Worth the Hype? Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzer Review

I can count on my hand the number of drugstore cream bronzers I actually like… maybe four in total. I’m pretty picky about both texture and color range, because I want it to blend without messing up my foundation and I don’t want to be orange. Is that so much to ask? So when the new Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzers started going viral, I was nervous but eager to try them.

I will admit, I’m a little underwhelmed at the shade range. I love that we have the deep, rich shade Mocha Moment, but the middle two shades pull really warm– almost orange– on me. When it comes to bronzers, I usually find the “medium” shades suit me best, but in this case Hey Honey is the only one that’s really workable for me.

I do want to point out that I understand these are bronzers, and they are meant to create a warmer, sun-kissed look. (Over the years, the distinction between bronzers and contours have been muddied and the words are often used interchangeably on makeup labels. It’s unfortunate, because they serve such different purposes.) I think the problem for me is the fact that Milani’s Liquid Contour shades also lean warm. So personally, I was a little disappointed that we got more of the same.

I just feel like even if my goal was a warm complexion, Spilling Tea is too orange and Spicy Season is too dark for my light/medium, neutral skin tone.

Okay, the positives: what I love about this cream bronzer is the texture. It’s so soft and creamy, but not greasy. The formula is infused with Bulgarian Rose, Watermelon Seed & Pomegranate Seed Oil, and also contains micro-sized spherical powders to help blur the skin. It has a thinner consistency, so it’s incredibly easy to blend– dare I say even more than my other go-to cream bronzers!? This blends out easily without tugging your foundation out of place, which is a huge, huge plus in my book.

The Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzers are also incredibly pigmented, so I can see this compact lasting you a long time. With a light hand and blending, you can sheer it out to look more natural, though. You have a bit of time before it sets into its soft matte finish, which looks really smooth.

Above, I used Hey Honey on my forehead, cheeks, jawline and nose. Overall, I was actually pretty happy with the results and definition it added to my face. I did layer it up just a bit (since this is the lightest shade) and it built up nicely without looking cakey.

I also find that it plays well with my other makeup, such as liquid foundation and cream blush, without getting muddy. I used the Milani Face Buffing Brush (F220) which is soft and dense, perfect for softly blending cream formulas. It’s also a great choice for their Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush. I typically tap the brush very lightly into the bronzer (remember, it’s super pigmented!), then pat into my skin to apply. Sometimes I’ll use my foundation sponge to blend more if needed.

When worn on top of foundation, I find this to last all day even without being set with powder or setting spray. I also haven’t noticed any issues with my sensitive, acne-prone skin.

In short, Milani did nail this cream bronzer formula, there’s no doubt about that. I would personally just LOVE to see cooler/neutral shades in this formula for more versatility!

You can find the Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzers at Ulta and on Amazon (where they’re cheaper!).