Beauty Boxing Match Up: Bronzers

 

Today's Boxing Match is between my trusty and go-to bronzer and the new comer. My go-to bronzer for over a year has been NARS Laguna, then a few weeks ago I picked up Too Faced Cosmetics  Chocolate Solei Matte Bronzing Powder. 

First let's discuss the NARS Laguna pictured above. You can tell I love it and use it daily as I have hit pan. And this is my second one in a year. It is a really pretty bronzer with a slight golden shimmer to it. Sephora describes it as: "Nars Bronzing Powder is a true brown-based bronzer with a gold shimmer fusion that's excellent for creating or enhancing the look of healthy, glowing, tanned skin." I would agree that it is brown-based. I don't feel like I'm orangey at all when I wear this on my face. The shimmer isn't over powering at all which is really nice. The photo below is NARS swatched on my arm and I have very light and fair skin as you can see.

It definitely looks more golden brown to me rather than orange. NARS is one of my favorite cosmetic lines. It is totally fabulous. I have been very happy with Laguna as my go-to bronzer and I always use it on clients when doing their makeup. It is easy to blend and it can be buildable color when I'm working with a darker skin tone. It is smooth and goes on the skin like a dream. It is really pigmented which is something I always look for in products.

The cons about the NARS Laguna for me first is the packaging. I like the size and the sleek black of the packaging, but as you can see in the photos it gets dirty really easy and fast. I've cleaned it several times, but it never goes back to the original matte black packaging like when it was brand new. I just think the texture of the packaging makes it attract everything and it clings to it. Another con for some people would be that it has a shimmer. It doesn't bother me at all, especially because on my combination skin my cheeks and hairline are the more normal to dry areas of my face. But on someone with a more mature skin, shimmer doesn't look all that great as it enhances fine lines and wrinkles. The other con would be price. It is pretty pricey at $34.

So recently I thought I would like to try out a new bronzer and I heard so many awesome things about the Too Faced Chocolate Matte Bronzer which is pictured below. I was really excited about the fact that this bronzer is a matte finish. (Matte means it has a flat finish with no shimmer or glitter.) It retails for $29 which is $5 cheaper than the NARS.

When I got it home and opened it up I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet chocolate smell the product has! It was also very smooth and kind of creamy even though it is a powder. So far I have used it every day in the last 2 weeks or so and I am absolutely IN LOVE. 

In the photo above it is swatched on my arm and you can see what a lovely color it is. It is also highly pigmented but it is a slightly deeper color than the NARS Laguna. Sephora describes it as: "A delectable matte bronzer. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder makes getting glam-and-tan downright delicious. Too Faced combines the natural, therapeutic effects of real cocoa powder with their signature bronzing pigments, creating a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes red and evens out and enhances all skintones. The complexion is left with a flawless finish, a gorgeous radiance, and a subtly sweet scent."

I truly feel it will work with all skintones. I use it with a very light hand on my very light and fair skin, but this product is also very easily buildable. It also is easy to use and looks divine on the skin. Plus there is that heavenly scent of chocolate that buzzes your nose as you apply it. Which is always a fun perk if you ask me. And it has zero orange in it at all. It really looks like a chocolate bronze tan. I love contouring with this as well as warming up my face with it.  I have even tried it out on my niece who has a tanner darker skintone than me and it was just as gorgeous on her as well.

The packaging is also one of my favorite things. You get a lot of product and it comes in a really nice and sturdy round plastic case. Both the NARS and the Too Faced bronzers have mirrors but the Too Faced one has a cute little saying written on the mirror. It says "Why be pretty when you can be gorgeous?" Which is really cute and I totally agree with that statement! 

Cons for the Too Faced Chocolate Matte Bronzer? Well, honestly I can't really come up with one. Maybe someone else can after they try it? I am so completely happy with it and it has made its way into my daily routine. So no obvious cons in my opinion. 

Below is a photo with both bronzers swatched on my arm so you can see a side by side comparison. NARS Laguna on the left and Too Faced Chocolate on the right. (Do you love that I used my mole as a divinding point? HA!)

So who is the winner? Well I guess that would totally depend on a case by case basis. One person may prefer the shimmer in the NARS Laguna Bronzer and another person may prefer the matte finish of the Too Faced Chocolate Bronzer. 

So for me, I am going to give this match to Too Faced, ONLY because it smells like chocolate :) And almost any woman out there LOVES chocolate. Right?

You will have to try out both bronzers for yourself and let me know what you think. For now I will happily use both and trade off on which one I use. 

Both bronzers can be purchased at Sephora, in store or online. Or at NARScosmetics.com or TooFacedcosmetics.com 

**DISCLAIMER** All products were purchased be me, Tristan Chabot.

My New Blusher and Bronzer

I went shopping last week with my Sephora gift card that my cute hubby gave me for Christmas. I had SO much fun! I was in the market for a really good blusher/bronzer duo. After some research and listening to a few of my favorites make up artists I decided to go with the Nars Laguna and Orgasm duo. The name alone is intriguing right?

The blusher Orgasm is a peachy pink color with kind of a golden shimmer. The reason for its name is because NARS was going for the flushed look kinda like the one you get after orgasm. And the bronzer Laguna is a light brown with that same golden shimmer. it is light enough to wear it alone, but you can also use it as a contour and build it up to deepen your contour. I have been wearing it for about a week now and I am in love! It is beautiful! It is very universal and will totally work with any skin tone. Especially the blusher.

This is a photo of my daughter and I. I am going to do this look for you in a video tutorial. It is a simple and soft look using 4 eyeshadows, and of course the blusher/bronzer duo. I will get that done in the next few days here.

I am also super excited to be hired as the hair stylist and make up artist for my lovely friend's daughter's Bat Mitzvah! I get to travel to my "second home" the San Francisco Bay Area CA!! I haven't been "home" in 2 years! I miss it every day and I'm so excited to visit, and even more excited to be working while I'm there. I plan to take many photos of my fun there. I am just now trying to figure out how to get my entire beauty arsenal into 2 suitcases without anything getting damaged. I will be shopping for lots of bubble wrap next week! Wish me luck!