BD Trade Secrets Dream Shimmer Highlighter

RRP: £7.99

--What does the promo say?--
"Add effortless shine to cheekbones, eyes and body with this stunning textured shimmer compact.  Delicately swirl across the skin to help enhance your features with a radiant sun kissed shimmer."

--Packaging--
The shimmer brick comes in a shiny gold-effect compact made of plastic, which closes securely using a click mechanism. Equally, the mirror is of a generous size.

--Application--
Sweep over face for a naturally sunkissed effect. Focus more on the cheeks for use as a blusher. Warning: a little goes a long way, so start sparingly and layer up!

--Appearance--
The brown shades dominate over the pink and white, but equally you can choose to dip your brush more in the pink shades depending on the effect you want. This is also why you should apply this sparingly if like me you are very pale and don't want to look like you've been Tangoed. Done correctly, however, the effect can be very natural-looking.

--Scent--
Nothing discernible.

--Texture and consistency--
Smooth and easy to blend.

--Longevity--
Perhaps needs touching up once during the day, but that's all. Generally lasts well.

--Value for money--
While the casing feels a bit cheap, and I personally would maybe prefer pinker tones to dominate, it's a decent bronzer/shimmer brick that stands up well to its main competitors this summer. Available now at Tesco!

Glo Minerals Bronze

 RRP: £31.50
# of shades available: 2 
available from:  www.glo-minerals.com

--What does the promo say?--
"glo-minerals Bronze provides a golden colour for an even and buildable sun-kissed look.  Dust on lightly to add colour or to contour the face and body. Developed utilizing natural, high-pigment minerals to deliver a range of flattering, fashionable colors that looks good on all skin types. Also formulated with an exclusive blend antioxidants including Vitamins A, C, E and Green Tea Extract to provide nutrients that are vital to maintaining skin’s healthy radiance."

--Packaging--
Sleek, practical, and generously-sized, this provides nearly everything a girl could want this summer. Some might prefer a portable sponge or brush in a compartment below, but this is purely incidental.

--Application--
Sweep over face and neck in place of face powder, or use just on cheeks to replace blusher. Easy to build up gradually according to your skin tone and the look that you want.

--Appearance--
The monotone version of the bronzer (named Sunlight), which I was sent by Glo Minerals' PR, does just what it says on the tin: provides a natural, sunkissed-looking glow to even the palest of girls.

--Texture and consistency--
Light, powdery, and apparently non-comedogenic. As mentioned before, easily buildable.

--Effects on the skin--
Over time, the antioxidant effects would have anti-ageing results. Vitamin A has benefits for blemish-prone skin, and vitamin E's moisturising qualities are well-documented.

--Value for money--
While I perhaps wasn't expecting this to cost £31.50, there's no denying that this is a flattering product that will deliver on radiance and quality. Would recommend.

perfect partners
Pressed Base, £31.50
Blush, £14
Dust 24K, £30.50
Protective Liquid Foundation Matte II, £30.50  

Body Shop Brilliance Powder

RRP: £14.00/4.5g (or €23, or USD$18.50)
No. of shades: 4 - lustrous rose, shimmer bronze, matte bronze and shimmer gold

--What does the promo say?--
"Just push the button and the Brilliance Powder is in the brush. A lightweight sparkle powder with shimmering pearls that provides a natural-looking sun-kissed finish for the face and body. Available in a shimmer or matte finish. Dermatologically tested. Contains marula oil (a very effective moisturiser that also helps to condition the skin over time. Also provides essential fatty acids that help to repair the skin's moisture barrier, thus helping to restore moisture, smoothness and suppleness.), vitamin E (an antioxidant that helps to soften, condition and protect the skin), and light diffusing particles (instantly brighten the skin and help reduce the appearance of lines)."

--Packaging--
The packaging looks just like a blusher brush, the handle of which is mostly transparent so that you can see the powder inside. The brush is quite cheap and very synthetic-looking (I don't mind it being synthetic but this really does look plasticated), and is a sort of reddish-brown colour. The button is a sort of gold colour, as is most of the non-transparent packaging, and the Body Shop logo etc is written in small writing on the transparent bit. It's quite a sophisticated looking thing and is a nice size too. It also comes with a lid to put over the brush's bristles when you're done, which is nice in theory, but once you've used the brush on your face, even for the first time and even if you're careful, the bristles fan out and it's a challenge to stuff them back into the lid.

--Application--
Sounds so simple in the promo, doesn't it? "Just push the button." I wish. I stood there for 10 minutes pushing the silly little button until my thumb hurt with the appearance of no powder whatsoever when suddenly - whoosh! A load of powder deposits itself onto my hand as if to say "There." Luckily I was able to brush most of this onto my skin, but dearie me, it is a silly way of getting there. Happily this only happened the first time - once it got going it was very easy to use.

--Appearance--
Through the tube the powder looks lovely and iridescent without being over the top, and on the face there's no disappointment either. The glitter is not as subtle as some products I've used, but the product is versatile - you can layer the powder so that it's suitable for everyday wear or for a night out.

--Texture--
Very light. When the powder was on, you couldn't even tell it was there. No heaviness or caked-on feelings with this.

--Longevity--
Excellent - I wore this for a dinner out. We left at 8 and when we came back at midnight it hadn't budged.

--Does it do what it says it will?--
On the whole, yes, though saying it will reduce the appearance of lines seems to be going a bit far.

--Value for money--
You need so little of this powder that you'll get a lot of mileage out of one brush. However, looking at the prices, our American friends are undoubtedly better off, with the Europeans faring worst in terms of price (God damn, I knew I should have waited until I got home to buy this).

--Other comments--
The versatility of this product is amazing. Buy the white one (shimmer gold) and it's a highlighter. Buy the pink one (lustrous rose) and it's a blusher. Buy either of the bronze ones and it's a bronzer! Genius!

perfect partners
Body Shop Shimmer Cubes Eye Shadow, $17.50/£14.00/€22 for 4 colours
Body Shop Bronzing Powder, $14.00/£11.50/€16 for 11.5g