Fellow fair-skinned ladies, today I have a very exciting review to share with you! I finally found a matte bronzer that delivers beautiful glow without looking muddy, and doesn’t break the bank. I already introduced Milani Bronzer XL 04 Dolci in my brief collection overview, and since then couldn’t wait to write a dedicated blog post about it.
Milani Bronzer XL in 04 Dolci was released as part of Limited Edition Dolci Bronze Collection for Summer 2015 [more like end of Summer]. It was the product I expected to like the least, but to my surprise it ended up being the star of the show.
Mix and matte with this two-in-one faux-tan superstar. While the matte half of this versatile compact delivers sunkissed base colour and contouring for face, neck and body, the shimmery highlighter side takes you anywhere you want to glow.
Ingredients: Talc, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Zinc Stearate, Mica, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Zeolite, Sorbic Acid, Methylparaben, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Propylparben, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylparaben, Fragrance (Parfum), BHT, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499). +/- May Contain: Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Red 7 (CI 15850), Ultramarines (CI 77007).
The bronzer is quite large in size and includes two colors – one is a warm matte bronze that leans toward terracotta, and the lighter side is a peachy nude with strong rosy hue. Milani says it’s a shimmery highlighter, but I think the finish is more satiny with very subtle sheen. It’s good for defining the high points without turning your face into a disco ball, so if you want to contour and highlight sans strobing, this is a wonderful duo to try.
The shades are absolutely fantastic and deliver just the right amount of color to my fair skin; and to my delight, the formula turned out to be fabulous as well. I won’t lie, it is just a tad too powdery so it’s possible to make a mess in the pan and pick up too much product, but it’s just one of those things that you learn as you go. Using one of my favorite face brushes of all time – Real Techniques Blush Brush – I got the most beautiful flush of color on the hollows of my cheeks, that looked natural and gave some much needed warmth to my complexion that I normally lack since I don’t tan. The staying power is really nice as well: I ended up wearing 04 Dolci for at least 14 hours without a single touchup, and it didn’t budge despite the humidity when I wore it outside for a big chunk of the day.
Swatch reference: My skin tone is between MAC NC15 and NW15 with yellowish hue and neutral undertones. Sometimes I can wear NW20 in the Summer. I thought this would be useful to know, since all screens show colors differently, and I also don’t have a studio setup with consistent lighting. Hope that helps!
As promised, here’s my full face look using all of Milani Dolci Bronze products together. I generously applied the bronzer to make it more visible so you can see how it warms up and illuminates my skin without going overboard.
I can’t recommend Milani Bronzer XL in 04 Dolci enough! If you are searching for a matte bronzer that looks natural on the skin, in a color that isn’t too gray or too orange – this duo will pleasantly surprise you. With formula that feels high end, Milani managed to create a high quality product at 1/5th of the price of my favorite high end bronzer.
WHERE TO BUY: $9.99 USD for 0.42 oz. Available at MilaniCosmetics, CVS and possibly other local drugstores.
Do you have a favorite drugstore bronzer? Have you seen Dolci Bronze displays at your local CVS? Let me know in the comments below!
Disclosure: This post features products purchased by Glamorable and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
