Today I have something a little different to share with you. Aside from nail polish, I am also obsessed with make-up and have recently fallen for highlighting my face. My the Balm order finally arrived from HauteLook so I decided to swatch the highlights I have - high-end and drugstore - to show you the differences and what I like about each one.
The contenders:
Let's start with
essence which is the lightest of all of the highlights I own. First, essence is cheap which is a huge plus. Second, for the price, their products are generally pretty good quality. I picked this one up because the pattern on the powder is adorable and it was like $2.99 at Shopper's Drug Mart. This is the only colour it came in and it is very light and also has some noticeable sparkle in it which I don't love. The main downfall of this product for me though, is that it's quite powdery and has a lot of fall-out. Still, it's cheap. :)
Moving on to
the Balm, which is the newest in my collection. Mary-Lou Manizer is a beauty blogger favourite and it's with good reason. The texture! I can't say enough good things. It's super soft and buttery and so pigmented. Just a light tap with your brush will likely give you more product than you need. The light gold/champagne colour is gorgeous and it leaves a lovely shimmer on your cheekbones. It's love!
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (MSF) in Soft & Gentle is another beauty blogger favourite. The MSF formula is highly pigmented and soft but not as buttery as the Balm, likely because it's baked and so a harder surface. This one is a gorgeous champagne colour and I think it goes the best with my skin tone. I find this one has more sparkle than the Balm and it's a little more noticeable on my skin.
Maybelline recently came out with their Face Studio line and, I gotta say, I'm impressed. The prices are certainly on the high end for drugstore (I paid $16.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart) but I would easily say that the Master Hi-Light compares with the MAC MSF. I love the woven pattern and the ease of blending all of the colours. The texture on this was great and a swirl of the brush picks up the perfect amount of product.
Finally, the most expensive member of collection,
Dior Amber Diamond. Again, this is one that I picked up because of all of the hype and I'm really glad I did. I love the colour strip configuration which allows you to combine all five colours or just pick and choose for a lighter or darker look. I generally combine all five which gives a lovely light bronze highlight. This one and the Maybelline one will be perfect for summer when my face gets a little darker.
I swatched all five on the inside of my arm and took photos in slightly different lighting to show the shimmer and differences in colour.
Which one is your favourite? Is there a highlight you think I should try?
