Elisha Coy - Diamond Shiny Pearl BB

Elisha Coy - Diamond Shiny Pearl BB
Price 27000won ($27)
Size: 50ml


SPF 27 PA++
"phyto treatment" 6 fruit flower extracts to make the skin soft


I picked up the Elisha Coy Shiny Pearl BB when I was in Seoul. It came with a small Elisha Coy triple BB and 5 tiny samples of Always Nuddy BB.
At $27 for only 50ml it's one of the more expensive BB creams I own. With my Skin79 ones being a bit more expensive(and smaller in size!)
I totally picked this BB up because the cap contains a white highlighter and little mirror and it's just TOO cute!

The actual BB looks seriously dark on my skin when first applied. But I find that all BB creams look like the wrong color initially. Once it's smoothed out, the color lightens and blends to a really natural tone.
The cream itself is more on the pink toned side. So for a Non-Asian, this works a lot better!

Since I don't need heavy coverage, I generally apply a BB cream mixed with a bit of moisturizer of sunscreen. When I apply it thusly, it looks completely natural. I don't have to worry about blending into my neck.
The BB is also super nice, it smooth, and light, it last's all day. Plus, even though it's called Shiny Pearl, it's not overtly shiny. Just a little sheen, to make me look a little extra glowing. I think even ladies with oilier complexions could get away with this.

So even though I really like this BB cream, and wear it often, my absolute FAVORITE part of the product is the little highlighter!!! It's the best white highlighter EVER!
I always wear a little white in the inner corner of my eyes, and this is the longest lasting thing I've ever encountered. Even after a long day of work, chasing around kids, I still have bright looking eyes!
I seriously use this highlighter every single day. I'm even tempted to buy the BB cream, just for the highlighter!

Etude house moonlight shimmer blush

Price: 8500 ($8.50)

Size: 7g

Comes in 4 colors.

I love highlighters. A highlighter and a coat of mascara go a long way to making skin look even and beautiful.

I don’t find that north American make up brands offer than many highlighters.

At least not in the cheaper, low to mid-range brands.

A few brands like Guerlain (like meteorites line) and Lancôme have beautiful ones, at exorbitant prices…

So finding a good highlighter that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg… Not the easiest.

My old stand by - benefit high beam.

For a highlighter its kind of expensive at $24.

In comparison the Etude house highlighters are a lot cheaper at around $8.5

The Etude house moonlight blusher comes in  a pretty, girly pink compact. It’s small, light and in my opinion cute but not so cutesy as to be tacky (although I am sure tons of people would disagree)

Inside there is a mirror and brush in the same cute style as the compact.

As a general rule, I never use included brushes or applicators. Since they tend to be of super cheap quality, and I have an assortment of beautiful brushes.

However, in this case I make an exception.

The Included brush is beautifully soft. Feels like natural hair rather than synthetic(though I don’t know what it actually is.)

but mostly the wide but flat brush works really well for apply the highlighter.

Its narrow enough to sweep highlighter on the brow bone, without getting it every where. The bristles are soft enough to apply the highlighter lightly, so the application doesn’t look obvious.

And since most of my brushes are either face brush size, or smaller eye shadow sized, I don’t have a brush quite so well suited to application of a highlighter.

As you can see from the pictures, the highlighter is divided into 3 bands of color, white,  pale blue and lavender.

The stripes are wide enough that you can puck up individual colors if you desire, but upon application they all just look white so it’s pointless.

The color of the powder is very WHITE, and cool.

If I apply more than the tiniest bit, it looks like I’ve covered myself in white powder.

The highlighter is also oddly matte.

Honestly, I’ve never come across a matte highlighter.  So the effect is different than I’m used to.

When used sparingly, its one of the subtlest highlighters I’ve ever encountered.

Its subtle enough to work with a soft natural daytime look.

Based on that, I like it. But Its almost unusable for a  glowy face. It’s too white to be applied more than sparingly.

I think on someone darker than I the effect would be even more pronounced, in a bad way…

Benefit - High beam

Price: $24 US at Sephora
Size: 0.45 oz
Even though Benefit is a bit of a cult favorite, it’s not a favorite brand for me. The kitschy packaging is attractive but holds absolutely no appeal to me.  More importantly,  the products  are both unappealing and in my opinion unremarkable…
So other than a few star items, I don’t even bother with benefit.
But I have been trying to find a good, and I mean really good highlighter for ages.
When using Mineral make up, my appearance tends to dry and powdery. So adding a powder highlighter, it doesn’t’t really enhance  a  natural appearance.
I’ve wanted a cream or liquid highlighter.
And if you ever looked for one…. They not exactly easy to find. Everything is powder.
After reading soooo many glowing reviews of High Beam on Sephora, I was stoked to try it..

High beam is  in a clear bottle,  very much like a nail polish bottle, with a similar applicator.  

It’s a light pink. It applies shimmery, but not glittery.

It’s easy to apply.  When applied lightly, is easily subtle enough for day, but an be applied more heavily without looking fake.
Overall it gives the skin a nice dewy look without being obvious.

The only noticeable issue is its weak staying power. It wears of really quickly… Like an hour or two at best…
Still, its definitely a nice product, and a wonderful alternative to powders!

Sheer cover Lip to Lid Highlighters

If you’ve ever used one of the MAC pigments than you know what to expect from the Sheer Cover Lip to Lid Highlighters.

They are basically mineral loose powders. The selling point is the “lip to lid” factor. They can basically be used anywhere! 

They come in three colors

Bronze

Pink

Peach

They are very smooth, lightly pigmented, and very sparkly.  The sparkles are very finely milled mica to compare it to MAC’s pigments, they aren’t nearly as pigmented. As you can see from the pictures of me using them as eye shadows, there isn’t a whole lot of color pay off...

The Bronze color is supposed to also act as a bronzer, to compete with other Mineral lines that have bronzers. But it’s so sparkly I can’t see how anyone could use it as anything more than a highlighter.

EOTD in Bronze and Peach

The peach and the pink work well as highlighters though. I actually love the peach for adding a tiny bit of sparkle to my cheeks. But I think the pink would be really nice on darker skin tones.

They can also be used as lip pigments. Just mix with any lip gloss (clear or translucent are best) then apply with a lip brush.

They work surprising well as a lip color! The colors come across as more pigmented (although they produce a frosted look); they are not too glittery on the lips. Best of all they wear really well, and once the top gloss has work off, they are kiss proof! 

Seriously, the pigment smooth coats the lips (not rough or scratchy at all), so even when you kiss and eat, the pigment stays fused to the lips.

It’s really cool.

Last, but not least, my absolute favourite thing to do with the LTL’s is to use them as a lip highlighter. I take a little of the pigment (peach usually), and line the top inner bow of my lip, then dab a little in the center of my bottom lip. Then top with gloss. Or, if wearing lipstick, apply it for then the Ltl.

It gives an effect just like in magazines, and wears really well.