Instead of doing individual reviews, I'm going to compile all my highlighters into one in-depth review. The highlighters I will be reviewing today are the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (luminous light), The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer, NYX Illuminator (ritualistic), and Banila Co The Secret Marbled Highlighter (03 Allure, light beige).
The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Luminous Light):
Although the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders are actually finishing powders, I use this specific shade as a highlighter. A more suitable finishing powder for me from the ALP line is the shade Dim Light. Like with all my highlighters, I dust this on with a fan brush on the points of my face light normally hits. I like this powder a lot because it is very subtle, but does make a difference in the overall complexion on your face. There are no chunky glitters, just very finely milled powder and light-reflecting particles. This is really great for every day wear, although it does fade a little throughout the day. The packaging is quite bulky so it is not practical to carry this around with you. This item is on the pricier side, I believe $48 for this compact, but I find it is well worth the money.
Conclusion:
Color: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Duration of Wear: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
Price: $$$
The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer:
The Balm's Mary Lou-Manizer is an excellent and pigmented highlighter. You only need a little bit to really add that glow to your face. Not as subtle as the Hourglass ALP, but great if you want a noticeable highlight without any chunky glitters. The powder is very smooth and easy to pick up and apply. The packaging is very sleek and good for traveling or carrying in your purse. I have been using this highlighter a few times a week for almost a year and has barely made a dent in it. There is a lot of product and I expect this to last a long time. It is well worth the money, especially since this is rather inexpensive compared to the Hourglass. I bought mine from Walgreens, but beware about buying any The Balm products online. There are a lot of fakes of this particular product, especially on eBay so read feedback before buying.
Conclusion:
Color: 4/5
Quality: 5/5
Duration of Wear: 4/5
Packaging: 5/5
Price: $$
Nyx Illuminator in Ritualistic:
I added this into my cart as an add-on in order to get free shipping from Ulta. Boy was that a mistake. This highlighter is extremely streaky and the product is almost impossible to pick up from the brush. You can see from the photo part of the highlighter is smoothed over which is common when you use a wet brush on a powder. Strange thing is that I've never used a wet brush on this and it appears that the product has just rubbed over itself. The packaging is sturdy, the color payoff is poor, and the application is very streaky. This is disappointing for me because I generally like most of the products from NYX and I find most of their products are high quality at low prices.
Conclusion:
Color: 1/5
Quality: 1/5
Duration of Wear: 2/5
Packaging: 4/5
Price: $
Banila Co The Secret Highlighter in Allure 03:
This Banila Co The Secret highlighter is one of my all-time favorite highlighters. Banila Co is a Korean company famous for its Clean It Zero cleansing balm. The Secret highlighter is a marbled highlighter with a light beige base swirled with lavender, pink, and vanilla powder. There is very minimal shimmer, but the powder is still light-reflecting. This highlighter is definitely on the matte side, very natural looking from a distance and up-close and not chalky. I primarily use this highlighter when I'm traveling because the compact is small and very sturdy, and it comes with a mini fan brush. One downside is that the shape of the container makes it difficult to use a full-sized fan brush with. I highly recommend this product for anyone who wants a glow-from-within look and dislikes shimmer and glitter.
Conclusion:
Color: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Duration of Wear: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
Price: $$
Swatches from left to right: Hourglass ALP in Luminous light, The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer, NYX Illuminator in Ritualistic, Banila Co The Secret in Allure 03
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