The best thing about living in Vancouver is the Summer-all-year-around weather we get, minus the few pours here and there. But as an East coast girl at heart, this is not something I am used to, nor will be experiencing for too long, as I am slowly planning my homecoming to Montreal in the Fall. That said, when I'll sadly start seeing my healthy bronze flush and warm colours fade away in a few months, these are the ones I'll be relying on...
Long gone are the days when a heavy tan was fashionable and that's something the team of Lise Watier Cosmetics went straight for, when assembling there limited edition powder formula that is today, the Rivages Bronzing Powder. Made with a combination of bronze, pink, and gold shades, this bronzer will leave you looking beach fresh and naturally flushed, mimicing a 'weekend-away' glow rather than a deeper tan. Although I found the powder formula to be highly pigmented, it is very lightweight which makes easy to apply in smaller amounts and to build-up the glow to your taste. Going over the ingredients list, I assume this bronzer is best to be used on dryer skin types because of the use of many emollients, moisturizers and conditioning agents within its composition. As dry skin is caused by a loss of water in the upper layer of the skin, emollients and moisturizers work by forming an oily layer on the top of it that'll water into the skin.
Key ingredients in the Rivages bronzing powder includes Shea butter, Dimethicone Topical; commonly used as a moisturizer to prevent dry, rough, itchy skin and minor skin irritations, Lauroyl Lysine; an Amino Acid derivative that is made from natural coconut oil, and Caprylic triglyceride; an excellent skin-repairing ingredient that skin can utilize to repair its surface and resist moisture loss.
On a practical sidenote, another great thing about this tan enhancing compact is the packaging featuring a giant case coming with a convenient, equally as big mirror to facilitate its use, while on-the-go.
Key ingredients in the Rivages bronzing powder includes Shea butter, Dimethicone Topical; commonly used as a moisturizer to prevent dry, rough, itchy skin and minor skin irritations, Lauroyl Lysine; an Amino Acid derivative that is made from natural coconut oil, and Caprylic triglyceride; an excellent skin-repairing ingredient that skin can utilize to repair its surface and resist moisture loss.
On a practical sidenote, another great thing about this tan enhancing compact is the packaging featuring a giant case coming with a convenient, equally as big mirror to facilitate its use, while on-the-go.
Sun protection has always been a VERY! important step in my skincare routine, in fact, I categorically refuse to spend a second out in the sun without wearing appropriate sunblock and a hat/summer scarf/canopy/sunshade, or really just any accessory that'll overshadow my face and shoulders. It may sounds a little excessive but consider this: a 40 years-old women who has protected her skin from the sun her whole life will actually bare the complexion of a 30 years-old's. Not to mention she considerably reduced her odds of developing pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions, benign tumors, discolouration of certain areas of the skin called mottled pigmentation, dilation of small blood vessels under the skin, destruction of the elastic and collagen tissue and more…
Why the scary talk ? It has been shown that less than 50% of our society is actually aware of the impacts the sun has on our skin, which seems way too low of a percentage to me. I want to raise awareness ! Now let's get onto something a little bit lighter ;) Since I am making a case out of protecting my complexion from the sun at all costs, it has gotten a couple shades lighter than my actual tan, especially during the Summer. Esthederm's Sun Sheen tinted powder probably is the closest to this natural tan of mine as it evens out and brightens my complexion and neutralizes the effects of aging while offering minimum sun protection. The non-drying silky texture of this powder makes it highly enjoyable to wear over any sunscreen and its medium to full buildable coverage frees me from the hassle of having to wear foundation underneath. To achieve an all-year-round tan and instant healthy glow, I simply swirl my powder brush over my tan enhancing compact and softly brush it all over my face and neckline, using circular motions and making sure not to apply on more than one layer.
My skin naturally feels supple, soft and comfortable, and is better protected from harmful external factors !
If you want to talk luxe alternative to natural tan, Hourglass probably is you best bet so far ! On the natural finish side, the Ambiant bronzer is everything a girl could ever dream of, and more… This incredibly divine lightweight powder captures, diffuses and softens surrounding light, using a groundbreaking Photoluminescent Technology for which the luxury brand is famous for, ultimately recreating the most exquisitely flattering light over ones complexion.
This illuminating bronzer is my go-to finish powder for whenever I have a photoshoot scheduled because it is very much like having a personal lighting technician at my disposal ;) By manipulating and filtering out harsh light, the powder conceals skin imperfections, pores and wrinkles. It delivers, whithin its state-of-the-art formula, a multi-dimensional luminescence to every skin tone, making it appear softer, younger and perfectly lit. Although originally coming in 6 universal shades, I personally am a big fan of the Radiant Bronze Light compact which helps me enhance my complexion with believable, subtle warmth.
To recreate a flawless complexion, I apply the Ambient powder all over my face, using my Ambient Powder Brush as the final step of my beauty look.
To contour and define my face, I apply the bronzer along my temples, hollows of my cheeks, and jawline, using my Sephora Pro Contour Brush, and build up the colour to my taste. I learned this simple contouring techniques while hanging out backstage with make-up artists at the Spring/Summer shows every year; use bronzing powder sparingly on the contours of the face to define the cheekbones and leave you looking fresh and healthy !
Elizabeth Arden has launched earlier this year the Sunkissed Pearls limited edition colour collection inspired by the lustrous colours of pearls, combining subtle, iridescent tints with deep, mysterious tones from the sea. The Sunkissed Pearls beauty line embodies the effortless glow that all women want to achieve with their makeup and, with contouring being the beauty trend of the moment, this bronzing powder and highlighter trio is like a step-by-step contour kit reunited in one single pearlescent compact and includes a metallic silver half-moon brush for easy touch-ups.
This illuminating bronzer is composed of two bronzing shades; a light and a dark one, and one highlighting blsuh shade which are formulated with skin perfecting ingredients to protect and illuminate your complexion. Key ingredients includes Vitamin E; to protect against environmental stressors that cause visible signs of aging, Argan Oil; to help keeping your skin feeling soft and moisturized throughout the day, and microlight minerals; an optical diffuser that works to scatter the light and soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
When used induvidually, you can easily recreate a naturally sculpted beauty look by using the darker bronzer to contour and define, the illuminating blush to give you some colours and the lighter bronzer to enlighten you complexion.
When use all together, you can achieve a soft, golden, sun-kissed glow with an easy, shimmery finish that works on even the palest of complexions. Having myself a yellow undertone complexion, I am absolutely loving what the mix of the three shades is doing for me !
And then, comes the decadent !
For those days when all you want is a nice warmth all-over, minus the shimmer, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil matte bronzer is a beauty staple to have in your makeup bag. Go ahead, indulge yourself ! You won’t add pounds when you dip into our antioxidant-rich, cocoa-licious, zero-calorie bronzer ;) Plus, combining the natural, therapeutic effects of real cocoa powder with Too Faced signature bronzing pigments, your skin will be left with supercharged moisturization, decongestant properties and antioxidants that protect you from the environement. The brand definitely succeded at its promise to create a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes redness, evens out and enhances all skin tones.
I've repeated myself many, many times (even a couple lines earlier in this very post!), sitting out in the sun, even fully protected, isn't good for your skin; it's not the 90's anymore guys ! We should all know better than this. Too Faced's matte bronzer is perfect to achieve that perfect bronzed, blushing look, all by itself or paired with your favourite highlighter. Use it as a all-over face powder for a subtle, even, matte tan or as a defining colour to sculpt and contour your face, followed by a few stokes of highlighting powder on the high points of your face.
Another great option for the matte finish lovers is stila's 'Stay-All-Day HD bronzing beauty balm; a hint of tint enriched with broad-spectrum SPF 30 ! Already loving this guy, aren't you ? stila is the beauty innovator when it comes to complexion. This bronzing tinted moisturizer is perfect the dryer skin types and for people who don't necessarily like a powdery finish, as it comes in an antioxidant-rich, easy to apply, balmy formula. BB creams are like the ultimate prep for your skin, enhancing natural beauty and protecting it all at once, with a considerable SPF broad spectrum, UVA and UVB protection. It also improves the look and texture of your skin by creating an impeccable canvas to work on.
The way I like to use my stila bronzing beauty balm is by mixing a pearl size amount of the formula with just a little bit of my favourite creamy skin illuminizer, and apply it all-over my face to achieve the ultimate luxe effect. Plus, with such a strong broad spectrum, there is no need for me to prep my skin with a face sunscreen prior to apply on my BB cream !
