It’s one of the least used types of products in my stash from a personal standpoint! I just find I reach for blush and highlighter and skip the bronzer…
— Christine
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I took a break from bronzer over the last few years because I had to stay out of the sun and got really pale and it just looked fake on me and blushes are just more fun, but I have to say I really love the 2 new Hourglass bronzers in Diffused Bronze and Nude Bronze, both are wonderful and bronzer has suddenly become a staple in the routine again!
I’ve never found a way to use it that doesn’t make me look merely dirty. So… I don’t use it.
Rant: I rarely use them. I’m very fair-skinned, and they are usually too dark, too orange, and/or too shimmery.
Rave: Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil is the only bronzer I like on me. It’s matte and amazing on fair skin.
Ditto Rachel’s reply. I am too fair and cool toned to make most of them work and the only one that I can use is the same, TF Milk Chocolate.
Same here, Rachel and Deborah. I’ve been using Hourglass Dim Light as “bronzer,” but will take a look at the Too Faced Milk Chocolate!
I like bronzer. I think it gives a nice dimension under cheekbones and bit of glow, especially on the forehead near the hairline. That said, I have no idea what an HG bronzer for me would be, and my head is always turned by a new possibility (Guerlain, anyone?), although I own only a few. I use the following interchangeably and willy-nilly: 🙂
Laura Mercier Bronzer Blush (like this a lot)
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked in 03 — sample size
Hula — sample size
Sephora baked trio
Chanel Harmony Blush — the bronze square
The one I do not like is in the Kevin Aucoin Neo Bronzer in Capri. No, no, and no. Orangutan orange on me.
Generally, I enjoy the bronzer experience.
I am just starting to use bronzer. For the longest time, I couldn’t find use for it. Everytime, a sales lady or a makeup artist tried it on me at Nordstroms or Sephora, it either made me look too orange or it made me look too done, it didn’t look natural ever. Recently, I decided to try items,try the ones I was curious about. Mostly, I was told, these were not the right shades for me, or that it didn’t match my skintone etc. I still tried them on and realized I liked the effect. I ended up buying three high end bronzers ( I know that’s a bit too much. I probably won’t buy anymore for a while.). I am loving all three, I keep switching between them. I think my most favourite one is the Armani Sun fabric sheer bronzer in 400. It has a peachy tone to it, it add a softer glow to my face. Kinda neutralizes my tone.
I would say my least used product is blush, but that might change soon. I’ve noticed some nice new blushes
I love using shimmery golden bronzers as blush! I put then on like blush, I start on the apples and blend back along the cheek bones. Shimmery bronzers will always be my soft spot ahaha.
Iv also recently (since 2017 recent!) Been using matte bronzers, and just lightly buffing them along the edges of my face, under my cheek bones, and my neck for an all over warmth.
I like my bronzers to be soft, smooth, and blendable! I hate when bronzers are patchy, and hard to buff and blend out.
I have light medium warm/yellow skin. So I never really have issues with finding a bronzer that works for my skin tone. Iv never had a bronzer be too orange or deep.
But I know there’s a HUGE lack of inclusion with bronzers. So many dark skinned people can’t find ANY, and we’re just now getting light, non orange bronzers for Fair skinned people!
I use it almost every time I wear makeup! I have extremely rosy cheeks naturally, so I never wear blush (unless I went overboard with full-coverage foundation), and need something to give that little bit of definition to my cheeks.
I haven’t worn a bronzer in years…never found one that didn’t look fake, too orange-y, etc
Because finding the right tone in a bronzer is quite a challenge for my skintone and coloring, it tends to only get used if and when I find one that looks natural enough to wear without it looking fake as heck.
But, when done right, it can tie my face in with the rest of me! Basically due to my using Vite C products, retinol and a 40 spf on my face and neck, my face is lighter than the rest of me. Well, at least the areas that would usually be exposed on the daily during our 6 month summer!
I’m still in learning mode here. I have several bronzers but I don’t make much effort with them. Recently I had a makeover at Ulta, and the MUA used a bronzer on me that wasn’t in stock. So, she recommended Laura Gellar Baked Blush -n- Brighten in Sunswept and I bought it. Got it home and if I try to wear it I look like Pigpen!! LOL, I bet half of y’all are too young to know who Pigpen is 😉
Rave: none!
Rant: Unnecessary product most of the time and it’s finicky to apply well.
Rant: the very orange bronzers that make you look like you’re on a carrot diet… In general I think it’s not as easy as it seems to find a shade and finish that are really flattering. Also, I don’t think that bronzer is an everyday must. I use it INSTEAD of blush when I want warmth and a sunkissed look. I almost never use bronzer + blush + highlighter + contour, although it seems to be the “rule” these days. For me it’s way too much, making the cheeks look too un-natural. I don’t mind heavy makeup on my eyes or lips, but I want my face to look mostly natural. And last, the use of warm bronzer as a contour = nope, no no.
Rave: it can really give life to my light complexion when it’s the right color. I like Guerlain’s Terracotta. Lately I’ve also enjoyed the Givenchy Healthy Glow, and Nars Laguna in the new formula even more.
Most look terrible on me. I need something light and either slightly peach/pink or red.
I very rarely use bronzers. I guess I don’t see a need for it and I’m probably really bad at applying them 🙂 I also find that a lot of the ones I’ve tried has made me look dirty, not a nice look at all! Or they look so fake, as the colours are so unnatural on my face.
I did buy a very light one from Bare Minerals that I do like, if I am very light handed when applying.
I’ve only used bronzer in the last 2 or 3 years, my favourites are theBalm’s Balm Desert and Estee Lauder x VB Modern Mercury. I have fair skin and although it’s not very white or cool toned I still have to be careful not to have something too orange or yellow or muddy on my cheeks. Orange on my lips, lovely, on my cheeks, not so much unless it’s more peach or coral.
The only place on my face I wear an orange-y brown is my lips. Otherwise, no.
The only bronzer I own is the one in the It Vitality disc.
Most bronzers look orange or muddy on my fair skin so I just don’t bother. The It Vitality disc bronzer is matte and the perfect ‘tan’ shade for me but I use it as a crease eyeshadow shade or for light cheekbone contouring.
The sun kissed look simply isn’t fashionable here in India so I don’t bother with bronzer for the most part.
Don’t use them much. Adore Nars blush, but big no on their bronzers. On me, most read muddy or yellow. I have only repurchased one, tf snow bunny. It reads light pinky bronze, with a fair amount of shimmer. These days, it seems rather funny to like anything too faced best. Down to one product from them. Kind of sad, actually.
Rave: if you found the right color and formula, there is nothing better than a good bronzer to shape your face and make it dimensional as well as getting that sun kissed glow. It is in my everyday routine and is not going anywhere soon.
Rant. Easy. COLOR and formula. There are SO many that are just too coppery, too dry and do not blend well into your skin that it is easy to just give up on using a bronzer altogether. Also, most probably it’s just me, but IMHO bronzers for light skinned persons tend to be a bit too grayish, more of a contour product whereas I would love smth that would make my skin this perfect “Turkish tan” color rather that contoured. Hope I’m making sense here 🙂 If s/o knows of a product that does that, please let me know.
Milani Luminoso works well for me as a bronzer; I am pale so I also use the golden/brown blushes more than actual ‘bronzer’. Laura Mercier’s Bonne Mine palette (cream bronzer, blush, highlighters) is also forgiving and not orange.
I like bronzer just to liven up my foundation. I usually like Laura Geller Bronze n Brighten but at the moment am using Urban Decay LoFi blush as bronzer from the Gwen Stefani palette and am really liking the look.
Rave: It can warm up a complexion. I fall in and out of love with but definitely prefer it over highlighter. Not that I don’t wear a glowy blush but in general I find the highlighter trend a bit annoying and unnatural looking. Bronzer at least has the potential to make you look healthy. Sometimes I wear it in place of blush or blended into blush
Rant: It’s difficult to find the right shade. Some just are too orange and I definitely don’t like shimmery bronzers. I prefer a matte. I love doing the sun stripping trend
Even though I am pale I rarely reach for it, with the exception of a few months in summer when I want ro warm up my complexion a little.
I don’t really think there is anything to love or hate about bronzer per se. It comes in different formulations, different finishes, and a gazillion different shades. Rather, it is the application technique that makes it a winner or a loser. I’ve seen women who just have a lovely healthy glow and I’ve seen women with horrible blobs of color on their face.
Personally, I haven’t worn bronzer in several years now. I’m quite fair and don’t spend any time in the sun without slathering myself in SPF 50. At 71, I no longer aspire to being a “bronzed goddess”. LOL
I used to stay away from bronzer because I am already have a tan skintone and so did not see the point of using them, but lately I am really getting into them as I have been wanting to embrace my skintone more…I actually really like to use it as a big diffused blob underneath my cheekbones…or sometimes on the apples of my cheeks to make them recede and look more sunkissed.
Rant is i guess finding the right colour is hard…as there are some that make me look muddy…Benefit hoola and thebalm bahama mama have been working really well for me lately!
I use it daily and rotate between 2. I’ve only purchased one full size bronzer, the rest have all been deluxe size. I’m so fair most don’t look right on me and i use so little that there’s no way I’ll hit pan on the full size.
It’s probably the product I skip most often as well. Finding one that is the right shade/undertone (fair-light, pink) has proven difficult, and I honestly usually prefer blush to do any sculpting and bringing back of color to my face. It’s so easy to apply too much. However, I will say that on (rare) days when I want to skip blush and go for a neutral look, it can look nice, if I’m careful. Blush is just so much more effortless for me personally though.
I would love to know your thoughts in my Physicians Formula butter bronzer. I’m super pale and the light one really makes me look like I’m in the land of the living.