Oh my goodness, it doesn’t end, does it!?  Let me tell you, swatching all these blush took half a day to do; I can’t even imagine attempting something like this if you had a bigger collection than I (and I know some of you do!).  If I hadn’t been off for a couple days before we left, this would never have gotten done.  But, it’s been great swatching and categorizing some of my blush, as it allows me to see just where I can fit one more in LOL!  And, more importantly I hope it helps you out too!  I feel that you can never have TOO many swatches of a product

Today we’re going to look at something very fitting: orange blushes and bronzers, perfect shades for a tropical vacation   The bronzer swatches were reworked several times, because some of these products could be considered illuminators too, making it tricky to decide where they should go.  Again, I made a judgement call and I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out!  We’ll begin with the orange shade first however, as the collection is VERY small:

Left to right: Make Up For Ever #10, NARS Taj Mahal

Yep, that’s pretty much it!!  And it’s not even because I fear orange – in fact, I think it’s gorgeous and I stare at other orange blush longingly (I was sorely tempted by MAC’s new Modern Mandarin from Tres Cheek!).  However, it’s tricky to get a true ‘orange’ – usually they lean peach or coral one way or another, and it’s there that I start feeling like I might have a shade similar in tone.  Of course, orange blush isn’t for everyone, and those mid-way shades are often more wearable, but with my darker skintone I like to be a bit more daring.  Seems I need to get on that then, don’t I?

Anyway, Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream #10 is a ‘golden tangerine sheen’ which seems  a bit misleading, like it might be sheer – if you recall my review on this, it is NOT.  It’s a tough shade to wear, but I think with a little work it can be absolutely beautiful!  (Note that it can also be worn on lips, but isn’t recommended for eyes)  NARS Taj Mahal, described as a ‘blazing burnt orange with gold shimmer’ (wowza!), is pretty much THE orange blush if you’ve ever thought about indulging yourself.  Let’s look at some swatches:

All swatches taken with flash.  Left to right: Make Up For Ever #10, NARS Taj Mahal

As you can see, neither of these are for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking to be a little bit daring, here are two options to allow you to have some fun!  While both of these do require a light hand, as they’re orange and shimmery – c’mon! – the orange tone lends itself a great, warm glow to the skin that’s simply stunning come Summertime.  I’m definitely wearing Taj Mahal while I’m away!!  Speaking of which, here’s what it looks like actually worn (pre-tan):

Artificial lightingSunlight

Not so scary, right? LIGHT HAND people, and make sure to buff it into the skin well!

Now, onwards to the bronzers!!  Half of these will not be getting much play while I’m away, as I’ll be too tanned for them to show up at all.  I still sometimes shake my head at owning any, but they do add a nice warm glow during my more sallow months I guess!

Clockwise from top left: MAC Refined Golden, Milani Sunset Beach, NARS Laguna Multiple, NYC All-Over Bronze Glow, NARS Laguna Illuminator

I recently swapped for the MAC Refined Golden (in Style Warrior packaging), and while it gives me a really believable bronzed look (not too orange or brown), it’s almost too subtle.  It’s going to be essentially useless until next Winter, so I might swap it away.  Milani’s Sunset Duo in Sunset Beach is one of the cheapest products I own (I don’t own many!) and yet it looks absolutely amazing on, just really natural – and the bronzed shade alone is great for a contour as well.  NYC’s Mosaic Face Powder in All-Over Bronze Glow is another cheapo product, but not as deserving of praise; it transfers to clothing etc. easily (if I use blotting powders, its everywhere) and it’s REALLY dark, even for me – I’m taking it to Jamaica in hopes that once I’m tanned it’ll actually look good.  The NARS Multiples have a great consistency to them, not greasy at all and easy to use, but I don’t find they wear well – this bronze-y shade is no exception.  Lastly, the Laguna Illuminator I raved about last year:  I still love it, in indoor lighting – its just that the big chunks of glitter in it are deterring for wearing it outdoors.  I’m going to pull this out for our evenings while away

Above, with flash.  Left to right: NARS Laguna Multiple, NARS Laguna Illluminator, NYC All-Over Bronze Glow, MAC Refined Golden, Milani Sunset BeachAbove, natural light.  Left to right: NARS Laguna Multiple, NARS Laguna Illluminator, NYC All-Over Bronze Glow, MAC Refined Golden, Milani Sunset Beach

The NARS Laguna Multiple is really more of an illuminator itself on me rather than a bronzer, but it’s got brownish tones – hence why I categorized it this way   In the flash photos, you can see the glitter in the Laguna Illuminator – a shame, because otherwise the shade is a great match for me.  You can’t tell how dark the NYC bronzer is here, and in fact the brown shade isn’t terrible, it’s just that it’s just so pigmented it goes on far too heavily.  Alternatively, for the MAC swatch, I had to go over and over again with product to get it to show up as much as it did – it seems pretty goof-proof, so might be a good option if your fair and in the market for a bronzer.  The swatch of Sunset Beach is only of the bronzer part and not including the blush; when you swirl the two together, you get the nicest plum-brown shade that is insanely flattering on my skintone.  Here’s a few face shots for proof:

(PS: I have a Revlon lippie on here, in Berry Haute – thoughts??? Too cool??)

BAM!  Another part of my collection, down!  Are you getting bored/tired yet??  There’s only one more left to go!!  And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part I and II!

And now I’d like your honest opinion – do you think I should bother with bronzers at all, or is it kind of silly?  Do you wear bronzer year-round or just certain times of the month?