NARS Light Sculpting Highlighting Powders (review & swatches)
I await spring beauty releases as anxiously as the annual Holiday collections, and this year NARS has been on my radar a lot. The company released a lot of new products lately, including the permanent Light Sculpting Highlighting Powders ($38) that officially launched in March at narscosmetics.com, and everywhere else in April.
The collection currently includes six shades:
- Albatross (opalescent gold)
- Capri (crushed pink pearl)
- Fort de France (champagne)
- Ibiza (yellow gold)
- Maldives (rose bronze)
- St. Barths (warm bronze)
The pans are really big!
Swatches from top to bottom: Maldives, St. Barths, Ibiza, Fort de France, Capri, Albatross.
According to NARS, this “innovative formula, available in six shades, combines micro-spherical powders and pearls that reflect light and melt seamlessly into skin to enhance your natural glow.” I will agree with them on that, the formula is outstanding and one of the best I tried in a while.
The first thing I noticed about these highlighters was the texture: the product is firmly pressed in the pan, yet it feels almost like silk when applied to the skin. It was easy to blend, whether I wanted a sheer barely there sparkle or a bold strobing beam of light. I tried using brushes with softer and firmer bristles, and they always picked up a good amount of product without kicking up dust. The highlighters blend into the skin seamlessly, giving it an ethereal glow without the glitter. The effect is so beautiful that I sometimes stare at my highlighted cheekbones when I catch my reflection in the mirror. Yeah, I kinda creep myself out sometimes, haha! 🙂
You will LOVE it if:
- You prefer highlighters without glitter.
- You are a MUA looking for product singles in large pans.
- You love being able to control the intensity of your highlight.
- You have uneven skin texture.
- You are looking for long-lasting makeup that will stay all day.
- You are a fan of NARS Cosmetics.
You will HATE it if:
- You are on a budget. (but at least you get a lot of product)
- You only support cruelty-free brands.
- You prefer palettes.
- You like highlighters with glitter.
- You only use 100% natural cosmetics.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients. (sorry, I don’t have the full list yet!)
NARS Light Sculpting Highlighting Powder in Maldives used as a blush. Isn’t it beautiful?
After trying them all, I found myself using Albatross and Maldives the most. Albatross is a very nice shade for fair skin with neutral or warm undertones. It’s an off-white with a subtle ivory tint, and it looks so pretty on my slightly olive complexion! Maldives is another favorite, but I’ve been using it as a blush. I really like that rosy bronze shade, and the way it illuminates my cheeks in the most flattering way.
I am very pleased with the performance of this new formula. All six Light Sculpting Highlighting Powders are long-lasting, blendable, and easy to build up; and most importantly – no glitter. I know that glitter is really popular right now, but I personally try to avoid it in my makeup.
Do you own any products from NARS? What is your favorite powder highlighter? Let me know in the comments below!
