, SILICA, DIMETHICONE, BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, ISONONYL ISONONANOATE, MICA, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX/CERA MICROCRISTALLINA/CIRE MICROCRISTALLINE, SORBITAN OLIVATE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, SYNTHETIC WAX, OCTYLDODECANOL, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, 1,2- HEXANEDIOL, POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, ISOSTEARIC ACID, LECITHIN, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR (+/-): TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), MANGANESE VIOLET (CI 77742)
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
I’ve always thought that face bases for darker/cooler complexions must be the most difficult products to find. Glad the cos are finally embracing making them.
It really would be a fantastic contour shade for those with cool undertones who are medium to deep. Too cool for my olive skin, though. On me, this would look like I got socked in the face!