MAC’s Golden Bronze Powder
First, the good news. As you know, I live in Switzerland. As you may also know, things here are expensive.
I’m talking CHF15 (I think) for a Big Mac Combo meal. That’s about US$12.
So when the folks at the Jelmoli told me a jar of MAC’s Golden Bronze Powder was CHF33, I thought I was on Let’s Make a Deal. You get a lot for your money and tad bit of the powder goes a long way.
Remember that last point.
Note: I’m not a professional make-up artist so “user error” probably came into play when I tested this out.
The texture of the powder is excellent. It’s light, smooth, feels similar to talcum powder but isn’t drying. When I rubbed it between my fingers, it created a nice sheen.
Keep that last point in mind too.
For the test, I applied my make-up as normal: a thin layer of foundation, followed by filing in my eyebrows and a little mascara. Then, in place of my blot powder, I dipped my huge blusher brush into a little bit of the bronze powder I’d shaken out, tapped the brush and started applying. This was a huge no-no. As I mentioned earlier, the powder goes a long way. So, if you use a large applicator you’ll probably pick up too much of the product. Even tapping won’t get all of the excess off.
After I’d swept the brush across my forehead and cheeks, I realized that I’d taken on a C3P0-ish like hue. I wiped most of the bronzer off and was left with a nice, golden sheen. In hindsight, I realize what I should have done was to apply the product with my fingertips after rubbing it between them. This would have given me more control during application.
The bronzer lasted most of the day, although since I have oily skin, I had to blot my forehead and nose quite a bit to keep the shine down.
MAC’s Golden Bronze Powder comes in two shades: Golden Bronze for dark skin tones and Silver Dusk for light tones. It can be used to highlight cheekbones, as an eyeshadow and on other parts of your body (it’s up to you to decide where). It can also be blended with other products for an iridescent look.
All-in-all I was pretty happy with the product itself. If you try it out, remember: a little goes a long way and try using your fingers to apply it before resorting to a brush.
Red alert: Kiehl’s coming to Zurich
Mad that Kiehl’s doesn’t ship outside the US? Fret no more. Kiehl’s will open in Zurich at 23 Rennweg on 1 December.
I wonder how this will impact The Body Shop? There are two on Bahnhofstrasse: one near the Hauptbahnhof, the other closer to the Lake of Zurich. Both companies are owned by L’Oréal. Speaking of The Body Shop, if you live outside of the US, don’t bother purchasing one of those Love Your Body customer cards from a US Body Shop. I bought one of them in the Charlotte airport during a layover. The folks there told me that the cards were good all over the world for collecting points. I tried using it when I got back to Zurich but was told that the US ones aren’t good here.
Corn Husker’s Lotion
I don’t have the most feminine hands in the world. As a matter of fact, my hands have been called “farmer hands.” Since I hail from farmers, sharecroppers, maids and a whole bunch of other folks who used their hands to make a living, having said hands is a compliment. I do try to keep them looking nice though.
With winter approaching, I know doing so will be a hard task. Switzerland is cold, dry and has hard water, just the ticket for chapped, crackly hands. My hands dry out so badly it looks like I’ve been playing in flour.
During my last trip home I picked up a couple of bottles of Corn Husker’s Lotion to test out. My dad used it on his hands and feet, which is probably why I never touched it.
It was just way too blokey for me.
Corn Husker’s has been around for at least 30 years, probably even longer. According to the company website it was “developed for Iowa corn huskers.”
Told ya. Blokey.
In any case, I got past the testosterone factor long enough to crack open a bottle:
Scent - Upon first sniff, I thought “Hmmmm. Grandma.” The scent is weird. Not bad, just neutrally weird. It’s couple of notches away from that Jergen’s Lotion scent.
Consistency - I poured a little into my hands. It has the consistency of aloe vera gel fresh from the plant, but just a tad bit more slimy. This may put some folks off.
The Big Rub In - After I rubbed the stuff on my hands, they felt slightly tacky but not sticky. I wasn’t impressed though.
Penetration - This is where things got interesting. After about five minutes, the tacky feeling faded. My hands felt extremely soft and smooth without that greasy feeling one gets with lotion. Also, that weird old folks scent faded…or I got used to it. But, it didn’t clash with my perfume.
I tested Corn Husker’s mostly at work. My hands didn’t slide off the keyboard after applying and the moisturizing properties lasted well over an hour. I had to reapply it after washing my hands though.
Pros - The first ingredient listed on the bottle is glycerin, which is a wonderful moisturizer and probably why my hands felt as soft as they did. The scent is bearable and doesn’t clash. It’s also not “perfumey.” It’s freaking cheap at approximately $3.95 a bottle.
Cons - My cuticles weren’t as soft as they are when I use normal hand cream. I dabbed a tad of shea butter on them to fix that.
If you’re looking for a heavy duty hand treatment, especially if you live in a cold, cry climate, you may want to give Corn Husker’s a try. If you’re looking for a more elegant, luscious hand treatment, you may want to skip it.
You can find Corn Husker’s Lotion at Walgreen’s or Osco’s in the US. As for Europe, I’m still looking.