15Apr 2012

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer & Bronzer Chit Chat

By 12 Beauty, LUXURY/HIGH END, MAKEUP , , , , Permalink 0

There are at least 5 bronzing powders that I use interchangeably depending on the look I’m going for, or depending on the season. Among my all time favorites are:

  • Hoola by Benefit
  • Bronzer Pro by mark (a division of Avon)
  • Refined Golden by MAC (the only shimmer one of those listed)
  • Sunny by NYC (only $2.99!)
  • Chocolate Soleil by Too Faced

Bronzers can add a sun-kissed golden glow to your face without actually exposing the skin to harmful UV rays. They can conceal blemishes, spider veins, and help with hyper pigmentation. If applied correctly, they can be used for contouring and can produce the illusion of a more toned and tanned appearance. 

It is important to apply bronzer evenly, using a light hand to avoid a blotchy application. This is especially true when using the darker varieties out there. Using a bronzing brush, a kabuki or even a dense powder brush can help with achieving an even application. It is also critical that you choose a shade that isn’t TOO dark for your complexion.  Bronzers work wonders with concealing blemishes but unfortunately they tend to highlight wrinkles, so I’m very careful not to over-apply bronzer to those areas.

For those of you wondering, I am a MAC NC25 for the majority of the year, but do use NC30 in the summer months as required. While I am not exactly fair-skined, I am also not as olive-toned as I used to be before my children were born. For this post, I wanted to showcase my top bronzer pick because I don’t think it gets nearly enough attention in the beauty community. Everyone always talks about “their holy grail” bronzer…..NARS Laguna or Benefit’s Hoola, but I seldom hear any chatter about Too Faced’s secret gem…..

What I especially love about Chocolate Soleil is that it does not apply orange, yellow or shimmery. It provides a basic neutral tanned effect without looking unnatural. The MATTE color in the pan is slightly darker then what actually shows up on the skin, but can be built up to your desired pigmentation. It also smells divine!! Like actual chocolate cocoa!
I sometimes apply this in the hollow of the cheeks and under the chin for a contouring effect but I prefer to use it daily as a finishing powder that gives me a gorgeous deep bronzed look that lasts all day.
“Original” Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer by Too Faced Cosmetics
Packaging: comes in a mirrored compact
Product weight 10g
Swatch of Chocolate Soleil….looks a bit muddy here but keep in mind that it has not been blended out with a brush. To the right of the swatch I applied a shimmery MAC MSF so that you can see the difference
Some of you will be surprised by what I’m about to say, because I always manage to find at least one fundamental flaw with any product review, but I sincerely can’t think of a single negative about this product, aside from its price!
 
Next time you are at Sephora, will you be stopping by the Too Faced counter to check it out?
Already own it? What are your thoughts?
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