Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soliel Bronzer

I wasn't really a massive fan of bronzer. When I applied it, once or twice, I would have massive streaks of orange on my skin, and it would just ruin my makeup, so I decided to steer clear of them. Matte, Shimmery... basically all of them. I was quite content with my pale skin and rosy pink blush - or maybe I felt exciting, a coral blush. Bronzer wasn't something that even crossed my mind for a long time, until I went on holiday, caught a bit of a tan, and bought as Estée Lauder bronzer in the Duty Free on the way back from Turkey. Let me tell you, it changed me. A sweep of it made me look healthier, more awake and just generally more alive - less corpse/ghost like. I was hooked. Then came the matte offering from The Body Shop, then some other drugstore favourites... and then, after a great deal of research... Too Faced's Milk Chocolate Soliel Bronzer. A matte bronzer suitable for even the palest skin tones... it was  game changer. Buttery soft and completely blend-able (because hey, even I can put too much on sometimes), this golden encased bronzer is an everyday product that sits quite joyfully in my makeup bag, waiting to be used: waiting to brighten up my look and make me look as if I'm not in the middle of Winter, but maybe if I'd had a little weekend away somewhere warm, where I've sipped cocktails and relaxed lazily on a sun lounger, whilst the sun beamed down upon me. Wouldn't that be lovely? Doesn't it paint such a fabulous picture? 

Sadly, I've not been on any mini holidays. The only cocktails I'm having are those to make cough syrup taste less horrid, or one of those lemon, honey and hot water concoctions to help relieve me of a cold. It hasn't been pretty, let me tell you. But bronzer lets me dream of happier and warmer times. Mostly warmer, as it's so so cold right here in the UK. Pretty sure that there's snow here somewhere. But still, that's no excuse to put the bronzer away. I'm definitely not putting away this Too Faced number, as Milk Chocolate Soliel is here to stay, and it's staying on my face. 

It may look dark, but trust me, it's not at all. Pale skin and bronzer is usually a massive no-no, but a light bronzer and a big fluffy brush are two items that you need to have. Start light, with sweeping motions as it can be layered on for a more chiseled, warm look... trust me, start light and then add more. It's harder to take off than it is to put on. I usually start on the contours of my cheeks, before dusting some on the natural high points of my face, where the sun would hit, and where I would tan the most. Think down the nose, brow bone, forehead, chin and cheeks, but that doesn't mean to leave you neck a completely different colour to your face! Do not be afraid to blend down the neck and even onto the collarbone and chest! A soft blendable formula is your friend, so trust me, you don't want a golden flushed face, and a ridiculously pale neck... it's just not going to look good at all. 

This glorious bronzer comes in two shades, Milk Chocolate, Chocolate and Dark Chocolate are are matte and cost £25. Milk Chocolate is obviously the choice for paler skin tones, whilst Chocolate is for the more mid tone shades, whilst Dark Chocolate is a gorgeous, deep shade for darker skin tones. I've not seen Dark Chocolate in my usual Debenhams, but I'm sure that in bigger store, where the Too Faced selection is bigger, there is a better opportunity to swatch and discover the right shade for your skin tone. You can find Too Faced's Milk Chocolate Soliel Bronzer here on Debenhams.