Bronzer Than What?

Last week, my June Birchbox arrived, and it was pretty awesome. One of the most exciting things in there was a full size Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten compact, in a shade called “Honey Dipped.” While it’s technically a blush, I’ve been using it as a bronzer, to great effect.

The Dr. Gross Glow Pads are fantastic, but they give allover, even color. And that’s good! But for a little dimension, I need some bronzer. I’ve been using it under my cheekbones and up onto my temples as usual, but also across my nose and on the tops of my cheeks, where the sun would hit— if I let it. It gives a pretty, sun-kissed look that makes my faux tan more believable.

The color is really great, not too brown, and not at all orange. If you look at the product in the pan, you can see a bit of shimmer, but that doesn’t show up on your face. However, it’s not completely matte either. It’s somewhere in between, and it gives a nice summery glow. I guess that’s the “Brighten” part of the Blush-N-Brighten. My MAC bronzer is matte and my Nars bronzer is shimmery, this one is right in the middle and looks more natural than either of the others. (Natural in a better-than-natural way, of course.)

The Blush-N-Brighten is part of Laura Geller’s “Baked” collection. Apparently the marbleized “self-adjusting pigments” blend together to make just the right shade for any skin tone. I don’t know? It looks good on me, and I didn’t even pick this color out for myself. I don’t even have an average skin color! I’m always the very lightest of the foundation colors, on the yellow side. Sometimes, in the dead of winter, I’m almost the same shade as my walls. (When I first noticed this, I called my husband in to look in the bathroom mirror with me so I could show him. He agreed.)

Laura Geller offers actual bronzers as well, which I have not tried, but may be better suited to your skin tone, depending on how closely you can blend in with a white wall. You should probably go to Ulta or wherever to test them out. They are also part of the magical swirly “Baked” collection, so I imagine they are good. I like the glow so much I’ve even been considering trying a more blushy-pink blush, and I don’t NEED a new blush! She has a product called "Baby Cakes", which is a compact with four baked blushes, and a retractable brush. I definitely do not need it. Nope. Not. One. Bit.