XX Revolution Bronze Skin Cream Bronzer Review

The XX Revolution range is one I’m slowly dipping my toe into as and when I need new or replacement products. I first tried one of the powder highlights from them last Christmas and I was not disappointed, it quickly became one of my favourites and I would still consider it right up there for a completely blinding, out of this world glow. So to say I had high hopes for the rest of the range is an understatement. The products are slightly more expensive than the standard Revolution range, but the packaging is definitely more luxe and the products always seem to have a little extra something too.

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I’ve had this cream bronzer on my wish list for a long time, and after trying a few cream bronze and contour products recently and completely falling in love with them I was eager to try this from a brand I rate so highly. I picked up the lightest shade in the range Inspire, which is slightly lighter than I would have normally gone for but with only two other shades to choose from both of which are far too dark for my skin tone, I settled for this one. For £15 this is one of the more expensive bronzers I’ve tried, but like I say the brand is more luxe than standard so I was happy to pay that amount knowing I would get something a little more fancy. (I appreciate for some this is absolutely not a fancy product, but for me and what I usually buy it is.)

When the product first arrived I was so shocked at how huge the jar is! It’s seriously weighty! The tub contains a whopping 30 grams of product compared to an ELF Putty Bronzer at 10 grams or a measly 4.5 grams in the Collection Contour Stick. So if you think about it weight for weight its actually cheaper than the ELF one, but obviously paying it out in one go makes it feel more expensive, ya know?

The Application

The first thing I noticed when trying to apply this, is how incredibly firm it is in the tub. Its so hard to try and get some product on the brush. I don’t think I could have applied it with anything other than a brush, as a sponge wouldn’t have been firm enough to get any pigment up on at all! I used a Real Techniques buffing brush, which I cant seem to find online any more annoyingly. I think its similar to the Expert Face Brush, firm but ever so slightly rounded to blend the product over the cheeks and face. I did try using a flat foundation brush, but that really didn’t work and quickly became streaky from being applied with a smaller brush.

Due to finding it so hard to pick any product up on the brush, I found it quite hard to build up any sort of colour on the cheeks and the perimeter of the face. The shade being so light doesn’t help, but paired with the too firm texture made it rather difficult to work with. It almost feels as though the product needs to be warmed in order to get anything on the brush, to then get it onto the skin. Do you see my predicament here?

So once I finally got some product on the skin, it does blend out really nicely and almost feels like a powder cream hybrid. It’s not creamy or glowy as I usually like my base products to be, this one definitely has a matte finish. There are of course pros and cons for glowy or matte products, one being staying power on the skin. This one does not budge, even on hot days under a mask it lasts incredibly and also layers well under other cream or powder products such as blush or highlight.

The main reason I reach for cream base products is because my skin is so dry, I like to have those hydrating products rather than powders on my face, but as this one has a matte finish it kind of defeated the object. It didn’t dry out my skin as such, but it didn’t give the glowy hydrated look I prefer. Its by no means a bad product, and whenever I’ve tried it it doesn’t make my skin look worse, it’s just quite difficult to work with and doesn’t give the exact look I love.

The Boots website claims there is ‘added Vit C, Niacinamide and Tropical Papaya Extracts to give your skin that radiant boost. Get your glow.’  But I wouldn’t agree with the ‘glow’ claims here. It may well have added skincare benefits, and as great as that is, I don’t feel the benefit from this product unfortunately.

Would I Recommend?

If you have oily skin, and think there’s a shade that will work for you, I think it would be worth a go. However I have very dry skin and the shades didn’t really work for my skin tone so I wouldn’t recommend. I’ll definitely continue to use the pot I have, but I wont be repurchasing when I run out. The product should work in theory, a firmer cream bronze in a warmer shade (rather than the contour shades I have in the ELF and Collection ones) but it just doesn’t work all that well in practice. I’d definitely try other cream products from XX Revolution if they brought more out, but this one is a fail for me.

Have you tried this product or are there any other cream bronze or contour you’d recommend? I’d love to hear your suggestions for other products in the market at the moment as I’m always looking for more cream base products!

Milli x