When Makeup Geek, one of my favorite brands, is launching a new product, I’m obviously super interested. If, to top that, it’s a whole range of highlighters, one of my (many, I admit) vices, I can hardly resist!
I’ve used the highlighter palette that Makeup Geek (or MUG) created in partnership with Kathleenlights since this summer (it’s a limited edition). You may have seen I reviewed it on my Instagram. In a word, this palette is the bomb! And I promise you it’s not too dark for light skin (I read that comment a lot). Personally, I find it perfect and suitable for all skin colors. wink
I already knew I loved the new highlighters’ formula. So when the brand released new shades, I rushed to order more of them!
Makeup Geek Highlighters, presentation:
What the brand says about them:
“Come to the light and illuminate your most-loved features with Makeup Geek Highlighters! The super-smooth and incredibly pigmented formula provides a reflective luminosity that ranges from subtle to extreme—use a light hand for a natural, lit-from-within glow or pack it on for an intense, strobed effect. Available in seven signature shades and six duochrome shades that can be applied to both the face and body.
- Talc-free formula is great for sensitive skin
- Highlighter pan weight is 7g / 0.25 oz
- All of our highlighters are cruelty-free — we do not test our products on animals
- These highlighters are all Talc and Paraben-Free
- Made in the USA”
Makeup Geek has gone big with the launch of these highlighters! The range of colors is very wide, with many choices for all skin colors.
The range is composed of 13 shades, depending on the skin color:
– Porcelain/ for very fair skins: Glitz, Celestial (Duochrome) and Moonphase (Duochrome).
– Fair/ for light skin tones: Lit (Duochrome), Luster and Midnight Sun.
– Medium/ for medium skin tones: Rekindle, Daybreak and Psychedelic (Duochrome).
– Deep/ for dark skin tones: Firework, Ignite and Ablaze(Duochrome).
I like the fact that there are duochrome colors in the range, it’s really fun and different, and it’s more wearable than you’d think (well at least, for the color I own).
I chose a bundle of 3 highlighters corresponding to my skin color (fair) because it allowed me to try 3 shades for a better price. And I also really like the colors! wink
Regarding the formula, they’re quite intense highlighters, in my opinion. Of course, you can build them and apply only a small amount for a very natural effect, but since I love highlighters (Who could have guessed???), I tend to put a little more on. They’re really easy to blend into the skin.
Makeup Geek Highlighters, my test and thoughts:
– Packaging:
A very sleek rose gold compact with mirror, super chic.
– Formula and texture:
The texture of these highlighters is very fine but also super creamy, and it makes no fallouts. A true joy to apply!
Regarding the ingredients, as always with MUG, the formula is quite irreproachable: talc, paraben, cruelty-free and for certain colors, vegan and gluten-free. Makeup Geek has its own laboratory, and all products are manufactured in the United States.
I understood from reading reviews here and there that the texture was quite fragile and that they tended to break easily. So I wouldn’t recommend traveling with them. (Luckily for me, I ordered them after my move, not sure they would have survived it…)
– Finish:
Their finish is very luminous, more iridescent than metallic but without any glitter. They give a very natural shine or more intense depending on the amount you apply, but never too much. The iridescent finish really blends into the skin without any noticeable texture effects, like you sometimes see with other thicker and / or more metallic highlighters.
– Colors:
They’re available in 13 shades:
– 7 “Signature” colors: Glitz (porcelain skin), Luster (fair skin), Midnight Sun (fair skin), Rekindle (medium skin), Daybreak (medium skin), Firework (dark skin), Ignite (dark skin).
– 6 Duochromes shades: Celestial (porcelain skin), Moon Phase (porcelain skin), Lit (fair skin), Psychedelic (medium skin), Ablaze (dark skin).
It’s a very wide range of colors! Duochrome colors are a nice change, and they’re surprisingly wearable, I really like them.
– Application:
I usually use my highlighter brushes, like for example:
– the ZOEVA 134,
– the Makeup Geek Cheek Highlighter Brush for an intense effect,
– the Smashbox 22, for a natural application.
– Pigmentation:
Great pigmentation. And you can build the color and intensity depending on the amount you apply
– Lasting power:
Very good, they last at least 8h on me.
– Value for money:
They’re not cheap, and I know a lot of people who were hard on the founder of the brand for that reason, accused her of raising the prices while the brand has always been affordable. But, if I may, first, it is not a small product (7g), and secondly, it’s a great quality highlighter of excellent quality. Nobody complains about the price of Becca highlighters, and they have mineral oils in them… I also believe that regarding the fragility of the texture, the brand had no choice but to put them in a compact with mirror, which necessarily raises the price a little.
MUG highlighters retail for $20.
Makeup Geek Highlighters, the colors:
– Lit:
If you’re hunting for a wearable duochrome highlighter, even for a daily makeup, look no further! It’s a very light, almost white frosted shade but with a very nice peach reflection, which is more or less intense depending on the light. I love it while I was not convinced that it would suit me at first! A very pleasant surprise.
– Midnight Sun:
A stunning light gold, quite neutral and very easy to wear. When I saw it the first time, I was afraid that it would be too dark and too gold for me, but on the skin, it looks less dark and colored than in the pan.
– Luster:
A very pretty beige champagne rosé. The pink reflection is very subtle, but it gives a lot of intensity and luminosity to your skin. I just love it!
Finally, here are the swatches:
A little “warning” before I show you my photos:
I’m not super happy with either my swatches or photos of me wearing these highlighters… I’ve struggled to get perfect photos of these highlighters!
For you to see the difference between the shades, I had to swatch them very heavily, which doesn’t really reflect the application I would normally use on my face. Also, on the photos of my face, I had to use a very strong light and also to get close to the lens because otherwise, you can barely see them. So it means you have a wonderful close-up view on my pores! I don’t find that these highlighters make them particularly stand out, but because I took my pictures at that distance, they’re pretty obvious. And as I refuse to edit my skin outrageously by blurring everything, inevitably, it is a little fair to pores on these photos!
I hope you won’t hold it against me, but in a way, it’s a bit of a principle here. Indeed, the goal is not to lie to you on a product by showing you an improved vision of things! I don’t want my blog to look like an ad in a magazine or some of these weird Instagram makeup accounts (I’m sure you know which ones I’m talking about :P).
And on me:
– Lit:
My lipstick here: Armani Lip Magnet liquid lipsticks in the shade 302.
– Midnight Sun:
My lipstick here: Rimmel from the collection with Kate Moss, the 055 My Nude.
– Luster:
My lipstick here: Armani Lip Magnet liquid lipsticks in the shade 600.
In summary:
[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]
As usual, Makeup Geek rocks it and delivers another great product! I realize that the brand is becoming one of my favorite makeup brands. I really want to support them because the products they release are always very good, they don’t compromise on quality, manufacturing or ingredients. So, once again, congratulations to MUG for a beautiful product! smile
The Makeup Geek highlighters are available on MUG website for $20.
And you, have you heard of Makeup Geek Highlighters? What colors would you like to try?
Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com