Luminous Nude Cheeks: Surratt Artistique Blush in La Rosée du Soir

Time for blogging is rather sparse these days, but I had to come on here to show you the newest member of my blush stash, the Surratt Artistique Blush in La Rosée du Soir ($32 for 0.14 oz/ 4g). After trying the Surratt pressed powder 'slurry' formula via his eyeshadow in Scintillante (reviewed here), I was really interested in trying a blush from the line, and I was finally enabled to do so by the Sephora VIB rewards card - even though I really do not need any more blushes in my life.

In the same manner as his eyeshadows, the Artistique blushes come in single resin pans which can be glued into a Surratt custom palette, available separately. For the time being, I'm too cheap to actually spring for that beautiful compact and just use the pans as is - luckily they're more substantial than a regular metal pan and also come with a sliding plastic lid to help protect the powder inside. The shade name is printed on the back label, which is also a sticker you'd use to secure the pans in the palette.

Well, since my window for blogging isn't very long at the moment, let me keep this post brief and just say that I really, really like the formula of this Surratt blush. It's just as pillowy soft as my Scintillante eyeshadow and applies like a beautiful glowy cloud of color to the cheeks. I feel like La Rosée du Soir certainly isn't the most pigmented blush formula out there, but that's my preference - I find opaque blushes very difficult to work with on my fair skintone.

The texture is creamy and blendable and looks natural on the skin; there's no trace of powderiness (is that a word? Don't think so...) once applied. The subtle luminous finish is also incredibly believable. I would compare it to one of my HG blush formulas, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes - it's the same amount of ethereal glow without obvious shimmer or, God forbid, glitter. However, I may even like the formula of the Surratt blush better, because it feels less dry than the Hourglass both on the skin and in the pan.

L-R: Surratt La Rosee du Soir, Hourglass Mood Exposure, NARS Douceur, KIKO Trio Blush in no. 1 Natural Rose

I know what you're going to say - La Rosée du Soir isn't a terribly unique shade. In fact, I have an almost exact dupe in my stash already. But the finish and tactile feel of the Surratt blush is unique enough for me to warrant keeping it, and this nudey rose color family is my favorite at the moment, so I don't mind having several to choose from. I've swatched it here against three other similar blushes to give you an idea of the shade if you're planning to order sight unseen. I've seen La Rosée du Soir described as a nude pink (Sephora says it's a rosy nude) but I would keep in mind that this shade pulls rather warm, especially on a fair skin tone. I would even say it looks a bit more like a nude muted peach on me; it's definitely warmer than NARS Douceur and less rosy than something like KIKO Shade Fusion Trio Blush in Natural Rose (here).

So while this purchase was definitely superfluous for my collection, I'm really pleased with Surratt La Rosée du Soir, and I would gladly buy more shades from the newly expanded range. It's also worth mentioning that yes, the brand's Cheek Brush (reviewed here) works exceptionally well for picking up and blending their blush formula. Have you tried any of the powder products from Surratt Beauty? What is your favorite everyday 'goes with everything' nude blush?

Multi-Benefit Korean Beauty: 24/7 Touch Up Skin-Perfecting Cream* Review

How often does it happen to you guys that you see a beauty product and have no idea about its purpose or function? As a seasoned beauty fanatic, I pride myself on being well-versed in the world of make-up and skincare, yet Korean beauty products sometimes still baffle me - like this 24/7 Touch Up Skin-Perfecting Cream* ($22 for 0.61 fl oz/ 18ml, available here) I received to try from the US-based K-beauty retailer Peach & Lily.

If you've never heard about Peach and Lily, they carry a curated selection of mostly Korean skincare from popular brands such as Mizon or May Coop, but they also specialize in bringing new and exciting K-beauty launches to the US. I have previously never heard about the brand 24/7 so it was interesting to read that they focus on releasing make-up products with skincare benefits. When I first opened the box of the Touch Up Skin-Perfecting Cream, I thought it was a concealer; but it's actually a subtle shimmer cream that can be applied as a highlighter on the cheeks, dewy make-up primer or used throughout the day to bring more glow to the face. The Touch Up Cream contains castor oil, glycerin and adenosine to provide anti-ageing benefits for your skin.

The Cream is packaged in a simple squeeze tube with a small opening at the nozzle, which is great because you certainly don't need a lot of product to achieve a glowy result; I also find that the amount of product you get in a tube is great value for money. Now, the first thing I noticed about this product is the scent: unfortunately, it smells very strongly of something akin to baby powder, and at least on me, the fragrance really lingers on the skin after application. A lot of Korean products have these strong fragrances, so I guess it was to be expected, but I could certainly use without it in this product or at least I wish it was not as tenacious.

The texture of this highlighting cream also took me by surprise. It is quite thick, and very, very rich and creamy. I'm not sure why Peach & Lily descibe it as lightweight on their website, because to me, it's the exact opposite: it's viscous and dare I say, quite oily on the skin. Even when applied in the tiniest amount possible on top of my cheekbones, it leaves behind a glow that's due more to its glossy finish and not any visible sparkle or shimmer in the product. It does contain a very subtle, refined pearly sheen, but honestly what I notice more is the wet effect of the product sitting on top of the skin. Throughout the day, it doesn't set and remains tacky on the face, and unfortunately gathers a bit in my fine lines - I've also tested it as a brightener layered under concealer on my under eye area, and it caused creasing there as well. Mind you, the skin on my cheeks is normal, and I would say my under eyes are a bit dry and dehydrated... so I'm not sure how dry your skin would have to be for this product to absorb more into the skin. Needless to say, I have not tested it on my entire face as a primer - that would just be a catastrophe waiting to happen.

I speculate that my somewhat negative feelings towards the formulation of this 24/7 Skin-Perfecting Cream may stem from cultural differences between the West and the East. Yes, I like to highlight my face in strategic areas, and yes, I sometimes like my base to look extra glowy - but I absolutely prefer something that sets on the skin and doesn't move throughout the day. Who knows, maybe in Korea they like their mul-gwang so much they don't mind a wet gloss to their cheeks - or maybe it would work better if your skin were in need of some serious boost of moisture. For me, I guess I'll stick to my powders and thinner textured highlighting sticks. Do you prefer to enhance your glow with liquids and creams or powder highlighters? Would you wear a 'wet' highlighter on your cheeks?

Disclaimer: Product featured in this post is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading! 

A Highlighter for Highlighter Haters: ILIA Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams*

Do you remember my rave review of ILIA's Multi-Stick in A Fine Romance (here)? It was one of the only two cheek products I took with me on our Icelandic getaway and I literally COULD NOT put it down for those two weeks - and beyond. So I was very excited to give another of Ilia's 'cheek sticks' a try - it's their cream Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams* ($34 for 0.15 oz/ 4.5g, available on iliabeauty.com), a shade aimed for fair and light skintones. What's even more exciting is that ILIA Beauty has now made their Sephora debut with their three Illuminators, available both in-store and online (click!), and I'm crossing my fingers to see the full line there in the near future - pretty please? :)

The packaging of Ilia's Illuminator is exactly the same as their Multi-Sticks: a simple burnished metal tube with a chubby bullet inside. One thing worth noting is that when you first get the product, it's important to remember to push the cap all the way down until it clicks securely, because it's very easy to leave the tube half-open and potentially have the product dry out if you're not careful.

All of ILIA Beauty's line features certified organic nourishing ingredients. The Illuminators contain sunflower, castor, sesame seed and avocado plant oils, as well as cocoa and shea butters. The product is fragrance-free but there is a very faint 'natural' scent to it when you put your nose to the tube - I can't smell it though once it's applied on my face.

I find taking color-accurate photos of highlighting products extremely hard, but I tried to do my best here. As you may be able to see, Polka Dots & Moonbeams (btw, first prize for a super adorable shade name) is a pale ivory pearl. While on its own and in the bullet, it looks like it may be leaning warm and slightly yellow, when you look at my comparison swatches you'll notice that this shade is in fact extremely neutral. It has neither pink, peach or white gold undertones but it's not a stark white pearl either - I'm making a terrible job of describing it, am I not? Let's just have the photos speak for themselves then.

In terms of formula and texture, again I find Ilia's Illuminator quite similar in feel and performance to the brand's Multi-Stick. It's a bit of a firm consistency in the tube but it becomes more emollient and easy to pick up with the warmth of your skin. It's definitely on the sheer side when it comes to pigmentation, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences. If you like the look of a strong, mirrorred, strobed cheek, I would steer you away from this product. However, if you dislike most highlighters because you find them too unnatural and obvious - well hello, meet the product of your dreams :) 99% of the time I firmly belong to the second camp so I absolutely love the natural luminosity Polka Dots & Moonbeams brings to my face. The texture is so soft and easy to blend that I virtually can't tell I have any product on my cheekbones, and thanks to all the lovely plant oils and butters, it leaves a bit of a moisturized sheen on the skin as well. On that note - mind you, the Illuminator doesn't set, so if your skin type is very oily, you may not like this creamy texture.

I have tested Polka Dots & Moonbeams on bare skin, on top of a liquid foundation, on top of a cream blush and under a powder blush and it blended in and sat well on the skin in all four instances. In fact, I find Ilia's stick highlighter easier to work with than Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight (reviewed here); the Glow Stick is actually a bit thicker and more emollient and sometimes I find it looks a little funny when combined with powder products. I also like the shade of Polka Dots & Moonbeams better than Spotlight; in my heavy arm swatch, Spotlight looks a lot more yellow/ pale gold on my fair skin with cool undertones, while Ilia's product seems to be the perfect natural match for my coloring.

L-R: Ilia Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams, Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight

L-R: Ilia Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams, Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight, Surratt Eyeshadow in Scintillante, Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight

In these swatches, you can also see that both Marc Jacobs Spotlight stick and Anastasia Beverly Hills (powder) Illuminator in Starlight (reviewed here) are more pigmented and reflective. Surratt Beauty Eyeshadow in Scintillante that I like to use as face highlight is sheerer just like the Polka Dots & Moonbeams, but has this somewhat strange subtle grey cast.

I'm sorry for the weird lighting in my face shot - the day I took this photo was really grey and overcast and I don't think it showcases Polka Dots & Moonbeams to its full potential. However, you can still see how natural this Illuminator looks on the skin - it's definitely not too much for everyday wear. Even if you normally hate how highlighters look on your face (or, as a fellow pale person, find most of them too dark for your coloring), I think you'd be surprised by how much you like the ethereal glow of Ilia's Illuminator - definitely give it a swatch next time you're in Sephora!

Have you incorporated highlighting into your regular make-up routine? What is your favorite texture for a highlighter - liquid, cream or powder? I'd love to know!

Disclaimer: Product featured in this post is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

Not Quite Strobing: Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in 700 Spotlight Review

It seems that thanks to Influenster, this year will be all about discovering Marc Jacobs Beauty range for me - and I'm not mad at it. This time we've received a very trendy product to review: the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator in the shade Spotlight 700* ($42 for 0.49 oz/ 14g). I'd only tried two other cream/ liquid highlighters in the past - Benefit Watt's Up and MAC Strobe Cream - so I was excited to give the MJ version a go.

The highlighter stick is packaged in a minimalist short but fat tube; at first I thought the price of this product to be rather high, but you really do get A LOT of product here - I can't really see how you'd be able to use the entire thing up in a reasonable amount of time, unless you were using it all over the face under foundation and/or on your body - which you absolutely can. That's definitely one area where I believe cream highlighters have a leg up over the powders; they can be layered with other products and multitasked more easily.

The shape of the stick is oval, which may look like it would come in handy to apply directly on the cheekbones; however, for my face at least, the size is too big, and with its impressive pigmentation, I find the Glow Stick more user-friendly when applied with my fingers, a beautyblender, or a smaller brush.

It's quite an emollient formula; I don't own the Watt's Up anymore so I can't compare there, but it is definitely thicker/ more viscous than the liquidy MAC Strobe Cream. Nevertheless, the Glow Stick's formula is very blendable, both under and over foundation. I don't think it sets necessarily, but when sheered out in a thin layer, it doesn't move anywhere on the face and wears beautifully for the entire day. I would recommend this formula to anyone in the combination-normal-dry skintype spectrum; if your cheeks are oily, it may migrate more for you.

On Sephora's website, the shade Spotlight (which is the only shade available) is described as 'universal glow'. I don't believe that's really the case. As you can hopefully see from my close-up shots and swatches, this highlighter is a very, very pale white gold - I can't pick up much of the golden tones once it's blended out on the skin, so you could also describe it as a very light ivory shade. It's fantastic on my fair skintone, and I think it would suit a variety of undertones as the shade is quite neutral; but if you're medium to dark skintone, I believe this shade would look quite stark and maybe even ashy.

The finish of Marc Jacobs' Glow Stick is a fine pearl, no large shimmer or glitter particles in sight. It packs quite a punch though so you can definitely get a more dramatic strobing/ mirrored effect if you want - that's not really my style, so I'm glad that it can be sheered out more easily too. In my experience, it doesn't accentuate my pores or fine lines on top of my cheeks, and layers just fine over both powder and cream blush, although I like the finish better when worn with creams - just looks a bit more natural.

Highlighters are definitely one of the more challenging products to photograph but I hope you can see the tone of Spotlight quite well compared to some of my other highlighters. In my review of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight, I called that shade a 'pale white gold' too, but as you can see, compared to the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick, it's definitely more peachy pink. Surratt Eyeshadow in Scintillante has a less dramatic pearl finish, and the base shade leans more grey (but somehow nearly identically matches my skintone).

L-R: Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight, ABH Illuminator in Starlight, Surratt Scintillante. I'm sorry you can't see these shades more clearly in the arm swatch, but that's just the consequence of swatching products which are incredibly close to my skintone.

In the face shot, I'm wearing the Marc Glow Stick on tops of my cheeks, tip of my nose, Cupid's Bow and a tiny bit under my brows. My base is Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in 31, applied with a damp blender sponge and lightly set with MAC Blot Powder on the T-zone. I think the Glow Stick looks lovely and fresh - I applied a bit more than I would usually do for the photo, but I still think the overall effect is not too overdone. Even though I've been a lot more into highlighters these past two years, I'm still not convinced by the strobing trend, and I'm glad the Marc Jacobs product can be made to look more natural for every day wear.

Are you into strobing? I know a lot of us beauty fanatics just love shopping for and collecting different highlighters - and I can definitely see why, so many of the limited edition highlighting powders are just too pretty to pass up! Do you prefer highlighters in the cream, liquid or powder texture?

Disclaimer: Item marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from Influenster for testing purposes. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

A Fine Romance with ILIA Beauty Multi-Stick*

Even though I'm a big fan of natural skincare, I have to admit that I haven't dwelved too much into green make-up products - the less expensive brands often get lukewarm reviews, and as for the more high-end of the spectrum... Well, there aren't that many reviews in the first place, and then there's the price to consider.

ILIA Beauty, a Canadian brand focused on organic and ethically-sourced ingredients, has always drawn my attention on BeautyHabit with its sleek packaging and luxurious lip products, so I was more than happy to receive their Multi-Purpose Stick in A Fine Romance* ($34 for 0.176 oz/ 5g, available on ILIA's website here, Beautylish & The Detox Market in the US and Net-A-Porter worldwide) to try and review.

ILIA's Multi-Purpose Sticks come in 6 flattering colors, contain nourishing shea butter and Vitamin E, and can be used on cheeks, lips and eyes. I'm forever skeptical when it comes to products meant for both lips & cheeks; most of the ones I've tried in the past have been either too dry to use on the lips, or too emollient to use on the cheeks, or both at the same time. However, I'm happy to report that ILIA's Stick is the first multi-use product I've ever used that actually does what it claims!

The Stick has quite a firm texture in the bullet but applies and blends easily - for my cheeks, I use a small stippling brush, and for my lips, I just apply directly from the bullet. It's not greasy or oily in any shape or form - it has a somewhat translucent, gel/ cream feel, and applies very lightweight on the face. It has a beautiful satin finish that gives a natural glow to my cheeks and a stained look to my lips - no obvious shine, no settling into lines or pores, just a fresh 'my skin but better' appearance. Even as a stand-alone cream blush, this formula rivals my favorite Canmake Cream Cheeks - except it wears nicer and more comfortably on the lips as well. There's a faint natural nutty scent to the product that's only discernible on application, but otherwise the product is completely fragrance-free.

The shade I received, A Fine Romance, is described as a berry on ILIA's website - I'd say it's somewhere between a deep rose or a light wine shade with a cool undertone, a bit more muted than a true berry shade. I often have to be careful with shades like this because they can look too dark on my fair skintone, or make me look somewhat bruised - but A Fine Romance is pure perfection. Sheered out on the cheeks, it gives me a healthy flushed look, built up on the lips, it's an everyday 'bitten' wine - and even when the product wears off (it's not very long-wearing on my lips but stays put on the cheeks all day without sliding off or fading), it leaves a nice pink stain behind.

I'm a little bit in love with ILIA's A Fine Romance - you guys, it's so, so effortlessly pretty. For me, it's the epitome of what most green make-up brands strive for in their products: something quick and easy to use that enhances your features without covering them up, while nourishing your skin at the same time. Even on my parched lips, the Multi-Purpose Stick looks even the entire wear time and actually manages to moisturize and soften dry patches. I can't wait to try more products from ILIA - I'm seriously impressed, and I have been rather critical lately when it comes to roadtesting new products. Have you tried anything from ILIA? What are your favorite green beauty make-up brands?

Disclaimer: The product featured in this post is a press sample I received from the brands' PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided free of charge. All links are non-affiliate. Thank you for reading!

Earning My Blush Stripes: Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in No. 1 Natural Rose

I used to be a major blush fiend (as evidenced in the Addicted to Blush Tag) and was obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect pinky peach, the most effortless baby pink, the ultimate universal nude blush. Recently though, I've sorta given up on that quest. Not that I don't love blush - my face looks uncannily zombie/ vampire like without it - but a lot of the different blushes I had would end up looking roughly the same on the face. So I did a bit of culling of the less-than-ideal formulas... and as a result of seeing all that empty drawer space, I purchased another blush. Sigh.

But you guys, it was just too pretty to resist - look at it! It's the Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in shade no. 1 Natural Rose ($15 for 6g/ 0.21 oz, available online at www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/ and at Kiko stores). When I visited a Kiko boutique in Warsaw, I was a bit surprised by the price difference between this new Shade Fusion formula and their regular Soft Touch blush, which was also on sale. But as soon as I compared the texture of the two blushes and taken into consideration the design of the packaging, I wasn't at all interested in the more affordable Soft Touch line. I had to get the Shade Fusion.

The compact of the Shade Fusion blushes is just beautiful - small but weighty, with a simple, clean, luxurious feel. There's a nice mirror inside, and no wasting of precious space to include a crappy brush. Since the metal is so reflective, it is of course a fingerprint magnet, but I can live with that - and all make-up fans should now heave an orgasmic sigh because the closing mechanism is magnetic. Aaaaah.

But the tactile feel of this powder blush is what really made me pull out my credit card. It's so smooth and fine, with a silky texture and no powder kick-up. Yet, the product isn't hard-pressed into the pan - it's very easy to pick up with both my swatchy fingers or a blush brush. Not sure how Kiko pulled that off, but it's just so, so pleasant to use.

L-R: Kiko Shade Fusion in Natural Rose, NARS Douceur, Hourglass Mood Exposure, Catrice Rose Royce

I obviously gravitated towards the most neutral shade in the range, no. 1 Natural Rose. However, similarly to the Catrice Defining Blush in Rose Royce, the Kiko blush doesn't really look rosey on my skintone at all. Instead, it's quite warm and very slightly peachy. Compared to my other 'nude' blushes, you can see that both NARS Douceur and Hourglass Mood Exposure are a lot more brown. The pigmentation of the Kiko Shade Fusion blush is medium but buildable, and the finish is quite matte. You could of course play with the shade depth of this blush by concentrating your brush on different stripes - sometimes I like dipping my brush into the two darker shades on the bottom and applying that to the back of my cheeks, and then using the middle and top stripe for the apples to give myself a more dimensional look.

All in all, I really like this new Shade Fushion Trio Blush in Natural Rose - it's pretty, it's easy, it suits a variety of eye looks or lipstick shades. If you've been skeptical about Kiko products so far, I'd say to give them a shot, even if the range seems a bit overwhelming at first. I think that for the price, the quality is quite outstanding, and the brands follows current make-up trends very closely - so if you wanted to try something a bit outside of your comfort zone, you could do so with their products without breaking the bank. Have you tried any Kiko products? What are your favorite things in their line?

Lavender Lemmings: Clinique Cheek Pop in Pansy Pop

I had been lemming a lavender-hued blush for most of 2015, and in December, armed with Sephora's $20 off card, I finally bit the bullet and purchased Clinique's Cheek Pop Blush in Pansy Pop ($22 for 0.12 oz). I actually previously owned one more shade, Pink Pop, but upon swatching it next to my other cool pink blushes, I decided to return it; I had nothing like Pansy Pop though.

I just came back from my Holiday break in Poland a couple days ago and maybe that's why I'm lacking my usual wordiness, but I don't really have all that much to say about this blush (although I have plenty of photos!). Is it the cutest little blush design, like EVAR? Yes. Is the formula as good as everyone says? Yes. Is Pansy Pop both unique and wearable? Yes yes yes.

I guess this is what sometimes happen when we cave in and acquire the object of our desire after months of visualizing its perfection - I'm just completely lacking any enthusiasm over this blush right now, even though it really is a great product, especially if you happen to have a cool-toned fair complexion like me. I really like it, but words are hard :(

If you're considering this somewhat unusual lavender shade, I've included a swatch comparison with two of the most cool-toned pinks in my stash, La Femme Flamingo Pink and NYX Pinky. Against these two, Clinique Pansy Pop is still the most purple, but the least pigmented. In terms of texture and finish, hopefully you can see in my arm swatch that Clinique's Cheek Pop looks the most flattering and naturally glowy on the skin; La Femme is completely matte, NYX is dusty with random flecks of silver shimmer. After taking this photo, I've decided to let go of NYX Pinky; I used to love it when I first started experimenting with blushes, but after a couple years of trying different formulas and brands, I now definitely have others I love more.

L-R: Clinique Pansy Pop, La Femme Flamingo Pink, NYX Pinky

Again, I'm sorry if my cheek swatch isn't terribly helpful - with the weak winter daylight and our north-facing windows, taking accurate and well-lit photos has been a touch challenging lately. In person, Pansy Pop looks very natural on my pale skin, but I have to be a bit more careful about lip product choices; I'm wearing just a baby pink gloss in the photo and I think the combination is making me look a bit washed out. I swapped it out for a medium pink lipstick later on in the day and thought it paired much better with this blush.

Have you tried any of the Clinique Cheek Pops? What are your thoughts? I hope you all had a relaxing holiday and I'm wishing you all the best for 2016 :) Thank you for your patience in my slow approving and answering of comments while I was gone. Hugs!

Holiday Party Glow: Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight

I'm really sticking to that wishlist, you guys, and it's working for me - all of my purchases so far have been great successes, knock on wood! One of those is Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight ($28 for 0.32 oz/ 9 g), a beautiful powder highlight in the 'gelee'/ MAC Extra Dimension type of formula. I'd never had a powder product with that texture before, so I was excited to play around with Anastasia's version.

I was also right to wait it out and see if Anastasia's own website would have any Black Friday/ Cyber Monday deals on this product, and while the sale wasn't super amazing, I managed to get my Starlight plus their A23 Highlighter brush (pictured) in a set for $26 with free shipping. I'm not going to review the brush right now - first impressions are that it isn't anything special - but still, the combo was just a little bit cheaper than the full price of one Illuminator.

I've read somewhere that the Illuminator's packaging looks cheap and doesn't go well with the rest of Anastasia's make-up line, but I don't really find any problems with it. Sure, it's just black plastic, but it seems sturdy and comes with a large mirror inside the compact.

Word on the street is that the pretty art deco-inspired embossing on the powder was chosen not just for visual impact, but for how increases powder pick-up on the brush. Hmm, maybe - I haven't really noticed anything different about that, but then again I normally use a very soft highlighter brush (Zoeva 105 Luxe Highlight, here) that allows me to precisely control the amount of product on the bristles. Either way, I think it's a beautiful design that adds a special something something to this highlighter.

Now, as for the gelee formula... I guess if I wasn't told before that it was a special type of formulation, I probably wouldn't have noticed all that much - sorry. The product is pressed quite firmy in the pan, which I like as it diminishes the amount of fly-away dust all over the compact like in the other two powder highlighters in my stash. Despite that firmness, it's easy to pick up quite a bit on the brush, and it's nicely pigmented - definitely not sheer, but not fully opaque either (that would be terrible for a luminizing product, don't you think?). Anastasia's Illuminator has a nice slip to it as well, which makes blending out a breeze - it definitely feels creamier/ less dry than my two baked highlighters, shown below for comparison.

The other significant difference between Anastasia's powder highlighter and the other two that I own is that the Illuminator has a lot more, well, glow to it. It's more reflective, and when applied heavily, can even verge on that metallic/ wet look that I usually avoid. However, it doesn't exaggerate pores too much, and it's quite easy to sheer out for daytime, so I'm happy to at least have the option of a heavier highlight if I want - it'd be really pretty for a Holiday party look, for example.

As for the shade, Starlight is the perfect highlight for fair to light skintones. I've heard it described two ways - either as a very pale white gold, or as a very pale pink, which seemed quite confusing to me; is it warm or cool-toned then? Well, it's a little bit of both. In artificial lighting, it definitely has more of that white gold iridescence, but in daylight, I see more of the baby pink, so I believe it's a white gold/ pale pink duochrome on a white base. Either way, I would describe its tone as neutral, so it should suit a variety of lighter skintones - it also compliments just about any blush shade. Compared to my other highlighters, Laura Mercier Baked Powder in Highlight 01 (click) is more champagne/ beige, while Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Radiant Lights (click) is significantly darker and more peachy pink. I'm sorry these swatches are not more visible, but truth be told all three of these products are rather close to my skintone.

L-R: (far left) Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight blended out, then swatched heavily, Laura Mercier Baked Highlight 01, Makeup Revolution Baked Vivid Highlighter in Radiant Lights

I took a whole bunch of face shots to try and show you Starlight in action, but I think winter afternoon light isn't bright enough to pick up on the glow - the only thing it managed to pick up on was my dry and flaky skin (I also didn't apply the Illuminator heavily on my cheeks because I was heading out to work). You can see it concentrated more in the inner corners of my eyes, but uhm, yeah - well I guess this picture shows that you really can apply this highlighter more sheer and subtle for daytime.

Anastasia's Starlight rounds up my powder highlighter collection very nicely, and I'm happy that I pulled the trigger on it. I really love all three of the luminizing powders I now have in my stash, and I don't think I'll be adding another one any time soon - I feel that three is a really good number to have some variety but still be able to regularly use all of them. What was the last powder highlighter that you've bought? How many do you have in your stash?