TRIED AND TESTED: Bronzers and cheek colours

Whether it’s to add a summery glow or to contour the cheekbones, Rachel Marie Walsh checks out some of the best-selling bronzers and cheek colours, from shimmery sticks to powders and creams, on the market

Tom Ford Bronzing Powder in Terra, €82

This luxurious bronzer is a silky blend of sunstone, amber, and black tourmaline crystals combined with colour pigments. The powder may be dusted all over the face to make a fair complexion radiant or highlight a tan. This was my favourite bronzer for contouring. With the appropriate brush it shapes seriously haute cheekbones. HHHHH

Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzing Powder, €62

This is the bronzing palette for all seasons, quartered into graduated shades of bronze that let you blend the colour to your changing skin tone. Combine all four with a large brush and they serve beautifully as matte face powder. The palettes are tailored by hair colour and range from Natural Blondes to Ebony. The compact is chic and weighty. HHHHH

Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Palette, €38

This scallop-shell sized compact looks swiped from Elizabeth Taylor’s dressing table. The lid features an Aztec-inspired print that extends to the powder: a blend of soft brown and terracotta with a golden centre. This has a luminous, smoothing finish. This palette looks best with a tan, as it is tough to blend for fair complexions. HHHHI

Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Bronzer, €29

Smashbox promises this bronzer will turn back the clock while making you glow. The formula contains 48 minerals, gold, and an anti-aging peptide. This did make my skin look radiant and refreshed from the first application. The dispatch method was a little messy: fresh powder must be ground out by twisting the container. HHHHH

NARS The Multiple in Orgasm, €41

The name is risqué; the colour is classic. NARS’s best-selling blush looks even prettier as a cheek cream. Orgasm is a deep rose-pink flecked with gold. The finish is velvety and long-lasting. The formula is enriched with Vitamin E and acai oil. “The Multiple” alludes to its many uses: eye colour, lip tint, as well as classic cream-blush. HHHHI

Tom Ford Illuminating Cheek Colour in Blush Guilt, €58

This blush was inspired by sunlight at the end of a summer day and captures that dusky, radiant pink perfectly. The finish is very sheer but easy to blend and build. This is beautiful pink for fair skin, as it doesn’t create a flush that highlights red undertones. HHHHH

Clinique Blushwear Cream Stick in Peachy Blush, €28.50

This is a very creamy formula that’s best for dry skin. The finish is sheer and the colour gives you a healthy, natural glow. Draw lightly, apply sparingly, and blend well after each application, as it can take a while to stop looking streaky. HHHHI

Revlon Baby Stick for Lips and Cheeks in Tahiti, €9.65

This cute little stick is part of Revlon’s Pacific Coast Collection, which global artistic director Gucci Westman used for catwalk looks at New York Fashion Week. The orange pigment is very bold and fun. The texture is richly buttery and felt nicer on my lips than my face. HHHHI

Laura Mercier Eye Caviar Stick in Seashell, €30

This silky, shimmery gold cream stayed put all day. The formula is lightweight and layers easily from subtle to striking. The “melting” texture makes the darker shades of this product great for Kate Moss-style smoky eyes. HHHHH

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Stick in Vanilla, €30

Winner of this year’s Irish Tatler beauty award, this cream promises to last eight hours and doesn’t disappoint. This colour is closer to caramel than vanilla and the cream’s finish is just as smooth. The stick’s tip is blunt and doesn’t tug the skin, making it as fun to play with as a pastel in art class. HHHHH

Topshop Eye Crayon in Kingfisher, €8

This chunky pencil has a creamy, metallic blue nib. The colour looks pretty washed over the lid and drawn under the lower lash-line. This is an inexpensive way to sample summer’s “colour-pop” makeup trend. It isn’t long-lasting and had shed some sparkle onto my cheeks by mid-afternoon. HHHHI

Clinique Chubby Shadow Stick Tint for Eyes in Lots O’ Latte, €19

This was the creamiest stick I tried and the quickest to blend. The sheer, vitamin E-enriched formula lasted all day without smudging. The nib doesn’t tug the lid but is too thick to apply as a liner, so use the side of a concealer brush if clutch space is scarce. HHHHH