FREE Super Fruits Eye Balm with $130 or more purchase

Monday 24 March 2014

Veracious Product Review: The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in Fair Matte

Hi, everyone! If you've been reading the blog lately, you'll know that I've been sending out much love to The Body Shop, a brand with which I've happily rekindled a love affair. Long overdue! One of the goodies I picked up in a recent haul is a bronzer that has received heaps of love in the blogosphere. The Body Shop's Honey Bronze Bronzing Powders have been praised not only for their unique, beautiful design, but also for their fair-skin-friendliness and flattering matte finish. Sign me up! 


The Honey Bronze Bronzing Powders come in circular-shaped compacts with a stunning, almost holographic honeycomb pattern. Look how lovely it looks in the sunlight!


The back of the packaging features the shade name, net weight, and recycling information, with the ingredients listed on a layer beneath:


Ok, just one more shot of the outside, as it's so incredibly pretty!


Trance over, moving on... wait, more beauty! Opening the compact reveals the product itself, which also features the honeycomb motif, sculpted into the powder. Such a nice touch! It gives the surface of the bronzer a quilted texture and is definitely a pleasure to look at. Almost too pretty to use! Almost ;)


Of the 4 shade options to choose from (love that there are multiple shades!), I opted for the second lightest hue, Fair Matte 02. It is a warm, golden honey brown that's just a few tones darker than my natural skin colour. The finish is matte-but-not-flat with just a tiny hint of glow to prevent things from looking dull. There are no visible shimmer particles, just an oh-so-subtle sheen. All of these factors make this bronzer the ultimate choice for those with fair skin who want to impart a natural, warm hue to their wintry pale complexion! 

Here is a swatch of Fair Matte 02, applied heavily on my inner arm (MAC NC15 skin tone):


And here are some "Before" and "After" shots to demonstrate the effect of the bronzer on my skin. Here I am wearing foundation and powder, but no other colour on my cheeks:

"Before" The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder

And here I am with a generous helping of Fair Matte applied up my cheekbones. As you can see, it really warms things up without looking heavy, orange, or unnaturally shimmery:

"After" The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder

Here's another look at its effect on my skin, under slightly cooler lighting. Not only does it add a subtle bronze, it also evens out my complexion quite nicely! The slightly yellow tones in this bronzer work wonders to neutralize the diffuse redness in my skin. 


And here it is, in the context of a completed makeup look, blended with my beloved Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop


And now for a full breakdown of the ups and downs of this pretty product:

Pros:

  • Incredibly wearable shade for those with fair skin. No hints of orange or red.
  • Flattering, natural matte finish
  • Sheer, but buildable formula makes it nearly impossible to over-do it!
  • The golden tones in the bronzer help to even out redness in the skin
  • Blends effortlessly and wears all day!
  • Incredibly beautiful and unique packaging
  • At just over $20, this is not a true budget buy, but is still a great value!
  • Cruelty-free and animal friendly- always a huge plus in my books

Cons:
  • Not for those who prefer a shimmery finish to their bronzers
  • May not be dark enough for my skin in the summertime (though will still make the perfect Fall through Spring bronzer!)

As you can see, the "Cons" list is terribly short. I really love this stuff! The shade is so easy to wear and the finish is incredibly natural and flattering. The price is right and the packaging is gorgeous. 'Nuff said! Go out and grab one if you want to look bee-autiful! ;)

Have you tried this bronzing powder? What are your favourite subtle bronzers for Winter and Spring?

Thanks for reading! xo

22 comments:

  1. This sounds great and it's honestly so pretty!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yay! You bought it! It looks awesome on you. I still need to figure it out... When I tried it, it hardly showed. I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board on this one, maybe try a different brush...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the honeycomb design on it - so pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This looks so so good! I am definitely going to get it next time the Body Shop has a sale because everything from the color to the packaging looks gorgeous.

    Laura
    www.lauraneuzeth.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. That packaging is sooo cool!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm so glad you like this! You photographed the packaging so well! I never realized how beautiful it really was until I saw your pictures!

    Des | Simple Charm Beauty

    ReplyDelete
  7. interesting post!

    http://www.mrsnoone.it/2014/03/primavera-storie-di-gemme-e-di-pensieri-2/#more-1719

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love that it doesn't make your skin look too brown or orange! Also, the pattern is pretty darn cute!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ok, another product to add on my wish list. I freaking NEED this :)!!!
    You're no good for my wallet situation, Jen... ;)

    xx
    http://gita-oddsandends.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. This colour looks so amazing on you! I have heard SO many great things about this.. I'll have to pick it up for myself soon! I loveeeee the packaging too. The shots you got of it are gorgeous! x

    morerebe.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. What an amazing finish, it's suepr natural! I'd love to try this bronzer, it does look gorgeous :) how about following each other via GFC/Bloglovin'/Instagram/FB page? I would love to :) just let me know on my blog and I'll make sure to follow back asap! Have a nice day babe xx
    Isotta
    Red Velvet | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Facebook Page

    ReplyDelete
  12. Haha "ok trance over". Honestly., I LOVE this bronzer- that sheen totally makes it for me! Once mine runs out this on is going to be my next purchase. You just look so dewy and glowy!

    Also, thank you so much for your sweet comments on my post where I asked what type of stuff you'd like to see on my blog. I appreciated it so, so much :)

    xo marlen

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi dear, great job with this post. Wanna try this coz Im a sucker for matter bronzers


    xoxo;
    What Kenny Hearts a Fashion and Lifestyle Blog

    ReplyDelete
  14. love shop THE BODY SHOP ♥

    http://delavie-paula.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. This bronzer has been on my want list for a while now! Looks beautiful on you
    Erin

    Erin and Katherine Talk Beauty

    ReplyDelete
  16. love the way the product looks like honeycomb. Reminds me of something alexander mcqueen would make should he have gotten into product design. :)

    I'd love it if you would also check out my blog: http://afashionneverland.blogspot.com/ xx

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi,
    I have a fairly similar skin tone (neutral-coolish and pale) and hair color (somewhere in the dirty blonde range) to you, although my eyes are blue. I was wondering your opinions on some of the color suggestions (or rules) based on skin tone-- ie, picking cool lipstick shades, silver toned jewelry, etc. I find all of these rules a bit arbitrary and confusing to follow. I noticed you're more daring about warmer (coral, orange) colors sometimes, and was wondering what your thoughts are on experimenting and mixing colors outside of the warm/ cool dichotomy. Thanks!
    --intimidated by new colors anonymous

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love your pictures the natural light really does the packaging justice.
    As for the product it looks amazing on you.
    Yes to finding a bronzer light enough for us fair girls :)
    TarteTanya

    ReplyDelete
  19. Nice color
    Looks great on you

    Want to follow each other on Bloglovin and Google plus?
    Love
    Sandy Sandhu

    ReplyDelete
  20. I was going to say "I WANT THIS" but then realised I technically do because Jenn picked one up for me! I didn't know about the honeycomb packaging! (It's not something you can really see, considering how uniform the lighting is in the Body Shop...I think)
    Can't wait to be united with this; the powder is just so darn soft!

    ReplyDelete

All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)