By 
Summer is finally here, and what better time for Hailey Bieber — the embodiment of the cool-girl, clean-girl aesthetic — to launch a new summer collection from her billion-dollar beauty brand, Rhode?
Two years ago, I expressed my disappointment with the Pocket Blush — from its pigmentation to its poor wear time — but that didn’t stop Gen Zers from breaking attendance records at Rhode pop-ups and turning the Pocket Blush into a viral sensation.
Rhode’s brand new summer collection features the highly anticipated Pocket Bronze and Highlight Milk. For those who want to embrace the full collection, Rhode has released a few limited-edition items: a terry bag, a terry towel, a dual-ended brush, a snap-on lip case, three Peptide Lip Tint shades, as well as three Peptide Lip Shape shades.
Rhode’s campaigns are always impeccably executed, and this one was no exception: a bronzy-looking Hailey Bieber in a dark brown bikini holding a life-sized Pocket Bronze against the backdrop of a tropical beach. The promo pictures feature models of different skin tones showcasing an effortless glow with either the Pocket Bronzer or the Highlight Milk. I was instantly sold.
Photos: Rhode
This time around, the Pocket Bronze comes in eight shades, offering a more inclusive selection for deeper skin tones. As soon as reviews from content creators on Rhode’s PR list dropped about a week earlier, I watched every video trying to find someone with a similar skin tone to mine.
After seeing the swatches on olive and tan skins, I concluded that Bake was the best fit: a medium-to-tan shade that pulls very warm, which is exactly what I want in a bronzer — especially considering how easily tan I get.
According to Rhode, the Highlight Milk, modeled after the brand’s viral Glazing Milk, “delivers clinically proven hydration and a soft, pearly glow.” I don’t want to look tanner than I already get, but I love a good pearly glow, like the Diorskin Nude Luminizer (discontinued) or the Liquid Luminizer Highlight from Rare Beauty. That’s why I went for shade 02, called Pearly Champagne.
Next month, I’ll be in Italy, lounging on the beaches of Capri and Palermo and going on 12-hour walks. Will this Rhode combo make me look like a bronzy siren or will the products fade away into nothingness?
On June 9 and 9 a.m. on the dot, I was watching the Rhode website like a hawk to order the $50 Sun-Kisset Set, which includes the Highlight Milk and the Pocket Bronze.
My wait time to check out was only 5 minutes long. After an hour, Rhode announced that they had sold out of two Highlight Milk shades. I received my order on June 20, significantly later than I did when I ordered the Pocket Blush two years ago. Rhode’s pictures were flooded with comments from customers expressing their disappointment over shipping delays.
Pocket Bronze in Bake
Sporting the same packaging as its sister product, the Pocket Blush, the Pocket Bronze claims to “deliver long-wearing warmth and have a creamy, lightweight texture that won’t look patchy or feel dry.” I was very skeptical to read this because the Pocket Blush was the complete opposite of long-wearing.
The hero ingredients are the same as the Pocket Blush: tamanu oil and peptides. Something I didn’t like about the Pocket Blush was how oily it felt.
Ok, talk about pigment! This time, instead of the bronzer blending into nothingness, the pigment actually stayed on and I was able to manipulate the intensity product. The bronzer feels creamy but not oily in the slightest, unlike the Pocket Blush, where I could feel the oils lingering on my cheeks long after application.
As far as the shade, after I ordered Bake, I was actually pretty nervous while seeing the videos of beauty influencers with tan skin, thinking it was going to be too light – but I could not be happier with this shade!
I’m not wearing an ounce of makeup in these photos, but you can see the warmth on my face — which is exactly what I want in a bronzer: a noticeable, sun-kissed warmth that brings dimension to the face.
Here’s what the bronzer looks like fully blended in. I also applied it to the top of my forehead.
Application
Since the Pocket Bronze is so creamy and easy to blend on its own, I highly recommend tapping it with your middle finger or a beauty blender rather than using a brush. In all the videos, influencers are seen blending the product with the Rhode blush, but the fibers don’t seem to help diffuse the product, making some of the demos look a bit patchy.
Highlight milk Shade 02
Is this a primer? Highlighter? According to Rhode, the Highlight Milk is all of the above. On the website, it says, “Mix with foundation or tinted moisturizer to sheer out coverage, blend effortlessly, and add a natural, pearly finish.”
Here’s what it looks like over the top of the bronzer. A little bit goes a long way! I love the way it captures light, giving me the Rhode glaze-skin effect.
Something to note is that the Highlight Milk has a very fluid consistency and feels slightly tacky. Like, in the pictures above, I felt like I had a wet layer on my cheek, so keep that in mind. Its sister product, the Glazing Milk, is known for its glaze-like hydration. I love this feeling when I’m layering my skincare products at night, but not throughout the day. That said, it layers beautifully with the bronzer!
The following day I applied the Highlight Milk all over my whole face. I prefer applying sunscreen first because then the glow is not overpowered by sunscreen.
The website says: “Apply to bare skin or mix with foundation for a natural, pearly glow.”
Sunscreen should always be your first step! Don’t skip it.
SPF + Highlight Milk 02 + Pocket Bronze
The Highlight Milk and the Pocket Bronze look absolutely stunning in natural light — which is how most pictures of the campaign pictures look.
Cons
Besides the tackiness, I wasn’t a fan of the Highlight Milk in indoor lighting. You can see the pearly sheen on my forehead and around my nose, which is exactly the effect the Highlight Milk is designed to create. Take this into account if you’re planning on taking pictures indoors with flash at night.
My skin is already naturally glowy thanks to my simple K-beauty routine (post coming soon!), so I don’t feel the need to add more glow by applying a luminous hydrating milk.
For this reason, I will be using the Highlight Milk on my face only as a highlighter.
10 p.m.
Both the Pocket Bronze and the Highlight Milk proved to be long-lasting! I did not need to reapply the bronzer for it to show up or stay put.
Overall thoughts
For this launch, Rhode has stuck with what’s familiar: skin first and makeup second. However, it seems that this time around, they have worked out the kinks in the formula.
The Pocket Bronze truly delivered long-wearing warmth and pigment in one full swipe on each cheek, melting into the skin with a lightweight finish that’s neither overly oily nor too glowy.
Its compact size and easy application make it the perfect travel companion for my Euro summer trip, alongside my handy-dandy Saie liquid blush.
Regarding the Highlight Milk, I wish Rhode had come out with a separate face highlighter in a gel or powder formula rather than a multipurpose illuminating milk made for the face and body, including the legs, as Rhode encourages on its website.
Nonetheless, it is a gorgeous product that I will also keep and apply to my décolletage when wearing V-neck dresses and over the bronzer.
Overall, I’m very happy with this launch, and I can’t wait to see what Rhode comes up with next! I hope you found this review helpful!
