Category: Bronzers

MAC Baby It's Gold Outside Mineralize Skinfinish

Baby It's Gold Outside

MAC Baby It’s Gold Outside Mineralize Skinfinish ($42.50 for 0.70 oz.) is a light-medium, rosy brown base with flecks of gold sparkle but had more of a natural finish overall. The consistency was smooth to the touch without kicking up excess product, and it didn’t seem to stiff to work with, but it was more semi-sheer in coverage, which I was able to build up to semi-opaque coverage with three layers. It felt drier compared to most of the brand’s other Mineralize Skinfinishes in recent memory.

The powder buffed and blended nicely onto my skin without emphasizing my texture. The sparkles did not seem particularly present on my skin after I finished blending everything together, though (some may prefer that!). It wore well for eight hours on me before fading noticeably. As a note: the powder is double the size of a typical Mineralize Skinfinish, so the higher price tag makes sense, but I don’t think many were clamoring for a jumbo-sized Mineralize Skinfinish either.

Top Dupes
Formula Overview

Top Dupes

Smashbox Blow a Fuse Gold (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Colour Pop Padded Down (LE, $8.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Colour Pop Class Act (LE, $8.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Tarte Candlelight (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Huda Beauty Malibu (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Jouer Skinny Dip (P, $24.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Huda Beauty Tahiti (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Milani Glowing (P, $10.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
Anastasia Glo Getter (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
MAC Golden Bronze (LE, $29.00) is darker (90% similar).
More dupes -- click to see the full list!

Formula Overview

$34.00/0.35 oz. - $97.14 Per Ounce

The description has changed over the years--the most current description (as of 4/21/2018) is that it is a "slow-baked, velvety soft, domed face powder with a radiant finish" that can be used to highlight "the high points of the face" or blended "all over for a sheer luminous polish to the skin." The sheerness seems to be more in referenced to the finish than the coverage, as the usage now states to use the product damp for an even stronger sheen.

In general, the Mineralize Skinfinish formula tends to be more metallic to glittery with medium to opaque coverage--it really depends on the shade. The texture of the formula has been refined over the years with current editions being fairly smooth, blendable, and easy to use. The wear has varied from six to eight hours on me with newer shades and variations lasting closer to eight hours on average.

Browse all of our MAC Mineralize Skinfinish swatches.

6

7

Baby It's Gold Outside

8

Product

7

Pigmentation

8

Texture

8.5

Longevity

5

Application

81%

Total

Hourglass Vol. 4 Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

Reviews Oct 16, 2018October 16, 2018

01/07

Hourglass Vol. 4 Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

Vol. 4

Hourglass Vol. 4 Ambient Lighting Edit Palette ($80.00 for 0.29 oz.) is a new, limited edition holiday offering that contains four existing shades and two new, exclusive shades (Filtered Bronze Light and Luminous Glow). The powders performed consistently with other Hourglass powders, so those who enjoy these palettes will likely enjoy this one, too, if the included shades work for your skin tone.

The palette contains $10.51 worth of Ambient Lighting Powder, $5.13 worth of Ambient Lighting Bronzer, $20.27 worth of Ambient Lighting Blush, and $9.50 worth of Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder for a total value of $45.41. If you expect to use most of the powders but don’t usually finish products or often travel, it might be “worth” it to you, though typically palettes like these offer more for your money (since you are buying in “bulk” in a way) or else aren’t nearly so drastic in the difference between value and price.

19

7

Vol. 4

A

Limited Edition

19

7

9.5

Product

9.5

Pigmentation

9.5

Texture

9

Longevity

5

Application

94%

Total

Also In This Review

Hourglass Unlocked Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

Reviews Sep 25, 2018September 25, 2018

01/07

Hourglass Unlocked Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

Unlocked

Hourglass Unlocked Ambient Lighting Edit Palette ($80.00 for 0.24 oz.) is a new, limited edition holiday palette that features two Ambient Lighting Powders, one Ambient Lighting Bronzer, two Ambient Lighting Blushes, and one Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder. The upside to this year’s palette (in a way) is that the included shades are new rather than repeated from the permanent range. The palette contains $10.51 worth of Ambient Lighting Powder, $5.13 worth of Ambient Lighting Bronzer, $20.27 worth of Ambient Lighting Blush, and $9.50 worth of Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder for a total value of $45.41. I’m not sure why the Hourglass Ambient Lighting palettes are priced so much over the “value” in the palette (as usually palettes offer more value than purchasing alone).

I’d actually love to see Hourglass bring back trios for the holidays–maybe two or three (at least one for lighter skin, one for deeper skin) rather than attempting a one-size-fits-few kind of palette. I am not fair (I’d classify myself as light-medium) but found that the second Ambient Lighting Powder darkened my complexion noticeably if used all-over, so it was more suitable as a bronzer on me, so I found that it was a palette that seemed most suitable for medium to medium deep skin tones.

18

17

Unlocked

A-

Limited Edition

18

17

9

Product

8

Pigmentation

9.5

Texture

9

Longevity

5

Application

90%

Total

Also In This Review

Wet ‘n’ Wild Bronze Dynasty Color Icon Bronzer

Reviews Aug 31, 2018August 31, 2018

01/08

Wet 'n' Wild Bronze Dynasty Color Icon Bronzer

Bronze Dynasty

Wet ‘n’ Wild Bronze Dynasty Color Icon Bronzer ($4.99 for 0.19 oz.) is a muted, medium brown with warm, rosy undertones and a golden sheen. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation that applied evenly to bare skin and blended out fairly well. The consistency was soft and smooth to the touch with a moderate density that gave it more of a powder-cream hybrid feel overall. It applied best with a denser brush, and I liked buffer brushes as they seemed to distribute the bronzer well to bare skin and blended out the edges more readily than fluffier brushes. There was a natural sheen on my skin that was noticeable but did not accentuate my skin’s natural texture. It stayed on well for eight hours on me before I noticed slight fading.

Top Dupes

Too Faced Sweet Peach Bronzer (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Becca Sunrise Waves (P, $38.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Laura Mercier Bronze (02) (P, $40.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
IT Cosmetics Warm Radiance (P, $34.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
Too Faced Pineapple Paradise (Bronzer) (PiP, ) is warmer (90% similar).
Chanel Original (P, $50.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Too Faced Chocolate Gold (P, $30.00) is darker (90% similar).
MAC Delphic (LE, $34.00) is darker (90% similar).
Laura Mercier Bronze (03) (P, $40.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
Makeup Revolution Golden Days (P, $6.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
More dupes -- click to see the full list!

Formula Overview

$4.99/0.19 oz. - $26.26 Per Ounce

The formula was more like a cream-powder hybrid, as the powder had a lot of slip and felt very smooth to the touch without being powdery, and it was on the denser side. It applied best with a circular, small-to-medium buffer brush or an otherwise moderately dense brush as it picked up product more evenly and dispersed it well. The product had medium to opaque coverage, depending on the shade, but they were buildable if they were not opaque in one layer. They blended out fairly well, but they can be tricky to blend over damp foundation--they seemed more reactive to residual moisture/oiliness on the skin compared to the average powder bronzer. I'd recommend lightly dusting translucent powder over your complexion products if they do not dry down to a semi-matte or matte finish.

Browse all of our Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Bronzer swatches.

Ingredients

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Boron Nitride, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silica, Magnesium Myristate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Water/Eau, o-Cymen-5-ol, Tin Oxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Mica, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499.

12

4

Bronze Dynasty

B

Limited Edition

12

4

8

Product

9

Pigmentation

8.5

Texture

8.5

Longevity

4.5

Application

86%

Total

Wet ‘n’ Wild You’re Dragon Me Down Color Icon Bronzer

Reviews Aug 28, 2018August 28, 2018

01/08

Wet 'n' Wild You're Dragon Me Down Color Icon Bronzer

You're Dragon Me Down

Wet ‘n’ Wild You’re Dragon Me Down Color Icon Bronzer ($4.99 for 0.19 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with strong, warm yellow undertones and a semi-matte finish. It had good color payoff in a single layer, while the texture was dense, smooth to the touch, and almost felt like a powdery cream texture to me. The denser texture required a denser brush to pick up product evenly and also to disperse and blend out the bronzer on my skin. It didn’t take too much effort to even out and diffuse the edges, but it was less workable if I applied it over foundation that wasn’t matte or mostly dried down. Most powders do just fine that way but I’ve seen some that are more reactive, and the latter works better over just-powdered or matte skin. This shade lasted for eight hours on me before it started to fade.

Top Dupes

MAC Firebrush (LE, $28.00) is darker, brighter (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Bronze Age (P, $68.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Terra (P, $110.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Gold Dust (P, $68.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
MAC Delphic (LE, $34.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
bareMinerals Warmth (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar).
Dolce and Gabbana Desert (P, $51.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Guerlain #03 (P, $53.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Wet 'n' Wild Bikini Contest (P, $4.99) is darker (90% similar).
bareMinerals The High Dive (PiP, $24.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar).
More dupes -- click to see the full list!

Formula Overview

$4.99/0.19 oz. - $26.26 Per Ounce

The formula was more like a cream-powder hybrid, as the powder had a lot of slip and felt very smooth to the touch without being powdery, and it was on the denser side. It applied best with a circular, small-to-medium buffer brush or an otherwise moderately dense brush as it picked up product more evenly and dispersed it well. The product had medium to opaque coverage, depending on the shade, but they were buildable if they were not opaque in one layer. They blended out fairly well, but they can be tricky to blend over damp foundation--they seemed more reactive to residual moisture/oiliness on the skin compared to the average powder bronzer. I'd recommend lightly dusting translucent powder over your complexion products if they do not dry down to a semi-matte or matte finish.

Browse all of our Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Bronzer swatches.

Ingredients

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Boron Nitride, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silica, Magnesium Myristate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Water/Eau, o-Cymen-5-ol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Mica, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499.

7

6

You're Dragon Me Down

B+

Limited Edition

7

6

8

Product

10

Pigmentation

8.5

Texture

8.5

Longevity

4.5

Application

88%

Total

Wet ‘n’ Wild Queen’s Land Color Icon Bronzer

Reviews Aug 26, 2018August 26, 2018

01/08

Wet 'n' Wild Queen's Land Color Icon Bronzer

Queen's Land

Wet ‘n’ Wild Queen’s Land Color Icon Bronzer ($4.99 for 0.19 oz.) is a medium brown with strong, warm orange undertones and a golden sheen. The shimmer was quite fine, so the more I buffed and blended out the bronzer, the more luminous and glowing it appeared (without being overtly shimmery). It had good color coverage in a single layer, which built up to full coverage with less than a half of a layer on top. The consistency was dense, almost like a powdery cream, and it applied best with a small, buffing brush (I used Sonia G. Face Two). It was fairly blendable, but the very edge took a bit more effort to diffuse, and I did notice that it did not play as well with still-drying or dewier foundations (compared to bare skin/matte skin). It wore well for eight hours on me before it started to fade noticeably.

Top Dupes

Too Faced Pineapple Paradise (Bronzer) (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
MAC Golden Rinse (LE, $35.50) is darker (90% similar).
IT Cosmetics Warm Radiance (P, $34.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Physicians Formula Deep Bronzer (P, $14.99) is darker (90% similar).
Too Faced Sunny Honey (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
Tarte Park Ave. Princess #2 (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
Too Faced Sweet Peach Bronzer (PiP, ) is darker, more muted (90% similar).
Chanel Original (P, $50.00) is darker (90% similar).
Laura Mercier Bronze (02) (P, $40.00) is darker (85% similar).
Laura Mercier Bronze (03) (P, $40.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
More dupes -- click to see the full list!

Formula Overview

$4.99/0.19 oz. - $26.26 Per Ounce

The formula was more like a cream-powder hybrid, as the powder had a lot of slip and felt very smooth to the touch without being powdery, and it was on the denser side. It applied best with a circular, small-to-medium buffer brush or an otherwise moderately dense brush as it picked up product more evenly and dispersed it well. The product had medium to opaque coverage, depending on the shade, but they were buildable if they were not opaque in one layer. They blended out fairly well, but they can be tricky to blend over damp foundation--they seemed more reactive to residual moisture/oiliness on the skin compared to the average powder bronzer. I'd recommend lightly dusting translucent powder over your complexion products if they do not dry down to a semi-matte or matte finish.

Browse all of our Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Bronzer swatches.

Ingredients

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Boron Nitride, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silica, Magnesium Myristate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Water/Eau, o-Cymen-5-ol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Mica, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499.

7

6

Queen's Land

B

Limited Edition

7

6

8

Product

9

Pigmentation

8.5

Texture

8.5

Longevity

4.5

Application

86%

Total