The Liquid Bronzer: Yay or nay?

I'm reviewing and comparing two liquid bronzers today because I think that they can be a great addition to your make up bag for the reason that mixed in with your foundation or on their own, they can give an all-over facial tan that powder bronzer may not give as effectively. I find that sometimes if you don't have anything on your face powder won't sit properly, which i've definitely found with a few bronzers. So the first bronzer I'm reviewing is:

1) Stila One Step Bronze - £24.00  

Ok so the description of this product says that 'This innovative triple-swirled helix serum instantly illuminates, bronzes, primes and nourishes the skin. One Step Bronze immediately improves the skin-tone, evens out your complexion and helps smooth fine lines and wrinkles.' 

I have to say, that I don't really like this product. I found that the colour was more of an orange than a gold/brown so I definitely couldn't wear it on it's own, and even mixed in with foundation the orange still came through. If you like more of an orange tone then this may be for you but if you prefer to look more natural then it probably won't be. The liquid itself is also quite sparkly. I don't mind a little bit of shimmer because it gives a dewy appearance, but the sparkle is too much!

As to what the product claims to do written above, I found that it does illuminate and bronze the skin (not neccesarily in a good way!) but it doesn't nourish, prime or even the skin at all. I used it consecutively for a few weeks, and not only did I not see an immediate improvement which it claims, but I didn't see any improvement over the time which I used it. 

I've added a photo of what the product should look like, and did initially when I bought it. The reason for this is that after a few months the consistency you see here completely changed. It went from being a liquid consistency, easily blendable, to a mousse-like texture. Very weird! With this texture it certainly wasn't easy blending the product and gave a streaky appearance to my face, so had to stop using it all together. I've posted the picture below, so you can see the difference. Tried shaking the bottle but made no difference. It is safe to say that for the amount it costs, I won't be purchasing again.

Anyway now on to a product I love!

2) Revlon Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator in 400 Bronze Light - £11.99

This product claims to give 'a healthy glow in any light. Banish dullness and even out skin with light-capturing crystals and photochromatic pigments.'

This product is still a tad orange, but much more of a brown tone unlike the Stila bronzer, so it looks more natural. It has a vey slight shimmer to it which I like, as it gives a radiant complexion. I would say that it definitely does what it says in terms of giving a healthy glow and banishing dullness. 

I think that if you have oily skin like I do, then it would be best to mix it with a matte foundation. I mix it into my Estee Lauder Double Wear, and it works brilliantly. I don't think I would mix it in with my Touche Eclat foundation though, which is much more dewy as I think it would look too shiney. Because I have oily skin when I wear it on its own I have to put powder on my t-zone to mattify it slightly. If you don't have oily then I doubt you would need anything to accompany with it.

As you can see, the consistency is very smooth and light which makes it super easy to blend into a foundation or onto your skin. 

For half the price of the Stila bronzer, and its lovely look on the skin, I would say that this product is absolutely worth buying! I am looking into buying this product in another colour as a highlighter, so see if there's a match for Benefit's Moonbeam!

The Verdict:

If you like a bronzed look like I do, then I think a liquid bronzer is a great way to go. I do think however it's important to find a natural-looking, blendable product like Revlon's. I don't know about any other liquid bronzers on the market however, and would love to hear of any good ones. I think Estee Lauder have one and if you've tried it I would definitely want your opinion!

Sibley

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