Golden Sand

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette ($45.00 for 1.10 oz.) includes one cream highlighter and three powder highlighters housed in a slim, cardboard palette (no mirror). Each highlighter has quite a bit of product–it’s a substantial size for a cheek palette. The brand released two versions (the other is Pink Sand), though I was surprised they weren’t more dissimilar. The Pink Sand version is supposed to be lighter skin tones with the Golden Sand version for medium and dark skin tones.

The cream highlighter had more pigmentation than the average cream highlighter, but the formulation was incredibly dense, thick, and difficult to blend out or use; it was extremely challenging to use it over any base products as it caused it them to break down and move around a lot. The powder formula was smooth but dense, and they needed a heavier hand or a denser brush to get even coverage and color onto the skin.

The cream formula is described as a “pearlescent creamy formula” that will create a “flawless, lit-from-within canvas” and is ideal for layering with powders, though it can also be used “on its own for [a] dewy and natural” effect. The powder highlighters can be used alone or together and are merely described as “light-catching.” The palette is designed so you can build the level of luminosity from subtle to over-the-top. I felt like the cream highlighter definitely gave a more natural sheen, but the three powder highlighters were all quite frosted to metallic and layering any over the cream base made them just as shimmery, if not more so.

Fiji

Fiji is a bright, light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a pearly sheen. It had good pigmentation, but it applied terribly. The finish of this on bare skin was glowing and natural without being metallic. It had a very dense, thick texture that made it extremely difficult to use with anything but fingertips, and it was still a pain to blend it out on the skin.

I was not able to successfully apply it over liquid foundation after trying four times, as it moved the base product so much and caused noticeable patchiness/unevenness. When I tried layering one of the powders of it, the powders looked chunky, almost caked onto the skin. On its own, it lasted for six hours before looking patchy.

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Seychelles

Seychelles is a soft, light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen. It had opaque color payoff that applied evenly to bare skin. It had a smooth, denser texture that needed a more moderate hand, but it still felt creamy (though it’s a powder) to the touch and blended out beautifully on the skin without accentuating my skin’s natural texture. This shade lasted for eight hours on me.

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• theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer (PiP, $24.00) is darker, warmer (95% similar).
• Anastasia Bubbly (P, $34.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
• Urban Decay Bliss (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
• MAC Get It Glowin' (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
• Tarte Frosty (LE, $28.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
• Wet 'n' Wild Earth (LE, $6.99) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
• NYX Daytime Halo (P, $6.99) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
• Iconic London Coral Glow (Right) (PiP, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
• Huda Beauty Medium #1 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
• Coloured Raine Selfie (P, $25.00) is lighter (95% similar).

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Ingredients

Talc, Mica, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Zinc Stearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Polybutene, Isopropyl Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Tin Oxide, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, May contain (+/-): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides).

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.

Look Using this Product

A Smoky, Gold & Plum Look featuring Modern Renaissance

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Tahiti

Tahiti is a medium copper with warm, orange undertones and a golden sheen. It had medium, buildable pigmentation that applied fairly easily to bare skin. The texture was smooth, but it was firmer and not just because it was also a denser powder product–it didn’t have as much give or as much creaminess compared to Seychelles or Zanzibar. It did not emphasize my skin’s natural texture. The highlighter stayed on well for eight hours before fading noticeably.

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Zanzibar

Zanzibar is a light-medium pink-coral with golden pearl. The color payoff was completely opaque in a single layer, while the consistency was smooth, denser but almost “cream-like” despite being a powder, and blendable on the skin. The powder sat well on the skin and did not bring out the texture of my skin. It wore well for eight hours on me.

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• Sol Body Fire Up (LE, $12.00) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
• Dior Coral Glow (06) (P, $50.00) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
• Fenty Beauty Chic Freak (PiP, $36.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
• Huda Beauty Ibiza (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
• NABLA Cosmetics Truth (P, $26.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
• Becca Beach Nectar (LE, $38.00) is lighter (90% similar).
• Marc Jacobs Beauty Jet Girl (82) (LE, $49.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
• Too Faced Strobeberry (Highlighter) (PiP, ) is cooler (90% similar).
• bareMinerals The Magic Moment (LE, $26.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
• Anastasia Kitty Kat (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).

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Ingredients

Talc, Mica, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Zinc Stearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Polybutene, Isopropyl Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Tin Oxide, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, May contain (+/-): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides).

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.

Look Using this Product

A Smoky, Gold & Plum Look featuring Modern Renaissance

Read How-To

View all Photos

Read How-To

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Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Fiji Cream Highlight

Huda Beauty Fiji Cream Highlight

Huda Beauty Fiji Cream Highlight

Huda Beauty Seychelles Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Seychelles Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Seychelles Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Tahiti Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Tahiti Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Tahiti Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Zanzibar Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Zanzibar Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Zanzibar Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Golden Sand 3D Highlighter Palette

Huda Beauty Fiji Cream Highlight

Huda Beauty Fiji Cream Highlight

Huda Beauty Fiji Cream Highlight

Huda Beauty Seychelles Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Seychelles Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Seychelles Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Tahiti Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Tahiti Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Tahiti Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Zanzibar Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Zanzibar Powder Highlight

Huda Beauty Zanzibar Powder Highlight