Last summer, I brushed over two MAC bronzers. This summer, I’m one-upping myself (because my ego is that big I’m that awesome) and comparing seven of them for you.
(You’re welcome.)
The downside is that I had actually taken these photos shortly after last summer’s bronzer post, so they’re really old. My apologies for the image quality; I was still using my old camera at that point! The other half of this downside is that the Victoria’s Secret (which I actually love) and Lancome (less love) have since been discontinued. So, um… sorry!
The products (photo without titles after the cut, if you’re interested. And as always, click to enlarge!)
My picks:
The most orange, and longest-wearing — Lancome Photôgenic Bronzé
The best “healthy glow” — MAC Bronze
The best for versitality, for the price, and for the most skintones — Annabelle Golden Glow duo
The best for a bit more cash — MAC Bronze
[Sidenote: what I really like about the Annabelle duo and Bronze is that they can suit anything from an NC10 to an NW25, just by using more/less product. For instance, I’ll apply Bronze to my cheeks with a fan brush, but use a bronzer brush if I’m working on my mother!]
Quick descriptions…
Mattes indicated with an “M”
Everyday Minerals Swimming Pool — M — taken for reference; this is not a bronzer! I do use it to contour, though, which I know many people use bronzer for. It has a lot more red in it (a neutral-cool red; it’s not too warm,) and makes a lovely contour/blush if you’re looking for something non-orange and matte to sculpt with!
MAC Harmony — M — same as Swimming Pool. It’s a touch less warm and a bit more brown than red, but still quite red.
Victoria’s Secret Sunny Cheeks — very pigmented but not too soft, with a finish and colour that make me think of a copper-bronze metal.Quite shimmery, but the shimmer is finely-milled and presents more as a pearl than a sparkle.
Annabelle Golden Glow — M — what makes this brilliant is that there’s a matte half and a shimmery half. It’s very pigmented, and runs a tiny tiny tiny bit more orange than I’d like. Check out a better swatch in this post.
Lancôme Photôgenic Bronzé — M — discontinued, and for good reason! While the mousse texture of this product is quite cool and the wear is amazing once it’s set, it swatches very orange in that “fake tan” way.
MAC Golden — funnily enough, the MAC bronzers are the most sheer! This means you’ll use a bit more, but it also makes for a great all-over bronze (as opposed to just spot-bronzing.) Golden is quite neutral and easy-to-wear for light to medium skintones.
MAC Bronze — I love the colour of Bronze! It’s actually a bit more berry than a true bronze, which I love — it gives your glow more of an “I was just out in the sun” feel, and less of a “I was out in the sun… a week ago” feel.
Swatches…
From left to right: Annabelle Golden Glow (two halves blended,) Lancôme Photôgenic Bronzé, MAC Golden, MAC Bronze.
One last image:
First row l-r: Everyday Minerals Swimming Pool, MAC Harmony.
Second row l-r: Victoria’s Secret Sunny Cheeks Mosaic Bronzer, Annabelle Golden Glow (two halves blended,) Lancôme Photôgenic Bronzé.
Last row l-r: MAC Golden, MAC Bronze.
