Cover FX Perfect 6-Pan Highlighting Palette ($39.00 for 0.66 oz.) includes six powder highlighters housed in a slim, plastic compact. The formula is supposed to be “ultra silky” and “highly pigmented.” I’d argue that the texture of the shades included in the palette felt creamier and denser than the standalone powder highlighters by the same formula name, and I found myself enjoying the feel and look of these even more than the standalone formula. All six shades were blendable, pigmented, long-wearing, and flattering on–I was surprised at how metallic some of them appeared on my skin yet did not seem to bring attention to my natural texture.
Value
The Perfect Light Highlighting Powders retail for $34.00 and contain 0.28 oz. when purchased individually (only one shade in the set is available individually, though) or cost $121.43/oz. The palette contains $80.14 worth of product.
Anastasia Gradient Blush Kit ($30.00 for 0.68 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette with four blushes for the holiday season. Unfortunately, it was a miss–the formula just did not work well for blending, and when it comes to a cheek color, I imagine getting an even layer with diffused, gradual edges is really a must for most. Something about splotchy, patchy blush with harsh lines says, “no, thank you” in my mind.
Per the brand, it’s a “full pigment formula for buildable coverage,” which I interpret as that it is buildable to full coverage. It is also a “finely milled formula for seamless blending,” which is where I had more trouble typically–these were unforgiving when applied over bare skin or damp foundation. I had to have skin powdered heavily in order to get decent blendability out of most shades in the Blush Kits, though some were decent without extra tricks.
Becca Apres Ski Glow Glow Face Palette ($54.00 for 0.54 oz.) contains two blushes, one bronzer, and three highlighters. Two shades–Icicle and Winter Berry–are new and exclusive to the palette, while the rest are available individually. I do not think that the quality of the powders in the palette is the same as the full-sized range; some perform worse but they felt different: drier, more papery. It’s always a shame when a brand changes up their formulas when they put them in a palette for the worse.
MAC Nose Pose Cream Colour Base Duo ($22.00 for 0.15 oz.) seems to be a highlighting/contouring duo, but of course, it’s very “one-size” and will certainly not fit all or even most. The darker side seemed more like a bronzing color than a contouring one, though some with very warm complexions may prefer the warmth in the deeper shade for contouring. They can also be used on the eyes, as the formula is a multi-use one.
Anastasia Radiant Blush Kit ($30.00 for 0.68 oz.) is a new, limited edition blush palette with four shades. There was nothing impressive about the formula as it was just too much work to blend out and nothing exceptional with respect to texture, pigmentation, or wear to justify spending three or four times longer blending out the blush, and the whole process is just worse over a base (like foundation) as you’ll have to be particularly careful to avoid lifting and disturbing the base.
Per the brand, it’s a “full pigment formula for buildable coverage,” which I interpret as that it is buildable to full coverage. It is also a “finely milled formula for seamless blending,” which is where I had more trouble typically–these were unforgiving when applied over bare skin or damp foundation. I had to have skin powdered heavily in order to get decent blendability out of most shades in the Blush Kits, though some were decent without extra tricks.
Anastasia Sugar Glow Kit ($40.00 for 0.96 oz.) is a new, limited edition powder highlighter set for the holidays. Three of the four shades–all but Gumdrop–are shades previously released, though Gumdrop has two similar shades from past releases that the kit itself is nothing new if you are a collector of the Glow Kits. If you like really intense highlighters and don’t mind some glitter, it might work for you, but if you prefer subtle highlighters and no glitter, this will be a miss.
