Sampler Platter: Too Faced Sun Bunny Carribbean In a Compact

Photo by Sephora

Hello, my name is Casper, and I am white as a ghost. 

"Hello, Casper!"

Alright, so maybe I'm not that white, but I'm pretty fair.  The very first scene we filmed for The Night Shift required that Claire, my character, have a tan.  The makeup designer and I put together this elaborate design with darker foundation, powder bronzer, and that Sally Hansen airbrush leg makeup stuff (on my face!), all on top of sunless tanner.  I got out to the set, and Thomas took one look at me:



Thomas:  Where's your tan makeup?  Aren't you tan for this scene?
Me:  I'm wearing it.
Thomas:  Really?!
Me:  A lot of it.
Thomas:  Okay.  Um...well, it looks really good.  Just do that for all the scenes from now on, and we'll just change the "nice tan" line from sincere to sarcastic.  Okay, places!

I've seen the footage.  I am only slightly darker than the lead character, Rue, who is wearing super pale makeup because he's dead. 

I figured out a long time ago that I am pale, and there's nothing to be done about it.  I've tried sunless tanners, spray tans, real tans (mistake--I was young and stupid)...I eventually just gave up.  I have green eyes, freckles, and an Irish name.  I dyed my hair red and went with it. 

Unfortunately, sometimes I find myself looking a little too pale.  Like, "I want to drink your blood", sparkles in the sunlight pale.  That is unacceptable.  I wear makeup to keep from scaring small children, not to send them screaming to their mothers.  Basically, most days, a little bronzer is necessary.  It's just not always easy to find a good one.

Today, I pulled from my magic bag o' samples Too Faced's Sun Bunny Carribbean In a Compact, retail price $28, Sephora.com.  Here's what Too Faced has to say about it:

Dust yourself with this naturally naughty, perfectly tan-like bronzer. Enjoy year round bronzed perfection with the most natural and skin perfecting glow this side of the Caribbean. The silky golden warmth combined with a pink under toned bronze mimics a natural tan with out any of the orangey ick! So save you skin and stop harassing your travel agent, and fake your bake like a Hollywood Starlet!

Now, I have used many bronzers in my day, and nearly all have made similar claims.  They all say they look natural and won't turn you orange ('cause really, who's going to admit, "use me and you might as well stamp Sunkist on your forehead"?), so I was skeptical.

I peeled off the card's plastic overlay and swirled my brush over the two shades, as directed.  Then I applied to cheekbones, bridge of nose, forehead, and chin (the places that naturally receive the most sunlight).  Wow.  This bronzer actually lives up to its claims!  It's the most natural-looking color I've ever used.  It also went on lightly, so I could build to whatever intensity I preferred.  Best of all, I didn't look like I was wearing bronzer.  It just looked like I had a healthy glow.  There is some sparkle to it, but it isn't much, and it isn't obnoxious.  No glitter chunks, just a little shimmer, and not enough to make you look oily.  You just look healthy.  That's really the best word for it.  Healthy.

For a brief period of time, I used to mix E.L.F.'s mineral bronzer with it's mineral shimmer.  That ran about $16 for the two colors together.  I have used my Physicians Formula bronzer ($11.99) for so long that I have actually formed a sentimental attachment to it.  Neither one can hold a candle to this.  I'm using up the rest of the card, adding it to my Sephora shopping list, and as soon as I possibly can, I'm getting it and tossing my other bronzers.  I might hang on to the Physicians Formula for old-time's sake, but it's so old, I probably (definitely) shouldn't be wearing it, anyway.

Too Faced is more expensive than drugstore brands, but in this particular case, you get what you pay for.  I'm a convert, and I can honestly say I did not expect to be.