Bobbi Brown Golden Hour Luxe Highlighting Powder Review & Swatches
Golden Hour
Bobbi Brown Golden Hour Luxe Illuminating Highlighting Powder ($50.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a light-medium gold with warm, peachy undertones and a frosted sheen. It had a slightly drier, almost powdery texture, and it was similar in the dryness present in the Luxe Eyeshadow range–dry not really in a bad way, though, but it’s a characteristic present in formulas that seem to be baked.
It had opaque pigmentation in a single layer, while the denser, slightly firmer texture made it easier to pick up less product if preferred for sheerer, more buildable coverage. The powder applied evenly to bare skin and blended out with ease, though it definitely had more of a powdery base that I felt looked a bit cake-like when applied over foundation (as opposed to bare skin). The glow was more noticeable than a truly subtle glow, and it did build up to a more moderate sheen when layered. It wore well for eight hours on me before fading visibly.
The brand has minimal information on the formula; they described it as a “silky-smooth pearlescent powder” that “melts into skin for a buildable, lit-from-within glow.” Often, especially with highlighters, brand will market them has having pigmentation but that they can be built up from more of a soft glow to an intense glow, so color payoff and having a buildable finish can be two separate characteristics.
Top Dupes
- Chanel Plisse Lumiere de Chanel (LE, $80.00) is darker, warmer (95% similar).
- LORAC Twilight (P, $23.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Gamma (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Clinique Gold Celebration Pop (LE, $25.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- NARS Disco Nights (LE, $38.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Becca Royal Glow (LE, $38.00) is darker (95% similar).
- OFRA Rodeo Drive (P, $29.00) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Sydney Grace Ancient History (LE, $9.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Radiant Glow (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona I Need a Nude (LE, $42.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Ingredients
Its name truly reflects the warm glow of the golden hour effect! It’s a beautiful shade. Wish the formula didn’t cake up as you mentioned, though, as that could look awful with my pores and beginning of texture up high on my cheekbones.
I certainly have enough highlighters and as Nancy said, this would be a no-go given the texture on my old skin. I have a couple of other Bobbi Brown highlighters and blushes and in my experience, they all are a bit stiff in the pan and I either end up getting way too much or too little. I can work with them as I pretty much always buff off blushes on my wrist so that I don’t get too intense a shade but I have blushes that I much prefer so don’t reach for them much.
It’s a beautiful, but popular shade. For $50 US I would expect perfection plus. Lorac have a similar one at about half the price. That’s more like it.
$50? Have Bobbie Brown products always been that pricey and I just never noticed?
There are definitely highlighters in the $40ish range but $50 is higher than normal BUT her Luxe range are all expensive – e.g. $38 Luxe Lipsticks and $38 single Luxe eyeshadows.
I am a big fan of the Bobbi Brown Luxe range and BB highlighters but I returned this highlighter when I saw there was only 4g of product in it. Previous holiday highlighters have been in the (approx) 7g range. A regular highlighter is 8g for $48. BB released a Pink Gold Glow highlighter, mini Face Blender brush and lip gloss bundle in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for $35. There is nothing especially unique about this highlighter that would justify the higher price and half the product.