top five thursday: bronzers

Hey guys!

Today's blogpost is a little late - I apologise profusely! I have so much going on in my personal life at the moment, as well as university that my blog is suffering. Next week I plan to be right back on track though, so please bear with me!

It's that time of the week again - top five Thursday! This weeks edition will be based on my top five favourite bronzers. I have previously done a post all about my top five blushes, and considering I actually use bronzer more than blush, I though that it was time to share with you the ones that I use on a regular basis.

As someone who is really quite pale naturally, bronzer can be quite intimidating. It is hard to get that balance just right; most of the time it can be way too orange, and it is hard to find bronzers without that warm tone. The majority of these bronzers are high end (honestly, most drugstore bronzers have an orange tone), and I highly recommend them all despite their price tags. Most of them can be used when you are both tanned and pale (hurray), so they really are an investment if you are just looking after one that you can use no matter what skin tone you have.

1. Nars Laguna Bronzer

A cult favourite by so many beauty addicts - this is my be all end all bronzer - seriously it's that good. I personally use this for contouring, because I find it the perfect shade for making my contour look natural. I've had this for ages as well - and still haven't hit pan. This does have little gold shimmers in it, but it doesn't translate to your skin at all. Seriously, it is expensive, but it is worth the money. Once I run out, I will for sure be replacing it. You can buy this in Australia at Mecca Cosmetica for $55AU.

2. Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soliel

Another favourite. Too Faced are seriously one of my favourite brands ever, I can't think of something that I have tried and not liked. This is one of the many bronzers that you can use when you are pale, as well as tanned, because it does have a slightly cool undertone. Not only that, it smells exactly like chocolate. Oh it's soooooo good! There are two shade options available with this bronzer - Milk Chocolate is the lighter of the shades and I would recommend it for lighter to medium skin tones. For those any darker, I would choose Chocolate Soliel, which is a couple of shades darker than Milk Chocolate. For us in Australia, this is available from Kit Cosmetics for $43.95AU.

3. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium Deep

Ok, so this is technically not a bronzer, but I use it as one. I typically use this every single day because it is just perfect to get a bit of dimension around my face without contouring. I use a big fluffy brush and swirl it around the product, and then lightly dust it where my contours would normally be. It does have a slight orange tone, so I wouldn't recommend this for paler skin tones. For those who have a medium skin tone, this is perfect. Because it is so finely milled as well, this powder never looks cakey or unnatural - on me I always find it look so flawless and airbrushed, as being completely natural. You can find this at any MAC counter, or on their online store, for $47AU.

4. Benefit's Hoola Bronzer

Another big favourite. This bronzer is THE perfect colour - like the Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soliel it is a neutral tone, so it goes with both pale and medium skin tones - I'd also hedge a guess and say that it goes with darker skin tones as well as a natural contour! Don't be fooled by the appearance of a really light powder. It honestly works on nearly all skin tones. Super impressive. This is expensive, but again, it is well worth the money and I highly recommend you give this a try above any other bronzers available on the drugstore market. You can buy this from Benefit counters in Myer for $51AU, or find it online. Be wary though, because this is an item that is faked a lot on online stores.

5. ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzer in St Lucia

This is the only drugstore bronzer I really use. It's supposedly a dupe for Nars Orgasm & Laguna duo. They are similar shades (the bronzers, not the blush), but the Elf one doesn't have the quality that Nars Laguna has. That said, it's a great option for those on a budget. It is good for contouring, it does have a neutral undertone, so it is suitable for paler skin tones (though I would recommend the bronzer above over this). Elf do have some really great products I have to say, for as cheap as they are they really are great quality. They're blushes are amazing, and I use their brushes quite frequently as well. This is available on BeautyJoint for $3.99AU, or you can go to an Australian Kmart as they are now selling Elf Cosmetics as well (unsure of price)!

And that's it for today's post, and my top five bronzers. Yes, the majority of them are high end but you really can't go wrong with them - as I said, I am quite pale naturally and I require a neutral tone bronzer for my counter to look as natural as possible. I am always on the lookout for a good drugstore bronzer to save some money, so please leave it down below if you have one!

Until next time loves...

xxxx

click here to read last weeks edition of top five Thursday

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