Essence Matt Bronzing Powder Review

Essence Matte Bronzing Powders come in two colours; Blonde (for lighter skin) and Brunette (for darker skin). I know I probably should have gone for blonde as I'm quite fair but after comparing the two I accidentally put the wrong one back on the shelf and only noticed my mistake after I'd got home.

So, I ended up with 02 "Sunny" in the Brunettes range for darker skin. I gave it a go and honestly, it looks absolutely fine on my fair skin, as long as its used with a light hand. If it's applied too heavily it can start to look a little muddy.

The bronzer comes in a very basic, large, transparent plastic compact with a flip top lid and a catch that closes with a satisfying "click". The clear plastic allows you to see the cute picture embossed on the top of the bronzer (which is still faintly visible, even after multiple uses). Some of the bronzers come with a palm tree imprint but the one I have is a silhouette of two "fun-loving" ladies.

The first time I opened and used it, I was quite surprised by the smell. Its not overpowering and does disappear after its applied, but the bronzer smells exactly like desiccated coconut! You know, the stuff that you use for baking. Yum!

Because I accidentally purchased the wrong shade, I tend to use it more for contouring and the matte formula blends easily.

I would recommend this product and would definitely consider purchasing another one when this one is finished, although I'd probably get one from the "Blonde" range next time.

I accidentally picked up the shade for darker skin as it was the only one left and honestly, it looks stunning on my pale skin. The one I have has a pretty palm tree imprint on it and ohmygoodness it smells like coconut. It's not an overpowering fragrance, it just smells really lovely. The packaging is pretty basic but I like the fact that it has a clear top so you can see the product inside. It's a huge bronzer and it will last forever. I did drop mine in the store and some of it came up, as I was trying to push it back down to be level with the rest of the pan it crumbled. So don't do that.

It is a perfectly matte, neutral bronzer leaning towards a warm tone. You could definitely use it for contouring if you desired but I think the warm tones don't make it suitable to do so. It's not crazy pigmented which is why I think it looks good on my fair skin despite being targeted for darker skin tones. I like it when a bronzer isn't too pigmented because it makes it so easy to build up. I like to use a big fluffy powder brush to dust this onto my face and neck and it blends out really nicely. Doesn't stick to any dry patches, applies smoothly and evenly. It doesn't last all day like a high end bronzer might but I think it's stil really wonderful quality. Overall I think it's a wonderful product for such a reasonable price.

I picked this baby up from Farmers in Auckland when I first discovered Essence. I was on the market for a new bronzer. I purchased this for $7.90. I wasn't sure if it was going to be any good because this was a brand I have never heard of and due to the fact of how in expensive it is.

I love this bronzer. Its so easy to apply and its the perfect shade for me as a brunette. It is so easy to blend. Very impressed with the quality of the product for the small price. The scent is to die for! Heavenly vanilla. I have been using this bronzer every day and will continue to re purchase it.

This gem is an amazing bargain. For a small price you get a decent sized bronzer with top quality. Its everything you could want in a bronzer and more!

I absolutely adore essence and this bronzer is no exception! I'm quite fair and bought brunette shade and it blends so well with my skin. I use as a blush, all over bronzer and even as a bronze eyelid shade. For the teeny $7 something at farmers its one if my beauty staple for sure.

Part of the reason I don't use this so much is because I got a darker shade (it was all they had) when I should have probably got the lighter shade.

It's easy to blend and has decent pigment but I find it too organey. I like my bronzers to be more cool toned so I can contour with them if I want and don't need a separate product.

I simply love this bronzer! It is very worth it. It is quite pigmented and easy to blend. I use it as a bronzer and sometimes even to contour. I also love that it is scented! The smell is really pretty.

A friend of mine recommended this product to me, id never heard of the brand, but went in with her and had a look. I normally steer away from bronzer as i have really fair skin and i often look orangey when wearing bronzer, not this one tho, i bought the lighter colour and it looks amazing, goes on smoothly and makes my skin look great with a healthy glow. The price is amazing, as it is on all the Essence products i ended up buying four products that day for the price i would normally pay for one with my previous brand. Im a total Essence convert and i recommend it to all my friends too.

this bronzer is pretty good for the price. you get an enormous amount of product. the texture of the powder is almost creamy as it is so finely milled. the colour is a tad orangey in the pan but actually really nice once on the skin. overall a great bronzer for a great price.

I was really really impressed with this product! I use is in place of a pressed powder. It provides lovely matte cover which does not get dewy throughout the day. I find the shade for lighter skin gives me a nice wee glow without being too bronzed, which is good because i'm quite pale. I cannot get over how lovely this product is especially for its very very cheap price. It has a beautiful coconut scent in the packaging which does not transfer to your face, and a lovely smooth texture going onto the skin. It is a relatively large compact but you get a lot of product in the packaging. I went to re-purchase today but they were sold out!

This is one of my favourite summer bronzers ever, it's a nice warm shade without being too orange, it's light enough for people with fair skin but it's pigmented enough to show up on darker skin tones. It's super blendable and it has the most amazing scent. It smells like the beach, like coconut and pineapple and sunblock and I love it. The pan is huge which means it's going to last ages and you can also use it as an all over body bronzer. The only downsides are the packaging being quite cheap, but that's minor and something I can look past. And also the fact that it's quite powdery, but again, it's something I can look past