Le Metier de Beaute Bella Bronzer Liquid Illuminator for Face & Body

I'm taking a short break from talking about fall collections in favor of a very summery product, Le Metier de Beaute Bella Bronzer Liquid Illuminator for Face & Body. It's a sheer bronzer in liquid form that adds both color and a shimmery glow, making Bella great choice for evening.

The bottle resided in my bronzer drawer for several weeks, mocking me and my fear of orange every time I reached for my safe comfort zone products. As you can see in the photos, it looks scarily dark until you actually spread the liquid and blend it into your skin and base makeup. It's a lot easier to control than I thought it would be and even the shimmer is not over the top, though I still consider it a night on the town look. The best thing: not a hint of orange. Le Metier de Beaute really knows skin and this bronzer works with my natural tone and enhances it. I look like I just got back from the most fabulous vacation, not as though I'm possessed by Dina Lohan.

The texture of Bella Bronzer is light and moisturizing. It has no greasiness and doesn't give me an oily shine. It contains coconut oil and definitely smells of it, so you need to take that into account if it can be an issue for you. I've found that the level of color can be built and also diluted if I mix it with a liquid moisturizer (so if you're very fair this might be something you'll need to do- Bella might be too brown for you right out of the bottle). I've experienced no skin issues, but I've only been using it two to three times a week, so I can't comment on the effects of constant heavy application.

Bella Bronzer looks very nice when used on the body. I like it on my décolleté but I'm always worried about staining my clothes, so my favorite use for Bella is on my pale green legs. Bronzed legs make cute little dresses that much cuter, so Bella has been earning its keep in that department. The moisturizing qualities (it also contains aloe vera and wild carrot extract) helped me go light with the lotion on some muggy nights, so that's a great bonus.  I wish the scent was lighter, though. I love coconut (as does my cat Peter who insists on trying to lick the bronzer), but it doesn't mix well with some of my favorite perfumes.

Bottom Line: Nice to have.

Le Metier de Beaute Bella Bronzer Liquid Illuminator for Face & Body ($85) is available from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in store and online. I received a press sample from the PR team.

All photos are mine.