Always blushing

I wasn’t always into bronzer. When I had begun wearing makeup regularly in University, I thought bronzer was only for fair skinned girls. I saw these girls with what looked like warm contours and wished to have that same look. Years later I found out – ‘Yes, dark skinned girls can do the same! And we won’t look dark doing so.’ It sounds so dumb recounting this thought, but it was a very real thought.

Now, I love bronzing! Bronzing is supposed to give you a sunkissed, slightly contoured look. Who wouldn’t want to look like they just came from vacation all year round?

The following are bronzers I’ve been using for years, and some just months. But they are all ones that I have loved presently or in the past with all my makeup-loving heart! ❤

For a rundown, keep reading!

Tom Ford

I had contemplated on purchasing this for over a year when I found out about it years ago. I can’t remember the amount of times i went to swatch it, admiring it at the store. One day in Nordstrom on a break from work, I gave in and got it on a whim (RIP Nordstrom Canada).

At the time there wasn’t much bronzers like it on the market, a dewy cream to suit my skin tone. I felt like I brought home a treasure when I purchased it that day. I still treasure it till this day as I sneak glances of it on my vanity. ❤

Pros

Cons

• Comes with a highlight that not everyone would use. I only used it a handful of times and although it does give a nice natural glow, it wasn’t something I would reach for.
• $$$, especially in this economy
• Because of the cost i would always save it for a special occasion and then not end up using it. My current self won’t use that logic anymore and I’ll use it as much as possible to get my money’s worth! Guys, I don’t understand the LV hype, but Tom Ford does it for me!

Verdict: It’s a beautiful dewy bronzer for us deep skinned girls, but it has a hefty price tag. If you are looking for an everyday bronzer, which is affordable, this is not it. But if you do want to experience the highlife or want something for special occasions or just want to treat yourself, make sure to include this bronzer in your next monthly budget! My opinion is with all the other current bronzers on the market, you can save your money and find something else that performs just as good! No-one will notice the difference!

Merit

This is my personal fav and one of my most recent bronzer purchases. After Becca went out of business I was looking for a bronzer with a similar shade as Ipanema sun. I read so many reviews and went through every bronzer on the Sephora website. I settled on this cream because it wasn’t too dark but a shade slightly darker than my skin tone. And bonus, Leo is my son’s name. It was calling for me and it was perfect. Although it can’t truly replace ipanemA sun, it is an acceptable alternative.

Pros

• Affordable (at least compared to Tom Ford)
• Easy to apply
• Great shade (Personal preference)
• Dewy
• Natural bronze for my skin tone

Cons

• Might be too dewy for some
• Might be too natural for some

Verdict: If you want something great for the everyday and dewy, this is definitely one I would recommend. It’s something you can use if you’re someone who doesn’t wear much makeup but wants the ‘I just came from vacation’ look.

Hourglass

This is a fairly recent purchase and I got the mini! I wasn’t ready to spend money on the full price. Sorry, not in this economy. I was hoping this would perform similar to Becca’s and although I do like the finish, I’m not completely sold. It felt more like I was *slightly* contoured than bronzed. I know lighter skin girls love this bronzer, and I wish they had other shades, because I do like the formulation.

Pros

• Comes in a small size if you want to try it out
• Nice finish

Cons

• $$
• Shade range

Verdict: This could be perfect for you if the shade is right. This is all about personal preference and it is worth a try if you want to try the mini!

Becca

Out of business, but I can’t write about bronzers without mentioning this baby. I wore this often. It gave the most beautiful sunkissed glow for my specific skin tone. I was once asked wearing this if I had just come back from a vacation because that’s how sunkissed I looked. It was deep in the Canadian winter too! This bronzer was so easy to apply. It was the perfect amount of pigment dispersed on my brush. I hate when there’s too much and there’s fallout from the brush, but with this, the perfect amount ends up on your face to blend in. You really don’t know how great something is till it’s gone and that’s how I feel about this. I still have it in my collection and I can’t bring myself to part with it! I’ll be waiting till it gets mouldy. <3. Becca, come back! Side note, if anyone has a dupe for Becca’s Ipanema Sun, please leave a comment and let me know!

Pros

• Perfection

Cons

• No longer on the market

Verdict: This is my #1. I’m just sad you can’t try this!

Final Verdict

My top favs among my favs are Becca’s Ipanema Sun and Merit’s Leo. Yes, I will continue to wear Becca till I can’t anymore. I’m not sure how Merit’s will perform in the summer. I’m not used to wearing cream bronzers in the summer and my fav can possibly change once summer comes around.

Also, disclaimer: These are MY personal favs. I haven’t tried them all and I don’t intend to, unless I find a Becca dupe. Also, keep in mind, my skin tone and natural makeup preference highly influences my favs. For instance, if I was slightly darker, I may not have loved the Becca bronzers because the shade that would then match me might have been too red for my liking.

I wish I had tried out more bronzers to let you know my thoughts on them, but these are my personal loves based on what I was inclined to try. There are so many more options out currently and if you like the dewy, sunkissed look, and are of a medium deep skin tone consider giving one of these a try. Let me know if you do or if you have any other suggestions as a fellow medium-deep-skinned girlie!

XoXo,

Always blushing