Showing posts with label sheen. Show all posts

Review: Maybelline Superstay Vinyl Ink - 15 Peachy

Maybelline Superstay Vinyl Inks aren't new product. They've been out for quite some time. I love their mattes, because they are super long lasting and I even use them on my clients when I do makeup. New Vinyl version got a lot of attention on social media as well and I had to try it. It's just as long lasting, but in a shiny finish that looks glossy and stays that way for a long time. 

Review: Essence Fresh & Fit Awake Primer

I've been hearing about Essence Fresh & Fit Awake Primer Healthy Glow Pore Minimizing Effect a lot, especially in relation to one of the Charlotte Tilbury products and since Essence is an affordable drugstore brand, plus my primer collection is fairly limited, I decided to give it a try. Boy, this is definitely one of those great surprises from the drugstore.

Review: Colourpop Super Shock Cheek - Flexitarian

So far I've mostly just ordered Super Shock Shadows from Colourpop, but I was really curious about the Super Shock Cheek formula, their highlighters in particular. I ordered shade Flexitarian, which is KathleenLights' favorite Colourpop highlighter in this formula and supposedly also one of the most reflective highlighters out there. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.


Packaging

It comes in the same packaging as Super Shock Shadows, just a bit bigger. Pot is made out of white plastic and it has a transparent lid. Minimalistic. Make sure you really close it well, otherwise the product will dry out.

In it is 4.2 grams of product and it costs 8$. You can buy it at Colourpop.




Mine came shrunken and I didn't know what exactly happened to it. I didn't even know, if these also have an embossed design on them or not. It might have been faulty in the production or it might have shrunken in the midst of transport. I used my fingers and spread it out to fit in the pot and the formula still works fine, thankfully. 


Formula

It has that same creamy, almost mousse like formula as their Super Shock Shadows. But once it touches the skin, it turns into a powder. It applies very smooth, glides on the skin like a dream. You can apply it over cream products or over powders and it won't grab or look weird. 

It has really good pigmentation with just one swipe and a light touch of the pot. This is definitely one of the best pigmented creamy, yet powdery highlighters I own. 

Shimmer in it is super fine and almost unnoticeable. It definitely gives you an intense, almost glossy looking metallic finish. But all you see is intense sheen, no visible shimmer. It's currently the most noticeable and reflective highlighter in my collection. I love it so much, because it doesn't have super pigmented base and it seems like you can almost see your natural skin through it.


Colors

I got it in the shade Flexitarian which is described as intense white champagne. Description is correct. Base looks very much like a light champagne shade in the pot, but once you apply it on the skin, you see this very intense metallic white sheen to it. White sheen makes it look slightly cool toned, but the base is initially warm. Shade in general is very light and would suit fair as well as light skin tones. On anything darker than that, it would really stand out and be very obvious. 

Colourpop currently has 25 different shades to choose from. They have highlighter for fair to pretty dark skin tones as well as some more colorful purple and blue options. 


Dupes

I compared it to some of my other highlighters to get you an idea of how it compares.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer - peachy gold champagne shade. It's darker and a lot warmer.
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Moonstone - yellow gold shade that is also light, but a lot warmer.
Catrice Kaviar Gauche Highlighter - champagne gold shade that is light, but has more of a golden sheen to it.
Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette Equinox - this one is the most similar to it, because it has that cool white sheen to it, but the base is a lot darker and more peachy. 

Performance

You can try to apply it lightly and you get a more subtle, transparent sheen. But in general, if you apply just a bit more pressure while applying it on the skin, it will look very intense. I prefer applying it with fingers, because it works best. You pick up the most color and get the most intense look. You can also apply it with a makeup sponge or a brush. Fluffy brushes will give you very natural look. You can also use a small dense brush which picks up a lot more product.

Formula is very long lasting. It looks practically the same at the end of the day as it looked when freshly applied. It doesn't move, sticks well and stays on without fading. 

You can use it as a highlighter on the cheeks as well as on the eyes. It makes a killer inner corner highlight - really opens up your eyes and makes them pop. 

Left: no highlight, Right: very light application of highlight

Heavily applied

Left: no highlight, Right: heavy application of highlight 

Inner corner highlight


Lips: Bourjois Rouge Velvet The Lipstick - 02 Flaming'rose

I have to say the quality of Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Flexitarian is well worth the price, even though it's on a more affordable side of pricing. Formula is creamy, but turns powdery once it touches the skin. Pigmentation is amazing without looking too opaque, it stays on the skin all day and gives you almost glossy metallic finish. It's not for those that want a very natural highlight, because this packs a punch, but without looking too artificial. It's great for fair and light skin tone. 

On me it almost looks a bit too light, but that just makes it stand out more. I usually go for warmer shades that are closer to my skin tone, but I can't seem to put it down ever since I first tried it. I definitely recommend you to get it, if you like the sound of it. I have my eye on some other shades that I still want to get - Lunch Money and Wisp. 

Review: Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer - Bronzer

Bronzer is my must have makeup product and I use it almost all year around, but definitely in the spring, summer and fall. It's an essential for someone with light skin tone, because you can add warmth to your face and bring out the contours so you don't look too flat. I feel like bronzers do for fair skin what highlighters do for medium skin. It just gives it life. 


I've heard so many rave review of new Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer. Before that I didn't own any of Physicians Formula products, because I find them a bit expensive. But the bronzer sounded so good that I had to try it. I have tons of highlighters, but not one proper bronzer that I would be happy with.

It comes in a paper box with description, how to use and ingredients list. The plastic lime green and dark green packaging with transparent lid is quite bulky. It also has tropical leaf design all over it.The design is pretty, but I would prefer a thinner packaging. 

In it is 11 grams of product and it costs 12.92€. I bought it on iHeb, because it was the cheapest. Btw they also have shipping saver on this product, so you pay only 3.39€ for the shipping. 




You open it up by pushing the button in. It clicks into the place and it's securely closed. On the top layer you'll find wavy 3D design of bronzer. You can open that layer up and in the bottom you'll find and odd sponge applicator. On the upper side of this compartment is also a small mirror. I could easily do without the mirror and that additional compartment. I don't use the sponge applicator, because I much prefer fluffier brushes for bronzers.



Here is the ingredients list. Physicians Formula states that the bronzer is infused with murumuru butter. They say that this bronzer is a mix of cream and powder formula. It should melt into the skin, give you lasting hydration and give you lit-from-within glow. It has ultra refined-pearl and soft-focus pigments that should smooth skin's texture, brighten skin tone and give a gorgeous bronze finish.



I chose it in the shade Bronzer, which is the darkest one. They also have a lighter one called Light Bronzer. This is definitely a bronzer for light to fair skin tones. If you have medium skin tone, this might not make any difference apart from giving you a subtle glow. 

Bronzer shade has a grey undertone to it, especially if you look at it in the packaging. Because I have a warm light skin tone, it looks warmer on me. It has that typical warm orange shade with just a hint of grey in it. Which means it doesn't only give you warmth, but it also gives you a bit of definition or almost contour. But in general this is very warm toned on me. 


It also contains tiny little shimmers. I am first to admit that I'm a lover of matte bronzers and anything that has shimmer in it usually scares me. But the shimmer is really small and it just gives the skin a lovely natural looking sheen. It really looks like it's part of your skin.


I also compared it to my other bronzers. Misslyn Beach Please! Bronzing & Contouring Powder in Holiday Hooray! is darker, also warm toned and looks a bit more redish toned. It has slight sheen, but you can't detect any shimmer. Physicians Butter Bronzer in Bronzer is as light as Kiko's, also warm toned, but has more of a peach undertone. It has the most shimmer in it and the best looking sheen - apart from theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer. Kiko Flawless Fusion Bronzer Powder in 01 Natural Tan is about as dark as Physicians', but is even warmer, more yellow toned and has that slight sheen as Misslyn. Betty Lou-Manizer is essentially a highlighter for dark skin tones, but I use it as a shimmery bronzer topper. It's the most shimmery, copper toned  and the most orange. Also the darkest of these all and has an obvious golden sheen to it. 


Formula of this bronzer is a dream. It's ultra buttery under your fingers, but looks like a powder once you apply it on the skin. It melts into the skin like a dream and it blends just as well. It has great pigmentation and I always go in with a light hand. I usually use a fluffy brush and apply small amount and brush it on the skin. It's better to build it up slowly. You can apply it really lightly to the point when you almost can't notice any difference. You can see how this looks like on the bottom photo. On the left I have just foundation and on the right I applied a very small amount of bronzer all over. 

If you apply it lightly, this could be great for fair skin tone. You can apply it more and it will still suit light skin tones also. I'm about NC15 and consider myself a light skin tone.



For my personal taste, I like to apply it a bit heavier, because I love the warmth that it gives me. The shimmer in it gives it such a healthy looking sheen and doesn't look greasy at all. It also stays on the face through the whole day. I find that it fades very little.  

 
Another benefit of this gorgeous bronzer is the scent. It has quite strong pina colada scent. To me it leans more toward pineapple, but I get a hint of something tropical like coconut as well. It instantly makes you happy as you're applying it and start dreaming of summer holidays.


If you're looking for a buttery bronzer that will give you natural looking sheen and is no fuss to apply, then you need this in your life. I adore the buttery formula. It lasts well on the skin, matches my light skin tone, gives you natural glow and has gorgeous tropical scent to it. This is definitely one of the best bronzers I have ever tried. 

My Highlighter Collection

Highlighter is one of my favorite makeup products. I don't even remember when this highlighter craze began, because when I was growing up this wasn't one of the essential makeup products. Now it seems like makeup lovers are competing who will have brighter shine on their cheeks. I personally love the effect that highlighters can give to the skin. In my opinion shine on certain parts of the face makes you look fresh and younger. For a heavier application, it can look very glamorous and because I love everything sparkly, I obviously love the effect of it. If you only apply foundation, concealer and a good creamy highlighter, your skin can look amazing and you don't really need much more. Maybe some mascara and lip gloss.

That is why I decided to share my collection of highlighters. I'm sure I have more than some and that I have less than some. I can't even use all of these up and it's not that I need them, I just enjoy collecting them. A lot of these are Limited Editions and then there are some classics that you can still get.





This is perfect shade for very fair skin tones. It's white based with very light golden sheen to it. It's very creamy product, but once it gets on the skin it turns into a powder. It has tiny shimmer in ti which is visible, but gives your skin beautiful glow that still looks somewhat natural. I use this more in the winter time and when I use very little skin products. It looks perfect paired with a BB cream and nothing else.



This is one of the rare liquid highlighters in my collection. It's also great for fair skin tone, because it has light champagne shade with strong sheen. It has small champagne shimmer as well as some bigger gold shimmer. It's a bit chunkier, but on the skin it looks natural because of the liquid texture. Once it dries on the skin it doesn't move.



It's my most used cream highlighter. Whenever I want quick makeup look that looks natural, I always go for this one. It's so easy to apply and looks natural. It's another fair skin option with light champagne shade. It almost looks like a mix of light gold and pink, so it's fairly neutral. This one has dense shimmer which is very small and gives the skin that beautiful natural sheen. It's a cream product that stays creamy on the skin. 





It's my least favorite highlighter, because it's not enough shimmery for my taste. It's suitable for fair skin tones, because it has white pinkish toned base to it. It actually looks like a regular powder with some added tiny shimmer. It also has fairly strong white base, so it's not sheer. For me personally this doesn't do much, so I rarely use it. It would be perfect for those that don't really like highlighters, but want to add the slightest sheen to the skin. It's very hard powder texture, so you have to build it up to get the color payoff.



Yes, it says bronzing pearls on it, but it's actually more a highlighter to me. It has a coral base to it that looks more like a very light blush, but on top of it, it also has white shimmer which gives it that pinkish white sheen. I use this more as a highlighter in the summer, when I'm a bit more tanned. That white sheen looks so much like highlighter that I wouldn't use it as a bronzer. You can also use it as a very light blush with a sheen. It's essentially powder in small pearl shapes. Powder is slightly wet, so it gives a nice color payoff. 



It has slightly wet powder consistency. The shade is like a champagne mixed with a bit of pink. It's basically like a darker and pinkier version of Kiko's 100 Gold. It's again one of those that I tend to wear when I have a bit more color on my face. It has tiny shimmer that gives it subtle golden shine, but is very pigmented in general. 




When I want something more pinkish, I always use this. It's my favorite pinkish highlighter. It has very light white pinkish base with tiny gold and pink shimmer. This is also great for fair skin tones, because the shade is very light. It also has that lovely sheen that looks gold on one side and pink on the other. It's so finely milled and has bright sheen. Powder has a bit more wet texture to it.



It's the most fun looking texture, because it's a gel that feels kind of jelly like. Once it dries on the skin it doesn't move. It has pinkish champagne base to it, but tiny shimmer in it gives it very golden glow. It has super fine shimmer and looks very natural and sheer on the skin. The sheen is quite strong and because it's very gold, it looks best on warm skin tones. 





It's perfect for warm fair skin tones. It has very light base, but it's just slightly golden. The base is still very white, so it's perfect for my skin tone. The shimmer in it is so fine that it gives the skin lovely sheen. It's one of those starting to have a nice glow, but is still subdued highlighters.



Hands down the best highlighter by Essence and definitely one of my all time favorites in general. It looks so similar to theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer's texture, but it's a lot lighter in the shade. It has very light golden sheen that can be build up to almost metallic sheen. It's perfect for light skin tones, because it has such a fair gold shade. Powder has again that wetness to it and it's really pigmented. Shimmer in it is really small, but the sheen is very obvious. It's like a more obvious and more metallic version of the Merry Berry version.



It's my favorite highlighter from my whole collection. This is again perfect for light and fair skin tones with warm undertone. It has very light yellow toned sheen to it, but the base looks more champagne. It's very similar to Essence Metal Glam. Metal Glam has more champagne tone to it and Moonstone has more yellow tone to it. Metal Glam is also just slightly more metallic. Moonstone still has quite bright sheen, but looks just a bit more natural. Shimmer in it is super fine. It's that perfect highlighter for everyday use, when you want it to give it glow, but not be too blinding. Powder also has wet feel to it.



Again one of my favorites. but it's just slightly darker than Moonstone, so it's now more reserved for when I have some color in my face (so more spring and summer). It also has that powder texture that feels wet to the touch. Shade is darker than Moonstone, because it's a bit more peachy golden. I would say that this could also be used on medium skin tones. It has tiny shimmer and gives quite metallic sheen to the skin. 




Cream highlighter that is a bit darker than my usual choices. It has pink champagne shade, but has a very cool sheen on the skin. It's very pigmented and blends into skin lovely. It doesn't dry down to a powder finish. It's a bit too pink for my personal preference. It sort of looks natural because of the cream texture, but gives quite strong sheen to the skin.



Powder texture is very dry and almost feels like baked powders. It has strong payoff. The shade is light lavender purple, but the sheen is very cool white. It has tiny shimmer and gives intense sheen to the skin. This is perfect if you want to get rid of dullness on light skin tones. 



If you have fair skin tone and want intense glow, than this one is for you. It has wet powder texture that is really pigmented. It's very light white based shade with slight yellow tint to it, but the sheen is very white. Shimmer is super fine. It's definitely gives the most intense glow in my highlighters collection.



It has that same dry baked texture as Hemisphere. Base is peach, but has that same white obvious sheen. Because of the peach base, I usually wear it when I am a bit tanned. It still gives the shin very cool sheen. Shimmer in it is also tiny. 




Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter - Golden Lights

It's fairly light shade, but it has very intense yellow golden sheen to it. It's almost a bit too yellow for my taste, because it doesn't look natural on my fair skin tone. I do love to pair it with more bronzed looks and I especially like to use it as an eyeshadow. Shimmer in it is really small and it has intense sheen. Pigmentation is great. Texture is more dry.



If I think Makeup Revolution is a bit too yellow for my taste than this one is almost unwearable to me. It's even more golden and more yellow tinted. This would probably look amazing on medium skin tones, but for me it's too yellow. I do love it as an eyeshadow or for more creative makeup looks. It has very similar texture to Makeup Revolution. The shimmer is also very tiny and has good pigmentation. 





I've been seeing this one a lot on Pinterest. Apparently it has become quite popular. It's in fact lovely highlighter. It looks almost like a bronzer in the pan and if you swatch it on the hand, it looks too dark. Once you apply it with a brush, it looks a lot lighter. It gives the skin subtle wearable sheen that has tiny shimmer and it looks like a pinkish champagne shade. It's really interesting shade that would probably work for light as well as medium skin tones. It's more suited for warm skin tones. It's just slightly too dark for me in the winter, but once I am not as pale and dead looking, it works. Powder has slight wetness to it. 



This is my favorite darker highlighter for summer time. It has marbled design, so shades depend on which one you take. If it has more white in it, it will be lighter. Mine has more gold in it, so it's darker. If you want something more peachy golden than Essence Pure Nude, than go for this one. It also swatches darker than it looks like on the skin. It's a more peachier base, but with a true gold sheen. This looks stunning on tanned skin. It has enough sheen and glow, but it's not too obvious.



It could almost be shimmery bronzer for me in the winter. I use it only when I'm tanned. It's liquid and has very fine shimmer in it. It blends into the skin lovely and it can be sheered out. It has bronzy base to it, but has very golden sheen to it. I usually mix it with my foundation or just apply it as a subtle sheen on tops of cheeks. It's really pigmented and can be build up to a metallic sheen. 


My personal favorites are Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector - Moonstone, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer and Essence Le Metal Glam Highlighter Powder - 01 Gold Digger. For my tanned complexion I adore Terra Naturi Shimmer Powder Body & Face - 01 Golden Highlight. My favorite cream highlighter for a more natural look is Kiko Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter - 100 Gold.

I love everything shiny and that's probably why I fell in love with highlighters. Even though I'll probably never go through all of these, I still have some that I would love to own in my collection. I might still get some, but some are just out of my budget for now. Especially, because I can't justify buying yet another one seeing how many I already own.

Highlighter Wishlist




  1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette 
  2. MAC Vanilla Pigment
  3. Charlotte Tilbury Film Star Bronze & Glow 
  4. MeMeMe Beat The Blues Skin Illuminator - Oyster Gold
  5. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid - Moonstone
  6. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed - Opal
  7. Benefit Whatt's Up! Highlighter
  8. Jouer Powder Highlighter - Citrine

I would love to know what are some of your favorite highlighters? Have you tried any on my wishlist and would your recommend them?