Product Review | Flower Beauty Heatwave Bronzing Essence

Product Review | Flower Beauty Heatwave Bronzing Essence ($16, FlowerBeauty.com and Ulta.com)

Product Details (from Flower Beauty's website):  No Sun? No Problem. Sunkissed skin is just a drop away with Heatwave Bronzing Essence. This soothing, perfecting essence is infused with golden pigments that deliver a buildable natural glow. The silky formula provides refreshing hydration and enhances skin’s natural radiance.  Cruelty Free.  Vegan. Gluten Free.

Review:  Let's start with the basics:  this product does not come with a box but it has a shrink wrap seal.  The bottle is made out of glass and has gold typography.  It comes with a dropper to dispense the product. I was really excited about this item when I saw it on the Flower Beauty website.  Since I've been loving liquid and cream products these days, I really had high hopes for this one.  The bronzer shade is very pretty although it only comes in one universal shade which was disappointing.  Two, the dropper does not work very well.  I have to press quite a few times just to get a small amount into the dropper.  Three, the color pay off isn't that great.  Maybe because I'm still extra tan from this summer.  It is buildable so there is color; however, it is patchy.  I have applied this with a brush and a trusted beauty sponge and have gotten the same patchy results.  If you must know, I am not a brush applicator person.  So, when I use a brush to try products, it shows how much I want to make it work.  It blends nicely on the skin when you're not trying to build it up.   This also isn't long-wearing unlike the Sol Body Bronzing Balms.  Maybe I am using it wrong.  Maybe this product is best when mixed with other cream products or applied all over the skin instead of using it as a bronzer on targeted areas of the face.  If you have tried this product, let me know how it worked for you.  Do you have any tips and tricks to produce a non-patchy application?  I like the formula on its own but not when it is being built up on the skin.  If you are lighter than my skin tone, you might enjoy this product.  However, I don't recommend it for anyone with a similar skin tone as mine or darker.  I also don't like that there's only one shade.  Let's be honest, it's not a universal shade.