Last year, H&M launched its brand new beauty line. They took out all the old stuff and replaced it with an entirely new make up line. From foundations to nail polish and from eye shadow to bronzer: the H&M beauty line is choc full of affordable make up and other beauty related items that do not break the bank. I finally caved when I visited an H&M in Amsterdam a few weeks ago and picked up a few bits to try. We are starting off this round of H&M beauty reviews with the H&M Solar Flair Bronzing Powder in Sheer Tan.

H&M Solar Flair Bronzing Powder Sheer Tan

When I saw affordable make up, I mean affordable make up. Each item I bought was €9.99 or less. The bronzer we are talking about today retails for €7.99. I don’t know about you, but that makes for a pretty sweet deal if this is a great product. And since bronzers that are matte and suitable for fair skin are even harder to find, let alone at an affordable price, this would mean that H&M might have hit the jackpot.

The first thing you will notice about any of the H&M beauty products is the packaging. I posted a picture on my Instagram when I first got these and most people thought this was seriously high end make up. You can find that picture here. It will also give a bit of a peek of what’s yet to come review wise. As per usual, I will roll these out slowly but surely, but if there is anything you see that you want to see a review of, then let me know and I will bump it up the schedule.

Now the packaging may look very luxurious, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. The compact looks chic because of its gold and black packaging, but the material is very cheap. The material is very plasticy and light weight. However, you do get 8 grams of product in this compact and there is a decent sized mirror hidden in the lid as well. So packaging wise this has its pros and cons.

On the back of the packaging you will find a list of ingredients. Always handy for those people with sensitive skin. The best part about this product? The fact that it is a matte bronzer. Not only that, it also comes in some pretty light and dark shades. So the shade selection seems to cater to more than just one skin tone. I picked up the lightest shade, which is Sheer Tan.

As you can see H&M Solar Flair Bronzing Powder in Sheer Tan is a beautifully pale bronzer. In the pan this looks lighter than my Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer, but in reality, when I swatch them side by side, this has an undertone that makes this far more noticeable. It is definitely lighter though than my NARS Laguna bronzer: this is a perfect in between shade that will suit me year round.

Swatched you will instantly notice how buttery smooth this product is when it comes to texture. This is so finely milled that it feels almost like a cream. This bronzer is however a straight up powder product. Pigmentation is decent. Note how this product claims to be sheer coverage and is supposed to give you a sun-kissed glow. On the bottom right picture you can see what happens when you blend this out: it leaves a sheer wash of colors on the skin, while being very buildable at the same time.

I think you can always see the effect a product gives a lot more clearly in a face swatch, so here is the H&M Beauty Bronzer applied to my cheeks. I lightly applied it all over my face, and also used it for a bit of a light contour. The bronzer has a warm undertone, which does not make this the best product for contouring. However, because this is so sheer and easy to blend, I feel I can get away with it.

Full face, with the rest of my make up done, you can see this bronzer gives off a very natural effect. It gives my skin just that little bit of extra color it needs and because it is matte it is versatile and can be worked into many different make up looks and situations. The result is a true sun-kissed glowy look that these days seems to be a look many people strive for. I personally love this product and will definitely continue to use this. If you are in the market for a new bronzer, then check out the now-not-so-new-anymore H&M beauty line as this bronzer is a stunner if you have pale skin.

What H&M Beauty product would you like me to review next?

P.S. Yes, I got my hair cut!