A brand I had been meaning to try for a while was Milk Makeup. I was intrigued from the moment it launched, but since it was hard for me to get, I hadn’t really had a chance to delve into the products too much. Rewind to 2019, when I visited New York and picked up the Hydro Grip primer and loved it. By now, Milk Makeup is available in Europe and that’s why I decided to place an order to try some stuff. The first review is for the Matte Bronzer in Baked.
Review: Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer Stick in Baked
Let’s talk about the availability first: I first found the brand on Cult Beauty, but found they wouldn’t ship these products anywhere outside the UK. So earlier this year, I found out that French Sephora also sells the brand and they do ship to my country. That is why I placed an order for a few Milk Makeup products and this bronzer was one of them. At the time, the mini was not yet available, but it is now. Therefore it is good to know that this product comes in the full sized version which retails for €26 and a mini which retails for €13. The full size is a better deal in the end as it comes with 30 ml of product: the mini only comes with 6.
What does this product have to offer?
The Milk Makeup bronzer in Baked was one that I had heard so many people rave about. However, I just couldn’t be sure if it was for me. Cream bronzer and myself, we haven’t always been the best of brands and so I just was a bit uncertain whether this would get the use once I would purchase it. After so many lovely reviews though, I couldn’t help but cave. One of my concerns apart from this being a cream? The fact that it only comes in two shades, both of which look very intimidating and not at all as if they could work for me and my pale skin with a cool to neutral undertone.
What does this product look like?
Apologies for the messy look here, but that is one downside of this product. When you first buy this, the stick is covered with a plastic lid. Mine sadly was stuck to the product and when I lifted it up to take it off to take these pictures it took a good chunk out of the product. A shame, because I would have loved to keep that lid on as it would have made for an extra secure layer to keep the product for longer.
The shade Baked looks very intense in the stick too. In fact, this bronzer shade looks NOTHING like the shades I usually go for. It really looks like a muddy, poopy brown shade that really had me question my purchase. That was, until I actually tried it on my face. That is when I realized what everyone was banging on about.
What does this bronzer look like in a swatch?
When this first goes on it looks super intense. It is deep, quite orange and not at all what I think will go with my coloring. However, when blended out, this sheers out beautifully but it definitely is that kind of product where a little goes a long way. You really do not need much in order for this to show up and do it’s thing. The formula is creamy, almost a bit slick and I therefore find this is best applied straight from the stick and to then blend it out. I have tried several application methods, but I felt the result wasn’t as flawless.
How does this bronzer apply to the face?
While the formula is quite slick and slippery, I feel this product is still quite difficult to blend if you don’t use the appropriate technique. I tried fingers first as that is what I like most when applying creams. Sadly it left finger prints all over my face and it was difficult to get a good blend. In the end I found that dotting the stick on the areas where I need it and to then use quite a stiff brush too blend it in is the best way to go. I have been using a Zoeva 135 Petit Face Definer to buff this into the skin and it’s been working marvelously.
My final thoughts
The Milk Makeup bronzer in Baked is one that takes a bit of a learning curve to get it right. But once you do this is a beautiful cream bronzer that is definitely one of the easiest cream products I have ever used. I find this blends in easily, the shade looks very natural, yet still bronzy on the face and it lasts all day without needing to touch up on my dry skin. I do wish I had waited until the mini released here, as I find the big version to be overly bulky. The product sits quite high up in the container, meaning it feels a bit top heavy when you use it and I have nearly dropped this thing into my lap three times already. Now that would be a right old mess! So I really hope that doesn’t end up happening.
Would I recommend the Milk Makeup bronzer in Baked?
I think this is a stunning product and it really suits my current makeup needs. I have been really loving cream products the past few months, but if you don’t love creams, I don’t think this is necessarily a must have to try. If you have oily skin you may also want to stay away as the slick, slippery texture might mean this disappears within a few hours. Additionally I also think the shade range which just 2 shades available is too limiting for deeper complexions as well. I mean, if I can make it work to use the lightest of the two shades on my MAC NC15 skin tone without too much trouble, then I can only imagine how these products would pan out on deeper complexions.