little white truths

This is one of those products that I've had for a while, it's just that it's taken me ages to review it. And there are no excuses for this since I took photos of the bronzer as soon as I got it, meaning they've been sitting there since December last year and I've kept forgetting to write this post. Ooops!

Hoh well. I've used this occasionally throughout the year but it's really been in the past month that I've wanted to reach for it over my other bronzers. That's not because the formula is top notch - indeed, I've had a few issues with it - but the colour is perfect for me right now and I can't get enough of it.

Indeed, I've been using this so much recently that it's got a dent already, and when it comes to updating my Project Pan list this month, I may well decide to move this onto my list, even though it's relatively new.

I do like it but it's better for me in winter and it was a GWP anyway so I didn't pay for it, which is (perhaps irrationally) one of the reasons why it's probably the first bronzer I'd remove from my collection if I had to. And since I was a bit naughty with the Urban Decay Beached Bronzers (yep, I bought both!), I wouldn't mind reducing my bronzer stash by one.

Anyhoo. Let's have a look : )

I've photographed the bronzer in direct sunlight above and in natural light below. I've long moved past the top layers so it no longer looks this pretty ; )

Verdict

This isn't the best bronzer I've used in terms of formula, but I'm loving the colour so much that I'm reaching for it every day. It's almost got a mustard yellow undertone on my skin, and I don't own anything else like that but I should because this shade is my perfect colour for winter. It's warm but not too warm, and I reckon it's the best bronzer I've come across so far in terms of colour match for my winter skin.

As for the formula, I've found a few issues with it. First, it's quite sheer so I need to apply at least twice the amount as I do for my other bronzers to get the colour to show up. I also think that it's paler than any other bronzer I own, which is partly why I need to use more to get an impact. 

Fortunately it doesn't look powdery on the skin, which is always a worry when you need to apply more of something than usual. I'm aware that the product is there, but once I apply a spritz of my setting spray, everything merges into my skin and it looks beautifully natural.

The powder itself is finely milled, but the compact is pressed quite hard so the texture isn't as soft as it is for other products I own. As you may know, I prefer my powders to be softer so I don't love the harder texture of this, but it's something that I can live with because the product is still smooth and fine, and it feels nice-enough to the touch.

One thing to note is that I've run into patchy. uneven application with this product. I think this was happening in part because the product had formed a crust in some areas (more on that in a sec), so my brush wasn't picking up an even layer of powder. Now that I've removed the crust, application is better but it's still not as fool-proof as it is for other products I own so that's something to be aware of.

On the crust, I have three powders from Gorgeous Cosmetics: this bronzer and two highlighters. All three developed a crust on the surface within a few weeks of opening them, which tells me that something's not quite right with the formula. 

Crusts on cosmetics usually form when some oil from eg a dirty brush has gotten into the compact and mixed with the top layer, making a hard surface that must be removed if you want to keep using the product, but I've only ever had this happen once before with a cheap blush I owned, and none of the other powders I'm using at the moment have had this issue. So what is it about this formula that encourages a crust to form? I've no idea, but it's worth mentioning.

All in all, while this isn't the best bronzer I've used, I can't get enough of the colour and I'm reaching for it over other products for that reason alone. I personally don't feel that this bronzer is worth the $50 pricetag - given the issues I've mentioned above - but I'm super pleased to own mine and I'm looking forward to finding a colour dupe once I've finished the product.

Ok but not amazing.