Huda Beauty Pink Sand 3D Highlighter Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Pink Sand
Huda Beauty Pink 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 Golden 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.
Pink Sand
LELimited Edition. $45.00.
Capri
Capri is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones paired with a pearly sheen. It was ever-so-slightly muted by a hint of beige, which made it appear less yellow/orange compared to some gold highlighters. The cream texture was very thick, moderately tacky, and difficult to blend out, even over bare skin, as it did not want to diffuse or spread evenly. I really had to work it into my skin with fingertips (brushes were a bust) to get the product to “melt” under the warmth of my fingertips and be able to use greater pressure to force the product to spread out. It was useless over any powder or liquid foundation–all it did was reduce my foundation into a patchy mess. When I layered one of the powder highlighters on top of this, it caused patchiness; it was like any imperfections in the blend out of the cream base became glaringly obvious once I put powder on top. On its own, it lasted for six and a half hours.
Top Dupes
- Dior Glowing Nude (002) (LE, $58.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Guilded Glow (P, $5.99) is darker (95% similar).
- theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer (PiP, $24.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- ColourPop Fine Line (PiP, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Glow (Original) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Becca Champagne Pop (LE, $42.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Hourglass Champagne Flash (P, $42.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Persona Zuma (P, $24.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Tarte Whimsical (LE, $29.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Chanel Plisse Lumiere de Chanel (LE, $80.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
Ingredients
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Mica, Octyldodecanol, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera (Carnauba Wax), Diisostearyl Malate, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Polybutene, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Tin Oxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, May contain (+/-): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77400 (Bronze Powder).
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.
Capri
LELimited Edition.
Santorini
Santorini is a bright, white gold with a strong white base paired with a metallic sheen. It had semi-opaque pigmentation, which blended out fairly evenly on the skin. It appeared a bit less metallic when buffed and blended than I expected initially, which gave it a smoother finish that did not emphasize my skin’s natural texture. The highlighter wore well for eight hours on me before fading.
Top Dupes
- Moira Sweet Champagne (P, $14.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Makeup Revolution Ice Kiss (P, $9.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Dior Strobe Gold (Glitz) (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Burberry Silver Shimmer (LE, $68.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Ghostlight (P, $22.00) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Give Me Glow Halo (P, $17.25) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Makeup Revolution Golden Lights (P, $6.00) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
- Tarte Skylight (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- ColourPop Extra (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- MAC Double-Gleam (P, $42.00) is darker (95% similar).
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.
Santorini
LELimited Edition.
Azores
Azores is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen. The powder had a smooth texture that was denser in the pan, but if you’ve used this type of a formula (dimethicone-heavy), it will seem familiar. It had intense color payoff that was easy to blend and diffuse on the skin. The high-shine finish emphasized my skin’s natural texture slightly at medium or high coverage. This shade lasted for eight hours on me before becoming a bit patchy.
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Drop a Pin (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- MAC Gimme That! (LE, $34.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Anastasia White Sand (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Makeup Revolution Golden Kiss (P, $9.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Beauty Beam #2 (LE, ) is lighter, more muted (95% similar).
- Anastasia Butterscotch (LE, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Ruffle My Feathers (DC, $12.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Tarte Authentic (LE, $28.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- NARS Fort de France (P, $38.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Earth (LE, $6.99) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
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.
Azores
LELimited Edition.
Ibiza
Ibiza is a soft, light-medium pink-coral with warm undertones and a frosted sheen. It had semi-opaque color coverage that applied evenly onto the skin, and it was fairly blendable and did not accentuate my skin’s natural texture. The texture felt smooth, denser but not difficult to use, and did not have any powderiness in the pan. It wore nicely for eight hours on me before fading slightly.
Top Dupes
- Fenty Beauty Chic Freak (PiP, $36.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Chanel Fleurs de Printemps (Highlighter) (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop Velvet Rope (DC, $12.00) is lighter, warmer (95% similar).
- Huda Beauty Zanzibar (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Becca Beach Nectar (LE, $38.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Mr. Wind (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Looxi Beauty Valley Girl (P, $7.50) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Shell Pearl (LE, $22.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- MAC Lust (LE, $34.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- NYX Magnetic (P, $9.00) is lighter (90% similar).
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.
Hmm. Perhaps the brand should stick to powders! I wasn’t even tempted by this palette.
I did not expect the cream to be at all like it was–normally they’re greasy or too slippery!
I had a feeling this would be over-the-top shimmery, and I’ve long-since learned not to trust “influencers” rave reviews! I’m glad I didn’t pick this up, especially since my number-one makeup pet peeve is when cream products rip up foundation when you try to blend them!
Yeah, the powders are pretty shiny/shimmery on the skin! The cream one was the most subtle but still more amped up than most creams.
I really don’t like when brands mix powder and cream products in the same packaging although in this case it probably doesn’t matter as the cream product is unusable anyway, LOL. I do like the colors but they are pretty dupable and I have a few of the dupes so not planning on getting this palette.
The powders in this have a lot of dimethicone in them, so they don’t kick up powder like some powder cheek products might!
I agree with everything you said, Deborah S.
Shame on the cream products in powder palette usually never perform that well. Also cream product really only work with other cream products unless they dry down which is rare….
Well, this one was so thick and dense that it did not slip and slide… LOL
I wasn’t interested in this when I first heard of it, and I’m certainly not interested now. Given how many highlighters there are in the market already, brands need to make sure their product is really stellar [especially at that price point!] I’m beginning to find myself over the highlighter trend – there’s only so many highlighters a person can own, and most of these look the same.
The shades selected weren’t particularly unique or different from a lot of popular options for sure!
I love all of the warm tones here, lots of pretty yellows and golds!!
But that rating, though! It sounds like that cream was so awful and difficult to work with!!! You know I don’t like creams/liquids for blushes and highlights. So I would never use it anyway. So I really cant justify this!!!
The colors are pretty, but in a market over-saturated with great highlighters, this needs to score better
Azores and Ibiza are both stunning! But…the palette itself is just not worth it for only 2 shades. Besides, I have dupes for all but Azores, and even then I’ve got Coloured Raine Selfie on my WL.
I’ve been so curious about Huda Beauty and this palette looks lovely.
I should probably check out Golden Sand, but I dunno…I’m not into cream face products..hmm.
Thanks for this review!
i think palettes like these (whether eyeshadow, or highlighters, etc) should always include a mirror!
Looks like a hard pass for me!
I was going to order these off of the Hudabeauty website but I decided to wait for a trustworthy review and I’m so glad I did!!I love layering a cream highlight base such as Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops or @LoveLuxeBeauty Dramatizer Drops they are an indie brand with my Anastasia,Makeup Geek,and Jouer highlighters but the cream in this sounds horrible so glad you reviewed this Christine and that I had the self control not to order them immediately when they went up on the Sephora website,lol!Thank You!!
The colours are pretty to look at, but I’m not interested in buying it. Perhaps I’m a bit mean, but I’m really not interested in buying anything from the brand, though I’ve seen raving reviews of some of the products.
I’m not a fan of having cream products in the same palette with piwder products. If they must have a mis I like it when the cream product is protected in some way, I also imagine that the cream product would dry out when there’s no real lid on it.
OK, sorry, rant over 🙂
Thank you for reviewing it, I’m beginning to think my favourite reviews are the ones convinsing me not to want, lust or buy 😀
I have the Gold Sands and Love it!
The cream highlight is supposed to be used by fingers in tab motion. Then comes the highlight on top of it with a brush, the darker highlight beneth it as bronzer and to give the illusion of sculpt, the the blush in between.
Beautiful shades, but such a nuisance that the first shade was so poor. It really let the rest of the palette down.