NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer

It's rare for me to rush out and buy a new release because over the past 11 or so years of doing this I've had to learn some discipline. If I could I could quite happily spend hundreds of pounds on products within the next five minutes and still feel like I hadn't scratched the surface on my wish-list. I could bankrupt us on make-up and beauty.

But after reading a couple of good reviews for the new NARS Sun Washed Diffusing Bronzers and I wanted one. A bit weird as NARS is not one of my go-to brands (not deliberately I just feel like I'm so behind there I don't even know where to start ... I have a long wishlist) and I just don't really have a lot of bronzers for myself.

Then I realised that this, of course is exactly the reason. It is a genuinely legitimate purchase. I don't have a lot of bronzers, it's incredibly hard to find one that looks nice on me and not a bit over the top. I love the Luminous Bronze Light from the Ambient Light Edit palette but use it sparingly or look a fright. A good, wearable bronzer for those of use with pale skin who don't want to look super shiny is hard to find. And I think this is it.
Don't get me wrong - I was underwhelmed by this both in the shop and when it first arrived. Having gone to make The Purchase in Space NK I couldn't really notice that much difference when it was applied (maybe because I wasn't doing it myself so wasn't looking in the mirror at the time) and then they didn't have it in stock anyway. But I persevered and bought it online and it arrived and I thought that maybe I should have gone for a shade darker. But the whole point was that I didn't want it to look like a bronzer and too dark looks odd with my freckles.

Before and after

However, the more I use it the more I really like it. If you are a fan of the finish from the Ambient lighting powders from Hourglass this is very similar. It's not overly shiny or too much like a highlight but gives a subtle healthy glow that works whether you are wearing foundation or using this straight on the skin. The colour I've been using, Seaside, is great for paler skins and I can assume the same thought has gone into the other three colours (one of which is a take on their famous Laguna). I'd say that if you are remotely any shade darker than me then Seaside is going to be too pale for you.

Not being a bronzer devotee £29 seems like a lot for me to spend. But then I don't really spend a lot of money on bronzers so this is my budget for the year - it's the only one I need and I'd actually like to get all four for my kit as they photograph beautifully. You get a good amount of product and as always the NARS packaging is simple but not cheap. Do I wish it was cheaper? Yes of course but it's not unreasonable considering just how much you can spend on make-up nowadays (*mum eye roll*)

Interestingly, and sadly, whilst I've been writing this NARS, one of the big brands who have always been cruelty-free have now announced that they will be selling in China when it is a legal requirement for make-up to tested on animals. Which is sad and has gone down very badly with fans of the brand. I sadly don't imagine it will do much damage to their sales, I wish it would because animal testing needs to stop, but if that is something that matters to you then TAKE NOTE!

You can see me use this in my 5 minutes heatwave makeup


What You Need to Know - NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer

• £29/US$40
• 8g
• 4 shades available
• Available from Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, Space NK

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