Shiseido Desert Rose 02 Medium Oil-Free Bronzer

I think I'm all set for a bronzed summer look in every finish and intensity, from shimmery summer night looks to a delicate "just took a walk in the garden to smell the roses" day. Of course, all this feels a bit weird considering we're in the middle of a week-long rain and thunderstorm weather and I'm fully snuggled in a gray sweater, but wearing a pretty bronzer brightens things up considerably.

Shiseido Oil-Free bronzer in Medium 02/ Desert Rose belongs to natural, just a little sun-kissed school of bronzing. It has no shimmer and doesn't try to make you even a tiny bit orange, just a little flushed and tan. The texture is as fine as it gets, smooth and soft, on the same level with the other top quality bronzers I swatched above. Shiseido Desert Rose (medium 02) is close to Edward Bess Daydream, though Shiseido is rosier while Edward Bess is decidedly more brown, thus on my skin it looks like a real full tan, "just got back from the coast" kind of color.

I also compared to other favorites, Guerlain Terracotta in Brunette, which is more of a shimmery glow (I also have the Blonde version which is among my favorite winter complexion fixers) and Burberry, the most intense bronzer I own. I didn't bother comparing to the limited edition Chanel and Estee Lauder Sea Star because the Lauder is quite shimmery and the Chanel can be applied in different ways by mixing the various shades. All the swatches here are relatively heavy and were done with my fingers for the sake of taking a reasonably decent photo. When actually applying Shiseido Desert Rose 02 to my face I prefer a dense bronzer brush- this color can use a confident hand as it's delicate enough and doesn't need to be carefully diffused.

Bottom Line: bring on the sun.

Shiseido Desert Rose 02 Medium Oil-Free Bronzer ($35) is available from Sephora (online only) and most department stores.

All photos are mine.

Chanel Bronze Corail 537 Soleil Tan de Chanel Summer 2011

At first glance the Corail part of the new Chanel Bronze Corail 537 Soleil Tan de Chanel for summer 2011 looks quite intimidating. I don't think I have anything quite bright and orange in my makeup collection and I doubt I ever would. But upon inspecting the entire compact you realize the other parts are very tame and barely bronzer-like. Since you're supposed to swipe and swirl your brush over the whole design you're not likely to turn  Snooki.

As you can see from the swatches (I also swatched each color separately, just to give you an idea), Chanel was really careful with these shades. They have a golden cast, a satin-like shimmer and are just a little punched up with the coral stripe. I use it in two ways- with a dense face/bronzer brush (Sephora bronzer brush or Edward Bess face brush) for a true but subtle bronzed look, or with the huge Louise Young fan brush for the just the lightest golden touch that's more appropriate on this rainy April week.

The texture and feel of Bronze Corail  Soleil Tan de Chanel is very fine and light. The simple stripes in the compact look far less elaborate and impressive than other summer bronzers we've seen lately (Estee Lauder Sea Star, Dior and that sunny Guerlain one), but the product itself is pretty and very effective, so I'm happy.

Chanel Bronze Corail 537 Soleil Tan de Chanel for Summer 2011 ($50) is available from most department stores and chanel.com.

All photos are mine.

Estee Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush Bronze Goddess Collection Summer 2011

As promised here's the star (sorry, cheesy pun) of Estee Lauder Goddess Collection for Summer 2011, Sea Star Bronzing Blush Bronze. So, is it a blush? a bronzer? It's both, I guess, depending on your natural color, taste and the look you're trying to achieve. As far as I'm concerned, the finish is too shimmery to be a daytime all-over bronzer, but talk to me on a sultry summer night and I might be wearing this Estee Lauder star with abandon.

The Sea Star Bronzing Blush is made of two parts- the bright salmon pink star (the fuchsia decoration is just an overspray, it's gone the first time you use it) and the lovely golden bronzer of the background. The star itself is raised and I'm not sure how deep it's embedded into the bronzer (i.e. how much of this color you actually get). You can use either one separately if you're into compact/brush engineering, but most of us would swirl our brush lightly over the design to collect both colors in a single application for a peachy bronzed shimmery look.

This Estee Lauder products is quite pigmented and I'm not sure how flattering it would look on the very fair. Karen of M&BB recommended using a fan brush if you're pale. I've played with a Yachio, a standard blush brush by Hakuhodo and a Guerlain duo-fiber, and so far the regular brush worked just fine, though I had to tone down the shimmer with a good finishing powder and a flat top brush. I'm just not a super shimmery person, at least not on a 30 F degree day in March. Still, I really like the finish of the Sea Star blush/bronzer. It's summery and the shimmer is very fine and looks luxurious.

The thing that doesn't look so high end is the plastic compact itself. I think Estee Lauder could have done a better job at choosing a packaging. It's not the plastic itself that I find objectionable- after all Guerlain Terracotta powder comes in a similar format. It's something about the color and opaqueness that reminds me some drugstore compacts of yore.

Bottom Line: June cannot be here soon enough.

Estee Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush ($34) Bronze Goddess Collection Summer 2011is available from your Lauder counters and esteelauder.com.

All photos are mine.

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Face Palette

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine - Healthy Glow For Face & Cheeks Crème Colour Palette is a limited edition Sephora exclusive item that was released for Fall 2010 and is still available. Focusing on glow and cheek color, Bonne Mine is not a typical fall item, but a healthy skin is timeless, after all, and who doesn't want to radiate?

The Bonne Mine palette is all about creams textures, so be prepared to deep your fingers in the pans. I always prefer to work with brushes, but Laura Mercier insists that this product is best applied without them. Once I got over myself and my germaphobia I had to agree with her. These creams respond best at skin temperature and are very easy to manipulate, apply and blend with my middle and ring fingers.

Here's what Laura Mercier has packed here:
1 and 2 (Glow Veil) are  basically highlighters, though 1 is quite pigmented and is more like an extra bronzer. I've played with it and used it as a cream eye shadow and on top of the regular bronzer.They have a shimmery almost metallic finish without any actual glitter sparkles.

3 and 4 (Cheek Veil) are cream blushes, with 3 being peachy and 4 a brick red. They can be worn separately, of course, but I find that mixing them together in various proportions works better for me and allows me to customize my blush for different looks. the colors are matte with medium+ pigment intensity that can be built up or sheered. Both are very pretty and are probably my favorite part of this palette.

5 (Bronze Veil) is a non-shimmery bronzer. It looks muddy in the swatch but lightly applied on the cheeks it's actually sheer and perfect for my coloring (NC 30-35ish) in the sense that it really gives me a tanned look. I've been avoiding the sun religiously in recent years, but I actually like the "just back from the Caribbeans" look, and I was happy to see how natural this bronzer looks. I haven't tried it as such, but the bronze veil might also be suitable for contouring on some skin tones.

Last but very important, the palette also holds three cards with step-by-step directions and illustrations on how to use the colors. It really is a fool-proof method and I've found the cards very helpful in getting me started.

My one complaint about the Bonne Mine palette is the staying power. You absolutely must anchor it in place with base and setting products, otherwise you'll find yourself with an almost naked face halfway through the day (and my skin is dry, so it's not an issue of oiliness).  It's a breeze to reapply, but if the whole point here is the "no makeup" look than I'd expect something more stable and weather-proof.

Who would enjoy this palette and who should avoid it? It's great for fans of cream products, especially those who are not too fair and enjoy at least a hint of a tan. Avoid if you're too oily, absolutely hate to use your fingers and can't do brown bronzers.

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Healthy Glow For Face & Cheeks Crème Colour Palette ($48) is exclusive to Sephora and available online and in stores.

All photos are mine.

Burberry Warm Glow Natural Bronzer 01

I actually bought the Warm Glow Natural Bronzer from Burberry in August, which makes sense considering one usually wants a bronzed look in summer. But I'm finding myself reaching for it even more often now that my complexion really needs some warming up. It might be a psychological thing or simply the change in light, hard to tell. Besides, Warm Glow #01 (this specific shade is also named Warm Glow. Obviously Burberry wants us bronzed and confused) doesn't make me look tan, it just gives a little color and life, especially when applied with a light hand and blended carefully.

It's hard to describe and define bronzer shades- they vary by their levels and ratio of brown-gold-orange. I find Warm Glow #01 to be the less orange on my skin* and most natural. It really doesn't look like makeup, which is probably why it's such a great choice for the season. It can be built up, though, for a more sun-kissed effect.

Burberry bronzers, like their other powder products, feel very luxurious and finely milled. They have a satiny finish that makes skin glow with no actual shimmer or any visible shiny particles. The texture is the silkiest imagined and a pleasure to apply. I've been using several bronzer and face brushes and it works with all of them- I can't say I have a specific favorite for this bronzer, but Edward Bess Face Brush is probably the best.

*I'm often asked about my exact skin tone. It's a pale olive with both green, yellow and pink undertones and no blue. I don't wear MAC makeup, but I've been told that I'm around NC30-35, but there was no exact match the last time I visited their counter, but that was years ago. I can wear several shades of Chanel foundations, as long as they're on the pale yellow beige side. In Nars terms the best match I found was Stromboli (though I don't own it, so my testing was limited), and in Cover FX numbers I'm M40 (Honey).

Burberry Warm Glow Natural Bronzer ($48) is a Nordstrom exclusive.

All photos are mine.