Bourjois Mat Illusion Bronzing Powder

If you read my latest Boots haul then you'll know I was on the look out for a new bronzer. I wanted a new one mainly because the one I've been using up until now had slight shimmer in it. For the Autumnal months and colder weather I wanted a matte one, I've had to get over the fact that it is no longer Summer. So whilst browsing the Boots website I came across this one from Bourjois and it's their Mat Illusion Bronzing Powder.

I didn't particularly shop around for matte bronzers but I do love Bourjois as a brand and my previous bronzer is also from Bourjois. I picked shade 21 which I believe to be the lightest of two, although it was difficult to figure out on the website. But since it arriving and using it, it's definitely the perfect shade for my skin tone. Also because this is a matte bronzer, it could be used as a contour as well.

I love using this bronzer as it's perfect for everyday use but you can really amp it up for the evening too. It's really pigmented and you barely need any to get that sun kissed look. I tend to apply this on the areas the sun would tend to fall on, although obviously no sun in the UK right now. We can pretend right? It's really blendable and easy to work with which is perfect for me because I'm not the best at make up, I'm learning!

Overall this is such a great matte bronzer and I will definitely continue using this through the cold, Winter months. I would definitely recommend this if you too are looking for a matte bronzer. Also Boots have 3 for 2 on make up so you can grab a couple of other things that have been on your wish list for a while too :-)

L'Oreal Glam Bronze Eau De Soleil

I do love using a bronzer especially in the summer months and even more so before I've been on my summer holiday. I normally never stray far from my favourite Bourjois bronzer but recently I was sent this one from L'Oreal so of course I was going to give it a go.

At first I was slightly scared of a liquid bronzer, I've never really seen any on the high street and if I have then they haven't appealed to me. Although I love to experiment with my make up, sometimes when I'm stuck in my ways it can take a lot to get me out of them. A big thing that swayed me was that with this being a liquid product it will last a lot longer in the heat throughout the summer months.

This product has various ways to use it and they are:

1. Applied before your base makeup to create a soft tan

2. Mixed into your current foundation to warm up the colour

3. Applied as a contour product using your fingers

 

You simply just have to make sure you give this product a shake before you use it, not too sure what the main reason for this is but it tells you to so I do as I'm told. To begin with I found this quite tricky to get out of the bottle and apply. I've now learnt that holding a finger over the top of the bottle and tipping it works best for when you only need a small amount of product. I can tell you that a small amount of this product really does go a long way. I then apply this to the hollows of my cheeks and simply blend it in with my fingers. I prefer to apply little and often because as I mentioned a little goes a long way.

 

Once applied as contour the look is very natural and leaves my skin looking glowing. It doesn't feel heavy, as some liquid products can, and feels velvet to touch on the skin. This dries evenly and smoothly on the skin which is perfect. I find the colour of this bronzer perfect for my skin tone as it can be difficult to find one that suits a paler skin tone. This one is not orange and leaves the skin looking sun kissed.

 

Overall I've been loving using this bronzer when the days have been much warmer than normal in the UK. I think this will come in really handy when I'm heading on holiday this weekend! Let me know your thoughts on liquid bronzers and if you've tried one before :-)

Garnier Ambre Solaire 1 week glow bronzer (for face)

When I've fake tanned my arms and legs etc. ready for summer I've always been too scared to fake tan my face as I've always imagined it to be a complete disaster. So I normally just stray away and go a bit more full on with my bronzer. But not anymore, this Garnier Ambre Solaire bronzer for the face has converted my to fake tanning my face and I'm so glad I now do.

This product is so simple and easy to use yet the results are so effective which is what I love about any product really. If they're easy to use and the results are great, what's stopping you? I actually purchased this as a result from watching Vivanna Does Makeup on YouTube and it's such a great recommendation. This product comes with step to step instructions, bonus, and I stick to them every time and always love the outcome.

First I simply exfoliate my face, at the moment I just use a small tester one I found lurking in my draws but any will do as long as your scrubbing off all that dry skin. I then wash it off and then apply the bronzer. It comes out of the tube actually quite peachy/orangey looking but it's not at all once applied to the face. I actually use my hands to apply this product as I've found that, as long as they are washed straight after application, the product doesn't leave that nasty fake tan hands look. You do also just have to make sure that during application you blend this into your hairline and eyebrows so you don't have a line around your face. Also that you try and apply as evenly as possible, which is easier to say than do, but I find as long as I really work the tan into my skin then all is well.

And that's it! Voila! Such an easy product to use and it really does leave my face looking bronzed when I wake up in the morning, as I tend to do this in the evenings. It does not leave my face streaky in anyway whatsoever. It does say that with this product you then won't need to wear foundation, I still preferably do just a slightly darker one from my normal skin tone. This is obviously down to preference, I just like to still put some on for that extra coverage that I feel comfortable with. There is a slight smell to this product but personally I don't find it at all horrible and it's definitely not that horrible fake tan smell. It actually says it includes apricot extract so maybe that deters the smell away from your normal fake tan smell. As for the lasting 7 days I think it really does, I would say definitely no longer than 7 days and anything after kinda 5 days you could probably reapply as that's when it starts to really fade away.

I'd definitely recommend this product as I absolutely love it and I would say don't be scared! This was my first fake tan on my face and it turned out brilliantly so give it a whirl. I'd love to know if you have any other face fake tan recommendations :-)

Bourjois bronzing powder

Hello, I hope you all had a lovely weekend enjoying the sunshine! I spent my Sunday at the seaside and I can't think of a better way I could have spent it. It was a beautiful day and if you know Southwold then you'll know how lovely it is to spend the day there. So I thought as summer is finally starting to show signs of appearing that I would share my new favourite bronzer with you today. As we all want that lovely bronzed look through the summer months.

This product is a very raved about bronzer in the beauty blogger world but I had never really been much of a bronzer wearer. But when Boots were doing their 3 for 2 on all make up a while back I couldn't resist picking it up and finally trying it. And boy am I glad I did pick it up. It's the Bourjois bronzing powder, supposedly smelling like chocolate, what more could a girl want. Now I will admit for the first couple of weeks I had this I didn't actually use it, but now I've started using it I can't stop. A bronzer, this one in particular, is now part of my everyday make up routine and I love it. Bourjois says:

"Its subtly iridescent formula enriched with flecks of golds gives a radiant but non shiny glow. Its delicious chocolate perfume and ultra soft texture will make you melt with pleasure!"

This bronzer goes on so effortlessly and you can really build it up for a night time look or keep it nice and more natural looking for everyday wear. At first I was scared using this but it's so simple to apply, I don't know what I was thinking! I just use a rather large brush, the one I'm currently using is just from Avon but I do need to invest in a new one suggestions?, and it just glides on. I apply this to my cheeks and temples mainly as that's my personal preferred look but you can go more to town by putting it down your nose and under your chin. I think this product just instantly makes my face look, well, more alive ha ha. It just lifts my face and makes it look a lot nicer for the coming summer months.

I was also slightly worried about the flecks of shimmer in this bronzer but I really think they make the bronzer. They don't show up too much on the skin, the shimmer just makes it look more glowy but still keeping it natural. This bronzer can be easily blended into the skin, another worry of mine was applying too much, but if you do then it's super easy to blend out. I sometimes just get my powder brush to blend it in more if I have applied too much and it's all sorted. Now the smell of this, supposedly smelling like chocolate.. Yes it does have that hint of chocolate smell in it which does smell divine! Thankfully the smell doesn't linger once you've applied it to your face as I don't think personally I would want to walk round with my face smelling like chocolate.

Overall I definitely recommend this bronzer, it's absolutely perfect for the coming summer months! And if you're like me and slightly scared of using bronzers then this one is a great place to start. This product is definitely now a staple in my make up bag, bring on the sunshine! :-)

Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Body Lotion

What beautiful weather we've finally received in the UK! It's the first proper sun that we've seen in a very long time but obviously, as with any weather, we were unprepared. The fact that I've literally had to live in summer dresses, shorts and vests without showing off an indecent amount of skin has meant that I've actually got myself a little bit of a tan going on, hallelujah! But before this all came about I purchased this lovely product and it's been my savior for my pasty legs.

I love the Palmers range, especially the cocoa butter, the smell is absolutely divine I cannot get enough of it! The fact that this product contains cocoa butter and vitamin E means that it's totally moisturising on the skin and makes it super soft. It's easy to apply, I just use my hands and make sure I wash my hands properly afterwards. Although this did leave slight trouble once leaving me with slight orangeness on the side of my finger nails (nasty looking) but that may have just been me. There is also the option of using a mitt obviously but other than that one time I haven't had any trouble using my hands.

The actual colour of the bronzer is fairly natural on first application and considering it's a gradual bronzer a lot more colour comes out than I'd imagined it would. It's still natural looking and not dark but just more colour than other gradual tanners. After a couple of days after application I'm left with a nicely built up natural looking tan which I love. You can obviously apply more for a darker looking tan, I tend to apply this once every other day as that way I find I get it more natural due to washing/showering in between applications.

Like I mentioned the application is easy and streak free as long as you make sure it's all rubbed in properly (stating the obvious) but I did find application hard around my ankles. You definitely need to spare the product around more 'difficult' areas. The smell is lovely but I find it does stick around for quite a while, not that it's all that bad as it smells of cocoa which is lovely. But I know some people may find this annoying. It also sinks into the skin pretty quickly so there's not too much drying time. Also this product is only around £5 something then I'd say it's definitely worth the price tag.

Overall I really like using this product and without a doubt when I need a top up tan I know I will get that from this. I think it's suitable for all skin tones simply as the colour control is in your hands (literally). This product takes minimal effort which is again something I love as after a shower you can just whack this on and voila! A lovely summer essential for those not so sunny days :) I'd love to know your thoughts on this product if you've tried it, if not then go purchase a bottle!