Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelée

Every year, like most cosmetics companies, Estée Lauder release a summer collection and this year was no different.

This year, just like every other year, they released their Bronze Goddess collection which included twelves items, of which nine are available in Ireland and U.K. The items in this collection are as follows:

Blooming Lip Balm
Body Salt Scrub (U.S only)
Cooling Body Gelée
Cooling Body Spray
Eau de Parfum
Eau Fraîche Skinscent (U.S only)
Hair and Body Shimmer Oil
Illuminating Powder Gelée
Powder Bronzer
Summer Waves Salt Spray for Hair
The Summer Look Palette (Eyes & Face)
Whipped Body Crème (U.S only)

The only thing that caught my eye from this collection was their Illuminating Powder Gelée. Debenhams and Estée Lauder describe this as an “illuminating bronzer”, but quite honestly, it’s far from a bronzer. It’s too golden and illuminating to be a bronzer, it’s definitely more of a highlighter in my opinion.

The description on Debenhams.ie for this product says “Turn up the heat. This seductive all over bronzer is endless summer. Smooths on as a soft sheen. Builds to a luminous pearl highlight.”

Even when using a fan brush to apply this, I cannot get a “soft sheen”, I can only get a very luminous, highlighted finish from it.

When I first saw this my jaw dropped. The packaging is stunning. A beautiful gold compact with a bright blue turquoise clasp.

As I mentioned in my recent summer haul (see post here) looking at photos of this, I wrongly assumed that the casing was metal, but it is in fact, plastic. Now, this is €49 and for €49 yoyos I expected better packaging.

Don’t get me wrong, plastic packaging is fine, there is nothing wrong with it, however, this feels cheap and slightly flimsy, not what you expect or want when you pay €49 for something. I have other items that are in plastic casing and they feel more sturdy and better quality than this one does.

When it first launched I had been lusting after it but because of the price I held off getting it and then it sold out. When it came back into stock I got it and there was a sale so I was happy to finally get my paws on it and save some money too.

I have used it a number of times since I got it and I absolutely love it. It is beautiful. It’s a beautiful golden colour with what I can only describe as a sunburst effect. It’s beautiful.

I am pale, I use the shade Deaville in NARS and Classic Ivory in Covergirl and I can just about get away with this. If I was any paler, I don’t think it would suit at all. It would be more of a bronze shade on paler skin I think.

This is a very illuminating product so a light hand is needed. I like using my Smashbox fan brush to apply it as it applies just the right amount.

The first layer looks glittery but when I swatched it, I couldn’t see any glitter on my arm and once you start to use this and the first layer of product is used the sunburst effect and glitter seem to disappear too.