Kanebo Sensai Bronzing Powder Natural Tan

I've had this Kanebo Sensai Bronzing Powder in Natural Tan since midwinter. It sat there among the "to review" products mocking me with its promise of warmth and summer, and I couldn't even bring myself to swatch for a very long time. We had an inch of snow on April 16th, after all. But eventually the natural order of things has been restored, and my face requires some added color.

Like all Kanebo Sensai makeup products, the bronzer (also available in Deep Tan which I haven't seen) is an elegant product, finely milled, and nicely pigmented. It appears very shimmery in the compact, but less so when applied to skin, and the result is glowy more than sparkly. Still, if you're staunchly anti-shimmer this Sensai bronzer might not appeal to you since there are visible teeny tiny particles. Personally, I think it's exactly the thing for a summer look.  The tan can be built, though I've been very careful with it, as should you if you share my green undertone. The swatch was done heavily-- three layered brush strokes. I'd use about half the amount of product on my face. The point of bronzers is not to make us appear related to Donald Trump or Courtney Stodden, but to fake a light and effortless sun-kissed look-- if it suits us, that is.

The color of Kanebo Sensai's Natural Tan bronzer is, indeed, natural if you're not incredibly fair in the pale/pink way. Looking at my husband's skin, for example (I'd guess he's in the NW15 range), I doubt more than a whisper light touch of this would work on similar skin tones. It's sort of a rosy brown shade, so it would appeal to a wide range of skin tones, but as always, if you're in any of the extremes you need to try in person.

The compact itself is very pretty, as is the embossing of an abstract sand dune horizon. The brush that comes with the compact is adequate and quite soft. I used for swatching the color.

Kanebo Sensai Bronzing Powder Natural Tan ($45) is available online from Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, and in store from the latter. The product for this review was a press sample.