Hey Glammies! I'm sorry that I've taken so long to continue this series; to be completely honest, it's just that I've really been dreading this particular post. I've decided that finding a good bronzer at the drugstore is next to impossible. In an effort to duplicate the glow of freshly tanned skin, most products have glitter in the formula. While it may look good swatched on your arm, it's not wise to make your face look like a disco ball. Yes, there are a few matte bronzers, but they unfortunately don't have very much color variety. As I have tan skin, most don't even show up on me. I've searched far and wide and came up with this list of bronzers that are "good enough" for me. I have yet to find my holy grail, but don't worry... I'll keep looking!Wet n Wild Coloricon Bronzer ($3.99)
Officially, this bronzer comes in 3 shades: Reserve Your Cabana, Bikini Contest, and Take Me to Brazil. However, I can't imagine who would be pale enough to use Reserve Your Cabana as a bronzer. It's simply too light (it would be a good highlighter though!). So, with that in mind, this bronzer really comes in two shades. Therein lies one of the main problems that I have with drugstore bronzer: there isn't enough shade selection. The darkest shade, Take Me to Brazil, isn't really dark enough for me to use as a bronzer per se, but when I dust it on my skin, it does provide a nice, luminous, just-got-back-from-the-beach glow. That brings me to what I love about this product, which is the formula. As I said before, I feel like it's hard to find illuminating bronzers at the drugstore because they usually have chunky glitter in them. I was a bit worried when I saw the pan because it looked like there were pieces of glitter, but it doesn't actually translates when you put it on. The texture is buttery smooth, it applies effortlessly and it has great staying power. It has a nice sheen to it that mimics a dewy, luminous complexion, Meanwhile, with SPF15, and checking in at a price point of $3.99 for a larger than standard compact, it's definitely one of the best values around.NYX Matte Bronzer ($9.00)
As far as drugstore bronzers go, this one is my favorite, It is very pigmented, easy to apply, blends amazingly and doesn't fade throughout the day. If I love it so much, why did I say that I have yet to find my holy grail? Again, it comes down to shade selection. I realize that it seems a bit silly for women of color to use bronzer, since they're already tanned, but it's actually one of my favorite products to use because a good bronzer has the ability to shape, sculpt and bring definition to a face... who wouldn't want that? In store, I've only ever seen this particular bronzer in 3 shades: light, medium and deep tan. Deep tan works as a bronzer for me, but how about the girls who are darker than me? I'll step off of my soapbox in just a second, but lack of variety for women of color is definitely something that I always get reminded of when I go makeup shopping. Having said this, I feel like I should mention that, while it seems like I'm crucifying drugstore products, the high-end companies are also guilty.
(I'd like to note that, apparently, this bronzer comes in 5 shades, not 3, as I originally thought. Unfortunately, the 2 darker shades are only available online at nyxcosmetics.com, and Ulta doesn't even carry them. This being a blog post about products that you can pick up in store, my point still stands.)
(I'd like to note that, apparently, this bronzer comes in 5 shades, not 3, as I originally thought. Unfortunately, the 2 darker shades are only available online at nyxcosmetics.com, and Ulta doesn't even carry them. This being a blog post about products that you can pick up in store, my point still stands.)
L'Oreal True Match Powder ($10.95)
I know that this powder is technically not a bronzer, but I would be amiss if I left off the product that I use the most for contouring. If you've read my post about drugstore foundations, you've already heard me sing this powder's praises. (If not, check it out here.) The great thing about using a face powder as a bronzer is that there are a ton of colors from which to choose, and you can even pick the undertone. If you would like to use the bronzer just around the perimeter of your face, in order to warm up your complexion, you can pick a shade with a warm undertone. If you would like to use it to contour, you can pick a shade with a cool undertone, which can mimic shadows on your face. The key is to get a shade just a couple shades darker than yours, and you'll be able to sculpt out your cheekbones and define your other features in no time.So, there you have it! My drugstore bronzer superstars! If you want to check out the other blog posts from this series, click here. Stay tuned for the next installment: Blushes!
Glammie Love!
~Jaz
