Collection| My Powder Highlighters

It's been quite a while since I've done a collection post on the blog, since my stash has been quite amorphous and ever-changing for the past year. I've done a huge clean up and purge, however, and am ready to share with you my most coveted powder highlighters.

Plus, the amazing dolceus from MakeupAlley has done a running review of highlighters, both drugstore and high end, in her blog here. (I wish she was paying me to shill her blog, but I just truly enjoy looking at her damn gorgeous face lit up with highlighters!)

Keep in mind that I'm not a huge highlighter person. If my skin is a little lackluster, I usually use something like the L'oreal Magic Lumi primer underneath my foundation to add in an artificial radiance. Powders don't  tend to accentuate my pores, but they look rather frosty and unnatural on the bridge of my nose.

Clockwise: 

Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight. There's a review of this on my blog here. It's subtle enough to be worn daily. If you're adventurous... maybe all over? I like its gold tones.

TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer. If you can find a deal for these on Hautelook, pull the trigger and satisfy some animal instincts. These highlighters are unapologetic in borderline frostiness. Mary Lou is more yellow than Becca's Moonstone and may be too stark for many skintones, and a little goes a verrrrry long way. 

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (Pressed) in Opal: While Moonstone was my first purchase because in my feeble brain yellow gold shimmer = good for olive/yellow skintones, Opal takes the cake for the most flattering shade. It's not quite bronzey, or rose gold (there's a LE release for that), but a light copper that will flatter me when I'm very pale or fabulously tanned.

I had the liquid Moonstone with SPF 25 version before, but it gave me huge clogged pores and whiteheads from mixing into my foundation. Nayyyy.

TheBalm Betty Lou Manizer is a shimmery bronze that looks great as a bronzer/blush hybrid monster or highlighter for deeper skin. I like using Betty all over with a peachy nude lipstick for a very minimal summer face.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (Pressed) in Moonstone: A lighter, less gold version of Mary Lou. It's a tad frosty on me and therefore obvious, but it's a stark highlight and can be worn when you feelin' yoself hard and want to shimmer and sparkluh in the club. 

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow. The review of this palette can be found here. This highlighter is the most subtle of all subtleties, like a whispered compliment on your fine taste in wine. Even when I swirl and tap a brush repeatedly into the pan, not much color will show up on my cheekbones. It's not chunky glittery or even sparkly...just...glowy.

Dior Amber Diamond. Discontinued, muahahaha.  This is a bronze/gold/white/magic pan of multi-dimensional heaven. It's quite effective without being garish, and I lament the day Dior ever discontinued this product. What will I use once I finish it up? Will I live a life devoid of beautiful cheekbones?

I've included swatches (one pass, no primer underneath) of all in natural outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, and flash photography. I've swatched the products in the same clockwise direction from the wrist inward (So, starting with KA Candlelight on the wrist...)

 

Another shot in daylight that captures the varying amounts of fine or (granulated?) glitter in each product.



An indoor shot.

 And finally, the lurid flash photography shot.

I hope that gives you a glimpse into how versatile highlighters are...I can range anywhere from NC20 to NC40 and can find an option between all of these shades in my collection. Granted, they lean warm and golden, but even the pink tinged Becca SSP in Opal looks absolutely gorgeous and natural (as natural as a sparkly cheekbone can get) on me. 

Do you prefer powder, liquid, or cream highlighters? 

xo Be

Review| Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow

I had a mediocre stint with the Dolce Vita quad by Charlotte Tilbury, but my curiosity still got the better of me. 

The Filmstar Bronze and Glow ($65) is a duo of, you guessed it, a sculpting and highlighting powder. Even if reviews are mixed for her other products, many people adore this duo and hail it as "perfect" for fair to medium complexions. 

This product is best for those who don't want to look like they've put effort into finding their own cheekbones. In broad daylight, a heavy brown/grey stripe across your face is pretty damn obvious. This duo makes it easy to get away with daytime contouring, even more so than with the Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder and Candlelight highlighter. 

I really enjoy how enthusiastic I can be with my tapered brush and the Sculpt pan. Seriously, I could swirl my brush in the product all day and go straight onto my face, but the end result is never obvious or muddled. The sculpt powder is very light in color, but ultra buttery in texture (read: blendable) and doesn't drag or become a powdery mess on the face. There's a hint of micro-shimmer in pan but it only adds a slight glow on the face. 

The highlight is subdued and neutral champagne that leans neither too warm or cool. I don't think it advertises my pores at all. In fact, it's much more of a sheen than shimmer meaning no disco ball at this party. 

For how much you're paying, the quality is reflected in both the packaging and product. The rose gold casing has some heft, opens and closes with elegance, and includes a full mirror inside. It's not the same cheapo plastic feeling as her eyeshadow quads and yet fits nicely in a makeup bag. 

Did I mention the completely classy packaging? See below. 

The outer shell breaks in half. 

Then, a fancy sheath envelopes the compact. 

Instructions!

Isn't this sort of packaging the reason why we pay $65 for this compact? It's the attention to details that makes or breaks a first impression on a product. 

Below I have swatched the compact along with similar sculpting powders and highlighters. Sadly, they are in their own pans and not able to be combined together to be taken along in my purse. I have TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer, KA Candlelight, the Glow shade, the Sculpt shade, KA Sculpting Powder in Medium, and Dolce and Gabbana blush in Tan. 

In direct sunlight, Bronze and Glow is absolutely virginal in comparison to the rest of the products swatched. It's soft, very light, and natural even with 2 swipes. Yes, it's "no-makeup makeup" for contouring! Oh me? I woke up with these cheekbones. While it looks orange in comparison to my two other sculpting shades, it's actually much more natural when you blend into the skin. 

Here's a shot in indirect sunlight and outdoors. Don't get me wrong, it's not light to the point of not showing up on skintones past NC20. I am hovering between NC25-30 and find it to be noticeable on the face. But is noticeable the right word? It's there...or is it? I think this compact would suit anyone from N10-N35, but medium to tan complexions will find this lackluster or even non-existent on their cheeks no matter how much they reapply. 

Did I mention it lasts all day on the skin? No need to whip it out and reapply, as fancy as the packaging makes you feel.

If you want an every day contour compact that's as elegant as it is effective...look no further. 

xo Be