It was a fair few months ago that I purchased Beauty UK's Matte Bronzer in No.2 Dark, I wasn't particularly looking for a new bronzer but saw it sitting there for £3.99 and so thought I'd give it a whirl. I hadn't seen any reviews on this product, in fact I was completely unaware that it even existed yet a random, spur of the moment purchase has now become an essential part of my makeup routine.
There are two shades available of this matte bronzer, No.1 Medium and No.2 Dark, of which I own the darkest option. Normally I would choose the lightest shade available but upon swatching 'Dark' I found it looked like a great contour colour compared to the Medium. The online description says it's 'a soft bronze powder that naturally illuminates the skin for a natural looking glow' and it also claims to 'eliminate unwanted shine and provide a smooth satin finish for a healthy bronzed look'. Honestly, by reading that description I probably wouldn't look twice at the product as it seems to be marketed as a bronzer for oilier skins while I presumed it being matte as referring to the finish of the product.
The pigment and colour pay off you get from this bronzer is really amazing especially when you consider how affordable it is; to contour one side of my face (cheeks, temple, jaw) I need only a small amount of product on my ELF Tapered Brush and even then still need to tap off the excess beforehand so it doesn’t look overdone. I love the versatility of this product as I can use less for a daytime look to just give some shape to my face or more for nights out to make my cheekbones look a bit more defined and to balance out my face when I’m wearing eye shadow too.
I know a lot of people favour more grey-toned shades to contour with now as opposed to browns as it’s supposed to look more natural and create more of a realistic shadow effect but, for me personally, this deep shade of brown works well with my skin tone and gives the look I want when doing my makeup. When I contour I don’t mind if people know that I’m trying to do so as you only need to look at my filled in eyebrows and lipstick that never leaves my lips to know that I quite clearly wear makeup so people knowing that my cheekbones aren’t really that defined doesn’t bother me haha.
The product is a little powdery in that when you put your brush into it there is some product that’s lifted and sits on top but I just shake the compact to get rid of it...and this ladies and gentlemen is one of many reasons why my mum strongly suggested I have laminate in my new room and not carpet. The powderiness is worth noting if you prefer a bronzer that is more finely milled and creates less mess as it may be easier for you and avoid wasted money.
This is hands down my favourite product I've found to contour with, I was using Sleek's Contour Kit beforehand but, truthfully, always found it a little difficult to work with as I felt it blended out far too easily and left my contour a little patchy. In comparison now as well, looking back, I feel Sleeks' offering looks a little orange on my skin, I love how I realise now after using it for months on end #regret. I was going to repurchase the Contour Kit before finding this product as I've hit pan (uh love it) on the bronzer but was reluctant as the highlighter is still very much going strong so am glad I now don't need to.
From left to right: Beauty UK's Matte Bronzer in No.2 Dark, Sleek's Contour Kit in Light
I can contour so quickly and easily since using this product as it's so fuss-free and I've learnt how much I need, where to position it and how to blend it. Have you tried this bronzer at all in either the Dark or Medium shade? What's your favourite product to contour with?
