Hello, dear review readers!
Finding a suitable bronzer can be challenging. Either it is too light or too dark, with an orange undertone or is too cold... In my collection I have some products that I do not want to use now, because they do not provide the desired result.
Once, I received this very mini-bronzer in a beauty box.
The special thing about the bronzer is, as the brand says: the anti-orange effect. This means that the bronzer has no orange undertone that many gals do their best to avoid it.
You’ve probably heard about the bestseller of The Balm - Bahama Mama Bronzer, which is made in one, and in a universal color. Unlike it, the Take Home The Bronze is available in 3 shades:
Oliver (light)
Thomas (Medium)
Greg (dark)
Of the three brothers, I own the fairest -Oliver.
As I've heard, the Balm likes to give their products human names: Mary Lou, Cindy Lou, Betty, Bonnie, and now Oliver, Thomas, and Greg.
My sample weighs 1.5 g. The full-size contains 7.08 g.
Price: 17,50 USD
The ingredients:
MICA, ISOEICOSANE, SILICA, POLYISOBUTENE, ZINC STEARATE, POLYETHYLENE, SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE, DIMETHICONE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE (CI 77163), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).
Since there is no talc, the texture of the bronze is soft and silky.
At first glance, I found the hue funny ... and was thankful that it has the anti-orange effect. But in the packaging I clearly see red ...
And besides, I never would have said that this hue was light...
So I was disappointed with the mere sight.
And besides, the bronzer is dusty, which would not be bad if it were not so expensive, that's a big drawback, and I’m gonna be strict.
But when I swatched the bronzer on my hand, I was pleasantly surprised: the color is not what it is in the refill:
This is a very pleasant brown tone without any undertone. I mean it’s not warm or cold, it’s somewhat medium, and my fears of the reddish undertone were in vain.
Where to apply?
For a very long time I could not understand the difference between bronzing and sculpting, because the products are applied to the same areas. As I understand it, a sculpting product should be applied under the cheekbones and a bronzer should be applied over it. Practically, I found that pretty hard to do because I have no big cheeks to paint with sculpting powders, bronzers, highlighters and blushes.
Of course I tried to apply all the products according to all the rules of the art. But when blended out, the bronzer was suddenly everywhere. 
What I like about the bronzer is that the natural look it gives, as though I’m naturally tanned.
I also like how soft it is on the skin and can easily be blended. There are no problems at all: just a few strokes with a brush and the cheekbones are nicely highlighted.
DURABILITY
Evaluating this point is difficult, because durability depends on many factors. But if we assume the bronzer is applied over a foundation and set with a setting powder, it will hold well. Even if it’s not, it doesn’t come off in patches, it only gets a little paler with time.
CONSUMPTION
I used Take Home The Bronze for almost a month, every day. And in that time not even 0.5 g were consumed. Therefore, I can say that the consumption is very low and the sample will last long. And I think it's great because the bronzer is pretty pricey.
Well, I can totally say that my acquaintance with Oliver went well, even though the color seemed a bit strange to me at first sight. But it does look decent in the end.
You can even blend the bronzer almost to the sheerness or you can layer it, so that the cheekbones are more pronounced.
The bronzer really has no orange undertone.
And you should not underestimate that the bronzer is not spotty.
Advantages:
- beautiful shade;
- silky texture;
- very good application and blending;
- pretty good lasting power
- low consumption;
- 3 shades to choose from.
Disadvantages:
- the price, but that's why I won’t take off a star because of a such a subjective matter.
- a little bit crumbly.
I have not discovered any global disadvantages that could have disappointed me.
Check this out if you’re looking for a decent bronzer.
