Shopping for cosmetics in drugstores is an arduous and irritated task when it comes to products that are scarcely available at drugstores but boast extensive ranges at high-end stores like matte blushers and bronzers/contour powders.
I never understood why there are a galore of shimmer blushers and bronzers sold at drugstores but not matte. It's certainly understandable to add a little shimmer on our face to give live and glow to our sallow skin in the winter due to lack of sun exposure but we don't need that because we literally have summer all year round to give us skin cancer, let alone gives us a natural flush. Not forgetting the blazing sun melts our nicely done makeup like wax and gives us skin as shiny as polished silverware after mere four hours of wear. All that shimmer is only going to enhance our already huge pores and blemishes and make us look like disco balls in broad daylight. We are trying to conceal our facial flaws here, not celebrate them in all its glory (unless you are going for that look).
Out of frustration, it's easier to burn a hole in our pocket and get these beauty products at high-end stores than putting ourselves through what seems like an impossible feat. Well, you can save your penny and cash it on something else with these drugstore and discounted department store matte blushers and bronzers/contour powders for under RM50!
Blushers
 |
| NYX Powder Blush; RM27; available in 15 matte shades Photo credits |
 |
| Sleek Makeup Blush; RM31.50; available in 8 matte shades Photo credits |
 |
| Vincent Longo Spectralite Blush; Photo credits |
 |
| Korres Botanically Coated Blush; |
Bronzers/Contour Powders
I'm well aware that the trend in Asia is to have whiter skin and not bronzed, tanned skin. But for those of you who are digging the Victoria's Secret bombshell look as I am, then this is your holy grail. In spite of that, all the Snow Whites shouldn't just shun the idea of a matte bronzer if you intend to achieve the noted Kim Kardashian's sculpted cheekbones, high nose bridge and slim face that is red carpet worthy. In fact, a matte bronzer serves well as a contour powder and should be in every woman's makeup kit. Remember to go easy on the bronzer - you don't want to look like you've baked yourself in the sun for a little too long or dived into a pool of mud.
 |
| NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny; RM17.20 Photo credits |
 |
| BarryM Matt Bronzing Powder in Natural Dazzle; £5.99/RM30; free worldwide delivery Photo credits |
 |
| Stila Sun Bronzing Powder; Photo credits |
 |
| Bourjois Bronzing Powder in Bronze; £6.99/RM35 Photo credits |
 |
| NYX Matte Bronzer; RM40; available in light and mediumPhoto credits |
 |
| Sleek MakeUP Face Contour Kit; RM46.10; available in light, medium and dark Photo credits |
Not too sure how to choose the right shade of bronzer and how to apply? Watch one of my favourite professional makeup artistes, Lisa Eldridge's tutorials - Four Shades of Bronze and Contour and Highlight to learn more.
Tip: Use a matte warm brown eyeshadow or a pressed powder that is one to two shades darker than your skin tone as a contour powder if you can't find the perfect shade of bronzer/contour powder that complements your complexion.
What do you think?
What are your thoughts on blusher and bronzer/contour powder? Do you use them? Which formula do you prefer, matte or shimmer? How do you apply them? If you know of other brands and places to
shop for affordable matte blusher and bronzer/contour powder, do share with me.Don't forget to leave a comment below and tell me what you think!