Inika Organic Baked Illuminisor and Bronzer Panel Review
BY GEORGIA BURT & REBECCA DIEUDONNE
I had never heard of the brand Inika Organic before, and I certainly hadn’t tried organic makeup either. One trial later and..
25 MAR - 2019
The illuminisor was ‘baked on a terracotta tile in Tuscany’ *cue envisions of sunlit Italy, white linen and olive groves*
Rebecca: What impressed me most about this Australian-owned company though, is their commitment to ethical product design. Without getting into politics, there are plenty of companies providing a CSR smokescreen to distract from reality, but I like that this company has honest intentions.
The mineral illuminisor is hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, certified vegan, certified halal and cruelty–free. Inika also promises to only use 100% natural products that are tested for both safety and purity. This means no parabens, sulphates, minerals oils or harmful fillers. You can read the full product promise here.
In a world where people are trying to make a dollar, often at the expense of quality, I strongly support this company’s efforts!
Now to the product itself, the Inika illuminisor comes in two shades; Dewdrop – a golden pearl, and Starlight – which is more pink, champagne toned. The powder is pigmented and finely milled. One light swirl with my flat top brush is enough to highlight each cheek and brow bone. The effect is natural and soft, without being too shiny. It melts into your skin and blends easily with existing products like foundation and bronzer. It provides a gorgeous ‘lit from within’ finish and has good longevity.
The size of the compact is impressive, and I think the price of NZD$74 is justified by the high-quality ingredients and packaging.
Both shades would suit all skin tones, I normally prefer champagne pink or pearl highlighters for my cool, fair complexion, but Dewdrop is beautiful as well! I would highly recommend trying this highlighter – what more could you possibly want?
Inika Baked Mineral Bronzer, $74
Inika Baked Mineral Illuminisor, $74
Georgia's Trial
I tried the Inika Baked Mineral Illuminisor in the shade Dewdrop – it has a golden, glittery sheen to it which promised a natural sunkissed glow. Designed to create a healthy luminosity and to be used on all skin types, this illuminisor seemed to have promise. It felt slightly powdery but not buttery like some other pressed illuminators I have used. The light feel of the powder implied that it will wear well both with a full face of makeup or alone to give the natural ‘lit from within’ look.
Using my favourite tulip brush by XoBeauty (although it’s not typically used for highlighter) I applied it to the high points of my face. And I was immediately disappointed. All I could see were some subtle flecks of glitter and the slightest sheen added to my complexion. I was convinced I had a dud. Then I got the holy grail of tips from Chatty Chung: to spritz a bit of setting spray or MAC Fix Plus onto my brush before applying it to my face. So I tried it again using this technique and I got the look I was after! By wetting the formula, it combined the shimmer and illuminating pigments to enhance the glow the powder offered.
Compared to other highlighters, although it is not blinding, it does deliver on its natural, healthy glow. My one wish would be that they would write on the packaging to apply it to the skin wet. Otherwise, a lot of people will not see this product reach its full potential. Luckily, I saw it work and live up to what Inika said it would be. Would I buy this product again? Yup, because sometimes you don’t need a blinding glow and you just want that healthy radiance.
Inika Baked Mineral Bronzer
Rebecca: This mineral bronzer is certified organic just like the illuminisor. It comes in two shades; ‘Sunkissed’ and ‘Sunbeam’. I tried the lighter shade of the two (Sunkissed) and it gave me a lovely warm glow.
The powder is very pigmented, so I initially found it too warm when I applied it to my cheeks with my tulip-shaped contour brush. This was easily managed once I swapped to a fan brush which deposited less product. The bronzer builds beautifully without looking muddy or flat, and it is free from binders, additives and talc.
It lasted well on my skin, and is a brilliant natural alternative to your everyday bronzer.
"Would I buy this product again? Yup, because sometimes you don’t need a blinding glow and you just want that healthy radiance."
Georgia & The Bronzer
I’m usually not a purchaser of ‘organic’ products as I typically tend to buy the thing I know I already like. This makes it hard to branch out sometimes… I’ve never used Inika products before and the Baked Mineral Bronzer in Sunbeam was my first. With a milk chocolatey colour, I thought it might be too dark and warm for my skin tone; and it would have been if I applied it too hastily! But I didn’t need to. It’s highly pigmented so a little goes a long way.
With a single dab of my contour brush I had collected enough product to chisel out some cheekbones. I firmly believe that anymore than one dab during the pale winter months would turn me into Snooki from Jersey Shore (throwback!). As I’m naturally warm and olive toned in summer, this will be a real asset to give me a sunkissed glow.
Previously, I had found natural/organic alternatives to makeup, to be hit or miss. They’re either weak in their lasting power or have little to no actual workable product. You can imagine my surprise when I circled my contour brush around and around for the first time in this bronzer only to find I wasn’t going to contour but instead become Snooki. This is where I knew it was highly pigmented, which is generally a sign of a great product. It wore just as well as any other bronzer I have purchased and it even looks good with zero foundation. I find sometimes with other contour products, they can make you look muddy if you are not ‘made up’ completely. I guess that’s the beauty of natural and organic as it can seamlessly blend with the skin.
The Baked Mineral Bronzer will last me a long time. And I use bronzer nearly everyday. So for $74 you are getting much more than what you pay for! Would definitely buy this again.
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