MAC • Refined Golden • Bronzers

rated 4.1(251 reviews)

Average Rating.4.1
Would buy this product again.74%
Package Quality4.3
Price3.3
Ingredients

rated 4 of 5 ktemly on 2/17/2013 8:11:00 PM more reviews by ktemly

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I really like this bronzer. I am a NW25 and find this gives me just the right amount of glow (with a light hand). I can see how you would end up looking a little muddy / orange if you did apply too much.
Would definately re-purchase, however I think this will last a long time.

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rated 1 of 5 Sunkissed101 on 1/28/2013 12:33:00 AM more reviews by Sunkissed101

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

A lot of people said this made them look "ruddy", "orangey", or "dirty", but on my C2 complexion, it just made me look healthy. Healthy, radiant, and glowing.
It wasn't a glitterbomb, it was subtle. It highlighted my cheekbones, and really gave my face dimension and color.
Plus, the packaging is very sleek and portable, so it's easy to take with you on the go, and the golden color is very, very gorgeous.
BUT it stayed on for like 10 minutes before wearing off. Not cool at ALL.

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rated 4 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* Parisa909 on 1/25/2013 6:39:00 AM more reviews by Parisa909

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Refined Golden is a dirty brown with this golden shimmer that is noticeable in the pan but hardly detectable used on the skin. It’s nice for a sun-kissed look and good for contouring – with this bronzer it is so easy to create sculpted cheeks. Decent pigmentation too, too much would definitely make me end up looking dirty. To make it look natural on my cheeks, I use my Bdellium tools contour brush. Medium and darker skintones can use this bronzer no problem. Lighter skintones with a warm undertone and application with a light hand can apply this bronzer too.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 1happytrader10 on 1/18/2013 12:19:00 PM more reviews by 1happytrader10

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Thank you to the lovely SA who told me to use this instead of pink undertoned blushes. I had no idea I was cool toned and adding pink to my face makes it 10 times worse. This stuff looks super dark in the pan, but on my face gives an awesome healthy glow. I was unsure at first and almost swapped away, then I saw pictures of me using this and kept it, I am so glad I didn't swap!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 rebekah1764 on 11/4/2012 1:49:00 PM more reviews by rebekah1764

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Lucky for me, I didn't have to buy this. A woman my dad went on a date with left this in his car and she never called back so he gave it to me lol. This bronzer did not work for me at all, it is just a glitter bomb! Maybe my skintone isn't right for this (NW20), because it turned me a ruddy orange color- not pretty! I can't say much for the price since I didn't buy it, knowing MAC this probably isn't too outrageous. Benefit Hoola worked 100 times better for me. Even Rimmel's sunbronzer performed better than this one (on my skin at least) and that one is only like $4 at the drugstore. The finish was not natural at all even when I applied it with a very light hand. I like my bronzer to look fairly neutral. I just want it to add warmth to my face and not scream "I'm wearing bronzer!!" Unfortunately, this product did just that. So if you're skin tone is darker and you like shimmer, this may be a good fit for you.
Nice packaging though, that's one pro!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 2 of 5 thenaturediva on 10/16/2012 2:08:00 PM more reviews by thenaturediva

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I really wanted to love this. This has the most gorgeous color ever!!
I looks awesome with my tanned skin, enhances my tan in the most beautiful way. Its the best contour i have owned till date.
BUT this BREAKS ME OUT like nothing else.
I never wanted to accept this is the culprit.. so i changed my sunscreen, blamed my cleanser... i googled if its breaking out other people...
but in the end i cant use this anymore...
I mean I wanna look beautifully bronzed but not at the cost of cystic acne.
I do have oily skin and have some breakouts here and there, but never dod i get cystic acne before!!!!

I dont want to throw this away, I am open to swap this.. I am DYING to get MAC playtime lipstick... I ll do anything for it.. if u have that up for swap, message me please!!

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rated 5 of 5 laquiche on 8/29/2012 4:57:00 AM more reviews by laquiche

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Relaxed, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

One of my favourite bronzers (and i must own 50 bronzers at least!) it is a good standard colour for my nc 35 skin, i mean it works in the summer but also winter. It is not too shimmery so very wearable! i just bought a back up as it is one of the best bronzers i've came accross!

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* audrey355 on 8/25/2012 6:55:00 PM more reviews by audrey355

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Nice bronzer color. It has tiny golden specks throughout. Pigmentation is good when applying.

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rated 4 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* rayoflight121 on 6/22/2012 6:45:00 PM more reviews by rayoflight121

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This looks peachy brown on my NC25ish complexion. I don't use it as a bronzer but more of a blush. Other then that, I do like it and it lasts pretty much all day on me.

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rated 5 of 5 taro8920 on 6/22/2012 12:25:00 AM more reviews by taro8920

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

love this product, amazing bronzer but not a contouring product, its too shimmery, and a tiny tiny bit orangey. i wouldn't repurchase this only for the reason that it made me realized how much i like matte bronzers. i dont know if the one i have is different between refined gold and refined golden (mine is labelled differently, as its from the hey sailor collection)

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rated 3 of 5 plasticbambi on 5/21/2012 11:38:00 PM more reviews by plasticbambi

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is a big staple in my everyday routine. This bronzer gives me the perfect contour. I have olive fair-medium skin.

edit: had to take off 2 lippies because of the devolpment of cystic acne.

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rated 5 of 5 Kristin84 on 3/30/2012 6:06:00 AM more reviews by Kristin84

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I loooooove this bronzer! Its the best I`ve ever tried. It looks very natural like you been out in the sun. And it`s not orange at all, it has a little tint of terracotta but it only makes this look better. I tried Mac skinfinish medium deep and chanel universal bronzer and refined golden is so far my favourite. It has a little liiittle glitter/sparkel in it that makes my skin look glowing.

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rated 4 of 5 zuba84 on 1/24/2012 5:52:00 PM more reviews by zuba84

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Grey    

I purchased this a few weeks ago, even tho I have a bronzer Im very fond of, bc although I like my other bronzer Ive noticed sometimes a get a pimple or two after using is and wasnt sure if thats just me or the brand so I figured Id go with Mac since its such a great brand. I was nervous about the color when I saw it in the compact but I thought Id try anyway. Well I havent had a chance to use until today, I have been under the weather for two weeks and my skin is starting to have that pale/ washed out look that comes with being sick. Since I had to go to work today I thought Id try this to perk myself up and it seriously worked...I actually got complemented on my skin! lol. Color looked great and wasnt sparkly like it looked in compact. Only reason I didnt give 5 is not sure yet since I only used once if I will get pimples or not so will def repost and update about that. Gorgeous and natural color tho and if it could make me look good on a day like today it must work miracles!

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rated 5 of 5 gillybean604 on 9/24/2011 4:03:00 AM more reviews by gillybean604

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Wonderful. Beautiful. Love it. The makeup artist at the counter recommended this to me for my (tanned) skin tone. A little goes a long way and it's easy to build up. I use it to contour my cheekbones but if I'm lazy, I just sweep it across my cheeks. Gives a nice natural looking glow every time. It's a bit pricey (around $30CAD) but worth it.

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rated 5 of 5 followyourfancy19 on 8/28/2011 12:12:00 AM more reviews by followyourfancy19

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond, Relaxed, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is my favorite bronzer, ever! I bought it back last summer with the To The Beach collection, so the packaging is uber cute, but I believe it is also part of the permaniant line. The flecks of gold glimmer make me feel girly, but don't leave an overbearing trace on your face. This bronzer isn't muddy, and not too dark. I use it for contouring my cheekbones, and it always looks natural!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 emmyn123 on 8/4/2011 3:02:00 PM more reviews by emmyn123

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I needed a new bronzer and i went to mac and bought Refined Golden. You may think that it's really shimmery, but once you put you can barely see it. It gives a nice glow. Overall its a great bronzer. I would repurchase!

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rated 5 of 5 naturallyfab on 7/27/2011 4:22:00 PM more reviews by naturallyfab

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Other    

I LOVE this bronzer! This is my HG bronzer, because it darkens my skin and gives me the I-just-got-back-from-holiday look. People ask me if I went tanning with this bronzer! It's a true golden brown color with little to no orange undertones. There is shimmer in the pan, but I find it doesn't transfer to the face.

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rated 4 of 5 aznbunny on 7/18/2011 3:45:00 AM more reviews by aznbunny

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I'm not too passionate about this product. My mom and I picked it up at the Duty Free shop before we boarded a flight, and we were really only there to kill time and to reap the benefits of no tax purchases. My mom wanted to restock on her MAC concealers and I wanted to buy a warm bronzer for our vacation, so I picked up Refined Golden. The bronzer does a good job at providing a sun-kissed glow, and it's the perfect shade for my NW20 complexion. It has a nice sheen and minimal traces of glitter specks. However, I don't find it anything special. Staying power is okay. It's certainly dupeable.

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rated 2 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* chanel277 on 5/3/2011 9:06:00 AM more reviews by chanel277

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I hated it! goes on ridiculously sheer and sickly orangey. The packaging is the classic Mac packaging that I dont necessarily enjoy. The texture is quite dry and applies unevenly and full of shimmers and I hate glittery bronzers they look like dirt on me. this products is called REFINED GOLDEN well I dont know where this golden color is but definitely is not in this compact this is pure orange and not the good orange the bad self tanner kind of orange. Im not surprised by this failure though all MAC bronzers are pretty much rubbish .

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* tinytapa on 5/3/2011 12:48:00 AM more reviews by tinytapa

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This is my all-time favourite bronzer (and I've tried many!). Unlike many others, this bronzer does not make me look orange at all. It's got a soft pearly shimmer, but that barely shows up on my skin (which I really like - I don't particularly like shimmery cheeks on myself). It reflects light beautifully, and adds dimension to my face, especially because I prefer matte foundations. I dust it lightly across my cheeks, across my nose, chin and forehead (where the sun would naturally hit), and sometimes add a bit extra under my cheekbones to add some extra dimension. Sounds like a lot, but this is a very sheer application that is buildable. I haven't had any problems with the packaging and I've travelled extensively with mine. Naturally, the middle is the first to go and the outsides can crumble after time - though I've had one hold up until the bitter end! Currently, I'm an NW20 shade, but I am usually darker and this bronzer seems to suit me no matter how tanned or pale I am. I've also given this as a gift to a very fair friend, and she looked stunning with it on - not orange-y, either! My makeup kit would be incomplete without this bronzer - I love it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No