A Cult Favourite: The Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder

For the longest time the Nars Laguna Bronzer has been one of the most popular bronzers out there. Because I’m very pale buying bronzers is a tricky thing for me, which is why I never really felt like buying the Laguna bronzer. A lot of people with deeper skin tones than my use it, so I thought it would definitely be too dark for me. However, about a month ago I decided I wanted to try it anyway. Dark or not, I had to know what it’s like and why everybody is such a big fan of it. So, after trying it for a while I feel like it’s about time for me to review it and finally let you guys know whether it’s actually as amazing as everyone makes it sound. If you’re interested in reading about that, make sure you continue reading!

First things first: packaging. The Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder comes in the same packaging as all Nars powders and blushes and highlighters do. It’s this black, rubberised plastic, packaging with the rounded edges and the Nars logo printed on the lid in white letters. It’s very minimalistic and simple but in my opinion it’s really pretty. I personally really dig that look. I also really enjoy the fact that it comes with a mirror on the inside and since the compact is pretty big, this mirror is pretty big as well. Big enough for me to do my makeup in when I’m on the go and don’t have a proper mirror around to use for makeup purposes. That’s always a plus in my book.

The compact comes with 8 grams of product which is about double the amount of product you get when you buy a Nars blush. I don’t really know why you get so much more bronzer than blush, but I’m sure Nars has a reason for that. And let’s be honest, the more product you get the better. I definitely ain’t complaining.

Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna – €39

Moving on to the shade of the powder. Laguna isn’t the only shade in the Nars Bronzing Powder collection. They also have two different tones, but Laguna seems to be the most popular one out of the three. Normally I would never buy a bronzer without carefully deciding which colour would suit my skin tone the best, but in this case I just went for Laguna without even thinking about the other shades once because this is the shade everybody is talking about which means that this is the shade I want to try. It seems a bit dumb, I know, but that’s what happened and I’m just trying to be honest here.

Like I mentioned before and a million times in other posts, I’m pale as snow. So bronzers can’t be too dark. Laguna is pretty dark, so when I first saw it I wasn’t sure what it was going to look like on my skin. I mean looking at it in the pan it’s just a given that it’s going to be too dark for me. However, when I started using it I realised that, even though it looks like it’s way too dark for me, it actually is really pretty on my skin tone. It just goes so well with the tones in my skin and with everything I have going on in the face-area. It actually looks very natural on me. That really is the last thing I ever expected to happen but I’m definitely happy that this is the case.

But don’t get me wrong here. This doesn’t mean that this shade is only perfect for very pale skinned girls like me, that’s definitely not what I’m trying to say here. I have seen this bronzer on a ton of different skin tones, skin tones that are very different from mine and it looked really pretty on those girls as well. So my conclusion here is: just give it a try and you’ll know if it’s going to look good on you or not.

Enough about the shade, let’s start talking about the product itself. According to Nars their Laguna Bronzing Powder creates the ultimate healthy glow. This diffused powder with golden shimmer is supposed to create an all-over warmth or contour for the face, perfect for creating or enhancing the look of tanned skin. The finely milled powder is supposed to fill in lines and pores for smoother, more even looking complexion. The shades are ideal for all skin tones and they are iconic. The powders are also natural looking and are supposed to have an imperceptible finish.

All together I think Nars does a great job at selling their product. They make this sound like it’s everything you could ever want or look for in a bronzer. Of course it sounds to me like they’re exaggerating, but if it’s really true I do think we’re dealing with a pretty dang amazing bronzer here.

Without further ado, let’s see whether this is actually as amazing of a product as Nars claims it is, shall we? Let’s dive into the details!

Starting off with texture. In my opinion the texture of a powder, the way it feels, says a lot about the quality. According to Nars their powder is finely milled and therefore it’s supposed to be filling in pores and fine lines and creating an even smoother complexion. I do agree with that. When I first read that claim I thought it was one big lie. It sounded like something nice but something no bronzing powder could actually do. However, looking at it on my skin, I think they are right. It seems like this powder becomes one with your skin, it melts into it, and this creates a very natural but also a very flawless and smooth look. I think it’s really difficult to describe what it looks like, but I suppose smooth is the perfect word to describe the look of it with and that’s something really unique in my opinion.

The powder itself has a really nice feel to it. It’s very soft and smooth but it is a firmly pressed powder. With that I mean that it’s not a very powdery powder that is going to be all messy whenever you use it. Because it’s firm it also applies very smoothly and neatly. It’s not a messy look on your face. It’s actually a very clean, even and precise look, but also a diffused look at the same time.

Pigmentation wise I think this bronzer is right where it should be. A bronzer definitely shouldn’t be too pigmented because all that will do is mess up your face. I don’t want to be careful whenever I use a bronzer. I want to be able to quickly and carelessly slap it all over my face without it looking like I was very sloppy with it. And this bronzer allows me to create that look. Partly because of the perfect amount of pigment in this powder.

What I like about this bronzer is that it’s a very blendable product but it doesn’t blend away. It doesn’t budge at all actually. It’s surprisingly longlasting. I was very impressed by how well this stayed on my skin during the day, even on days where I wasn’t very careful with my face or where I was pretty hot.

But that’s not what I’m trying to say here. What I was talking about is the fact that this is a very blendable powder. Because it’s soft and diffused you can easily get rid of the harsh lines by applying it with a very fluffy brush or by going over it with a fluffy brush. It won’t blend it away, you’ll still be left with that nice, clean and sharp look, but it won’t look fake.

Overall I’m just a very big fan of the Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder and I finally understand why everyone is such a big fan of this product. I never thought a bronzer could look so good on my pale skin. It’s just impressive. I think that this bronzer actually is an essential in any makeup collection so if you ever feel like splurging on makeup, make sure you consider getting this bronzer!

That’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed reading about my opinion on the famous Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder and be sure to let me know if you’ve ever tried it, and if so, what you think of it!