Why I Was Surprised by the Ciate London Bronzing Balm
Main Image – Courtesy of writer
To know me is to know I love to be bronzed. So when any kind of bronzing product lands on my doorstep, I’m ripping open the packaging and I’m testing out that baby straight away. It’s a personal buzz.
I was recently very kindly sent the Ciate DewyStix Bronzing Balm (£22/$24) to try and this was no exception. Packaging everywhere, box flung on the floor, lid whipped off.
Keep scrolling to find out if I held on to my bronzing buzz.
The product details
The stick is 25g and comes with a twist-up applicator. The lid clicks shut (always a hygienic bonus if you’re going to keep it in your handbag) and the balm itself contains super-fine golden pearls to create a shimmery bronze tint.
It also contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to help brighten and hydrate the skin.
Image – Courtesy of writer
First impressions
Once I’d taken off the lid, I was greeted by the shimmeriest, pearliest, smoothest bronzing stick that needed to go on my face, like now.
The instructions say to sweep it directly onto your cheekbones, around your hairline, temples and jawline and then blend it in with your finger. So I did just that.
It went on very smoothly – almost a little too smoothly for me as I was worried it would end up looking too greasy for my oily skin. The shine was instant but once dabbed in, the greasiness thankfully subsided – for now – and I was left with a pretty sheen.
I was surprised at how sheer the pigment was – you have to press quite hard to see the bronze hue, or keep applying more after each dab. If I’m honest, I would have liked the pigment to be slightly stronger so that I didn’t have to keep adding shine to my skin. However, it’s better to keep building up pigment than applying too much in the first sweep and then regretting it.
Overall though, the bronzing balm gave me a sun-kissed halo of colour and I was pleased with my newly radiant finish.
Image – Courtesy of writer
My surprising, mixed results
Despite a few downfalls, I really like this product. It’s perfect for when you’re on holiday and you just want a subtle glow, even just on your cheeks. Because guess what? Even though the instructions tell you to do so, you don’t have to apply it to your hairline and jawline too. It can be used only as a little cheek booster if you want.
The longevity could be better – it lasts only a few hours on my oily skin – and my oiliness builds the longer I wear it. It also feels a little sticky.
But what surprised me about this product is where I’ve ended up applying it the most. Sure, I use it occasionally on my cheeks and have dabbled with blending some onto my shoulders and collarbone which works well and gives me a nice shimmery sheen in the evening. But, mostly, I actually love wearing it as a lip balm.
I know, I know. Nowhere on the packaging does it say to apply it on your lips. But because most cheek products nowadays double up as a lip balm and sometimes even eyeshadow, I’m in the habit of automatically moving from my cheeks to my lips, in order to match everything up. And it doesn’t say anywhere on the packaging not to apply it there…
So, I actually prefer the nudey-bronze finish it gives my lips to the oily, slightly sticky finish it leaves on my cheeks. My lips are left hydrated with a shimmery finish. And somehow, I feel like the shade makes my teeth look whiter too which is an added bonus!
Image – Courtesy of writer
What other users are saying
Some users agree that the stick is a bit too sheer. “This is not necessarily a stick if you want a bronzed look all over, what I use it for is my forehead, and the tops of my cheeks to give that Dewey bronze glow. I don’t love it but I don’t hate it,” says Janet S. But others like its subtlety. “Gives just enough color without looking fake!” writes Lori S.
Karen J found it a bit greasy. “This was a tad oily – didn’t blend well,” she says. It is oily but you need to press it in with your finger using a bit of force so that it sinks into the skin. If you’re really struggling with its oiliness, stick to applying it on just your cheeks rather than on other parts like your forehead/hairline to avoid a greasy-looking complexion and keep everything else matte.
Anne B says, “Love love love this!! Gives my skin a beautiful glow and looks like I’ve been on holiday!! This will be my go-to now. Give it a go as you won’t be disappointed.”
And Suzie P writes, “I really like the product, it goes on nicely and does give a lasting soft dewy glow as promised. It does have a little tacky texture to it once on, I like to think that’s helping lock hydration into the skin. It also sits well on other makeup brands.”
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Overall value for money
I wish this product was far less than £22/$24. As much as I love it and can appreciate why it’s so popular, the oiliness takes it down in value for me. Plus I have to use quite a lot in order to get some pigment onto my skin.
Having said that, using it as both a cheek and lip balm (and who knows? Maybe I’ll try it as an eyeshadow next) does give it more functionality for me and this three-in-one element makes the money slightly more worthwhile.
The takeaway
I don’t care what anyone says, I’m using this as a bronzing cheek and lip balm (but more as a lip balm). If it’s good enough for the complexion, it’s good enough for my lips – after all, it’s all skin.
Personally, I would prefer it to be a little less oily on the skin and a little more pigmented but perhaps then I wouldn’t like how it looks on my lips so much. Every cloud.
Take it on holiday, throw it in your handbag or keep it in your makeup stash for a gorgeously glowy, bronzey, shimmery sheen – anywhere you like. Just remember to really press it into your skin when blending if you have an oily skin type like me.
Get Glowing!
