It has to be said that I am possibly one of the most ungrateful people ever. When Soap & Glory sent me my wonderful prize all those months ago, I couldn't wait to get stuck in and try everything out. Well, that hasn't exactly happened and a good chunk of the wonderful products have been sat in the pink box they were delivered in, unloved and unused. After tidying up my room a few weeks ago I came across the box again, and went through it. After a while I picked out the Show Good Face foundation (Which I will be reviewing at some point) and this... the Solar Powder!

What is this Solar Powder I hear you ask? Well, the best and easiest way to describe it is a bronzer. But is not just any old bronzer, oh no. This little beauty is one of those all wondrous multi-purpose products, that combines a shimmery bronzer and highlighting product in one neat little compact, complete with a small brush underneath and even a mirror in the lid - the cover of which I still have yet to remove!


This product contains a bronzing powder on the left section, and highlighter on the right - the highlighter is much more shimmery than the bronzer, and rightly so. The "S&G" logo stamped on top is a beautiful pink shimmer covering - but unfortunately that is it, a covering and no more. After 3-4 uses this had completely vanished. I have to admit that I wasn't disappointed by this, it was a bit too shimmery for me, even if it does make the embossing look beyond beautiful! As for the packaging, it is housed in a sturdy cardboard compact - and despite my initial thoughts, it has held up very well and is surprisingly not looking very bashed up at all after using it nearly every day for two months. It has become a little grubby but no more than you would expect, and no more than any other packaging for a product such as this.


Normally I'm not a fan of the brushes/applicators that come with products, but I was very surprised with this one! It may only be small and thin, but it is incredibly soft and just the right size for the compact. I have used this product with my usual contour brush, but time and time again I find myself going back to this. I confess that I have not used the two sections in the block separately, but have instead drawn this brush across both shades, tapped off the excess and applied across and down the apples of my cheeks.


As this is a shimmery bronzer, I only use it in this way, and not for contouring as such. For example, I can't see myself applying it to my neck or down the sides of my nose! The result on the skin is just stunning; not orange at all (Although my camera seems to think so in the above image), just a lovely warm brown tone that would probably suit most complexions. It is fairly pigmented so often one application is just right for me, but it could easily be layered on for a more obvious finish. It leaves my skin looking glowing, healthy and lightly contoured. It catches the light beautifully - the amount of shimmer is perfect. I've noticed that it really makes an appearance in photos - in the image below, I had only lightly applied it and it still manages to give off a beautiful sheen.


So, to finish off I have to say that I really regret not using this product sooner. I use this every day for work now, and for nights out too, and think I may have been converted from blusher - even Soap & Glory's own! Soap & Glory's cosmetics line are quite pricey for the high street but this, along with many of their other products, offer really good value for money. You get a generous amount of product (9g), which I have just scraped the surface of after two months of solid use and I can see this lasting me for a long time. If it does run out I will happily splash out the cash to purchase again!

Final verdict: If you're looking for a shimmery bronzer to give you that healthy-looking glow then look no further than this. You would be hard pushed to find a more natural shade!

Solar Powder can be found in Boots for £11.