Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops Review, Photos, Swatches

Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops

Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops ($42.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is a light-medium, golden bronze with warm, yellow undertones and multi-colored shimmer with more dominant pale gold and bronze pearl. Burberry No. 02 Nude Gold (LE, $68.00) is darker (90% similar). Cover FX Moonlight (LE, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar). Becca Creativity (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Cover FX Celestial (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Makeup Revolution Liquid Champagne (P, $9.00) is less shimmery, lighter, less pigmented (90% similar). NARS First Time (LE, $26.00) is less shimmery, lighter, less pigmented (90% similar). Bobbi Brown 24 Karat (P, $46.00) is warmer (90% similar). Burberry Gold Glow No. 01 (LE, $68.00) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (90% similar). Anastasia Perla (P, $25.00) is less shimmery, more muted (90% similar). Flesh Beauty Twitch (P, $18.00) is less shimmery (90% similar). Melt Cosmetics Gold Ore (P, $39.00) is lighter (90% similar). LORAC Twilight (P, $23.00) is warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Strobe Globe (P, $7.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment (Original) (P, $28.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar). Make Up For Ever 13 Ivory (P, $21.00) is lighter, brighter, cooler (85% similar). Anastasia Bubbly (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Dior Glowing Nude (002) (LE, $58.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Sun Light (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty Dew You (P, $45.00) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar). Lancome Rose Twinkle #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Custom Enhancer Drops are a liquid formula that can add a “highlighting, strobing, or bronzing effect” to your favorite liquid products or used alone on top of (or underneath) your other products (including powder); two of the six shades are bronzing and four are more shimmery/metallic for highlighting. It is a buildable coverage product, so that you can use as many or as few drops as desired for the effect (and it will depend on how you use it; mixing with a moisturizer for all-over may require less product than spot application on cheeks after other makeup is applied!). These are similar to formulas like Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer (runs a bit sheerer overall, less buildable), Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (Liquid) (much sheerer), and NARS Illuminators (sheerer, usually contains larger shimmer/glitter particles). The major difference is the intensity of the pearl and buildability in coverage (easier to get to full coverage but still easy to retain sheer coverage).

What’s neat about these is that they are versatile as you want them to be; they really do perform well mixed with various liquid and cream products (moisturizer, foundation, tinted moisturizer, primer) while also working under and over makeup, and they really are buildable from sheer to opaque coverage. Initially, the formula might seem incredibly pigmented, but the thin, liquid consistency makes it very easy to sheer out. They are actually sheerer than they seem upon initial swatching or application, as the consistency naturally creates a sheerer layer as soon as you work it across the skin. That being said, unless you’re mixing with a base product, one drop is likely overkill for spot application. These have a strong sheen but very fine shimmer, so it produces more of a pearly, glowing effect on the skin–lightly dewy with moderate shine and some noticeable shimmer. They dry down within 10-15 seconds of blending out the product and feel like a powder but with better hold (I get almost no transfer, and it doesn’t noticeably lift or move), so the sheen you see is from a damp or wet product, it’s the reflective quality of the pearl. You can, however, build these up to opaque coverage, and at that level, some of the shimmery shades can emphasize the texture of the skin. The formula also wore well on me, ranging from eight to ten hours with minimal signs of fading. I’d expect that this formula will work for someone who likes moderate highlighters with luminous, shiny, pearly finishes or likes all-over warmth (in the case of the bronzing shades) with a satin-to-matte finish.

Moonlight had the subtlest finish of the four highlighting shades in the range, though I would still describe it as moderate to strong in finish with respect to shimmer and the amount of light it can reflect. For those who are more worried about an emphasis of the skin’s texture from shimmer, this might be the one to start with or swatched in person. The texture was thin, spreadable, and easy to work with when it was damp or drying down, and once it dried down, it tended to feel set in place, so it was harder to diffuse the edges without really buffing them out (and if you applied it over foundation, it could lift your base product due to the vigor needed to blend). It had buildable coverage that started at semi-sheer to medium, and it could be diffused to sheer or layered to opaque coverage. I find it works best applied in medium coverage layers and then built up in the places you desire. This particular shade did not add any noticeable color to my skin tone, but it likely will to those fairer or more pink-toned. The highlighter wore well for nine hours when I wore it alone as a cheek highlighter and didn’t interfere with the longevity of my foundation/base products when mixed in.

Here’s an in-depth look at how I’ve used and trialed all the shades:

Alone: I’ve patted them over bare skin, liquid foundation, and liquid foundation with setting powder on top. For best results, I like to tap my brush against the applicator (not even using the droplet applicator to get a drop out) and then stipple the product onto the skin. I tend to apply both my bronzers and highlighters more along the cheek areas, so I would stipple a few times along my cheeks or cheekbones and then lightly buff in small circles. It worked equally well just dabbing my fingertips against my skin and using the side of my fingertip to sweep and blend the product out. I was particularly impressed by how well it applied over powder, as the sheerer, smooth texture didn’t disrupt base products and move foundation or turn the area patchy. When testing for wear, I used its longevity on bare skin as my major measure for the rating, but I did wear the shades mixed in and layered with a multitude of products to ensure that the formula wasn’t prone to shortening the wear of other products.

Mixed with Primer: I tried it with both water and silicone-based primers, and I had no preference for one over the other with respect to these drops. I used one to two drops for all-over luminosity; I preferred one drop myself, as it gave me a dewier finish that wasn’t over-the-top for my preference. If you wear a lighter-coverage base on top of primer, mixing with primer could work for all-over glow/warmth, but if you wear light-medium or heavier coverage, I would suggest mixing with your foundation or applying on top of your foundation as it gets lost under heavier coverage.

Mixed with Foundation: I tried it with tinted moisturizer, sheer coverage foundation, medium coverage foundation, and full coverage foundation. In general, heavier coverage foundations are a bit thicker than the ultra sheer formulas. I found one to drops was sufficient with tinted to medium coverage formulas, while full coverage was less receptive–it made the foundation dewier but wasn’t as luminous as with lighter coverage foundations. If I wore full coverage foundation, I preferred this patted on top at the end, rather than mixed.

Mixed with Moisturizer: Like primer, this method works well when you skip foundation or wear lighter coverage foundation. I can imagine this combination working well for those with flatter or more matte skin naturally, as it gives noticeable luminosity and dewiness. While I didn’t personally like the level of sheen it gave my face when mixed with moisturizer, I loved it for body–particularly on shoulders and decolletage. It is also gorgeous on legs. I really liked mixing one of the highlighting shades with a bronzing shade for a little color, warmth, and sheen on legs.

Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops

Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops

Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops

Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops

Cover FX Moonlight Custom Enhancer Drops