Review| Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in Gilded Honey

Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in Gilded Honey ($28 at Ulta) is a lovely true gold highlight that looks rich on medium to tan skin with yellow undertones. That's not to say that fair or deep skinned beauty won't rock it, but the gold undertone is more stark than Game of Thrones. 

Luckily, you can pick up a minimal amount of product by swirling in the product with a natural hair brush. You won't end up with a fat stripe of glittery gold (eyeshadow fallout?) on your cheeks. I think it's pretty comparable to Becca SSP's.  The flimsy plastic snap packaging could be improved upon but I love the compact container. 

Here it is swatched with one pass next to (from left to right): Dior Amber Diamond, Becca Opal, Laura Geller Gilded Honey, Becca Champagne Pop, Becca Moonstone.

In flash photography you can definitely see that all of these highlighters are "unique". At least that's what I tell myself. 

I'm not too familiar with the brand, but this product is definitely a great true gold highlight that wears all day, doesn't have huge chunks of glitter or shimmer, and looks completely natural with a good brush and controlled placement. 

xo Be

First Look| Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop

If they are still in stock, try to pick up a Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop  ($38) from Sephora before they disappear!

This limited edition shade is a cross between two permanent favorites in the collection of powdered highlighters from Becca: Moonstone and Opal. Moonstone is too subtle for me at NC30 and Opal is leans bronze on fair to light skin. Champagne Pop is the perfect cross-breed of highlight. It's not too gold, leans a little bit peach, and looks like a subdued champagne gold when it catches the light on your cheekbones. 

Becca highlighters are phenomenal, so I'll just leave you with some swatches in various daylight so you can decide for yourself if it's worth the splurge. 

Here it is in natural daylight. From left to right: Dior Amber Diamond, Becca SSP in Opal, Laura Geller highlight in Gilded Honey, Becca SSP in Champagne Pop, Becca SSP in Moonstone. 

The lurid flash photo. Champagne Pop doesn't lean quite true gold as LG Gilded Honey, and it's more flattering on a wider range of skintones than Becca SSP in Opal (which only fits medium to tan skin in my humble opinion.)  

Finally, here's a shot indoors under natural lighting as well. You can see the true color payoff in this picture. 

I look like an oily mess here, but Champagne Pop was placed haphazardly all over my cheekbones and high points over the brows and between the eyes. I'm mellllllttting. 

Pick it up! Now!

xo Be

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