Santa Barbara

Bobbi Brown Santa Barbara Illuminating Bronzing Powder ($42.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a medium-dark pink-coral with a strong, golden sheen. It was just shy of being metallic in finish on the skin, but luckily, it did not accentuate my skin's natural texture or my pores. It was richly pigmented but had a very forgiving, blendable texture that could be used with a lighter hand (or blended out) for less coverage. I would still recommend it more for someone who wanted greater coverage rather than very sheer coverage. On me, the color stayed on nicely for nine hours before fading noticeably.

The Illuminating Bronzing Powder is part of the brand's permanent line-up but for summer, they re-released three shades with embossing but the actual product and shades can be purchased year-round (the range has six shades, and the other three shades appear browner, like you might expect in a bronzer). The formula is described as an "ultra soft and smooth pressed powder that delivers a shimmering, sun-kissed glow." All three of the re-released shades had a smooth consistency--firmer in the pan but not dry or stiff to work with--that was incredibly blendable on the skin. They were very pigmented with moderate to strong luminosity.

You can view photos of the packaging and ingredients here, along with swatches of the full range here.

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