Kaja Beauty Stardust Mochi Glow Bouncy Blendable Highlighter Reviews & Swatches
Stardust
Kaja Stardust Mochi Glow Bouncy Blendable Highlighter ($19.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a medium copper with strong, warm undertones and a soft, golden sheen. It had semi-opaque pigmentation that could be sheered out but not built up much beyond that. The consistency was smooth with slight slip when initially touched, but it quickly felt more like a powder product on my fingertip and on my cheeks wherever applied. The product blended out nicely on bare skin, and there was very faint lifting if I wasn’t careful over base products. It yielded a noticeable sheen but nothing overtly shimmery nor entering pore-emphasizing territory. This shade lasted well for eight hours on me before fading visibly.
Top Dupes
- Wet 'n' Wild Let It Glow (LE, $4.99) is cooler (95% similar).
- Bobbi Brown Bronze Glow (P, $48.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- NYX Gold Rush (P, $6.99) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Beauty Beam #1 (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Cover FX Candlelight (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Bronze FX (LE, $31.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Awesome Blossom (P, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- MAC Any Wonder (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Smashbox Crank It Up Gold (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Tantalize (54) (P, $45.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$19.00/0.15 oz. - $126.67 Per Ounce
The formula is a "cream-to-powder highlighter" that "feels like a cream and finishes like a powder." It has "natural-looking radiance" designed to be applied with "fingertips." The highlighters had a smooth, denser consistency in the pot with a light sponginess if pressed firmly. They had subtle slip but felt more powder-like than cream-like, especially as soon as my finger swirled the product once or twice. The product applied well to bare skin and decently over base products, but I found the thinner, quick-dry texture didn't always play well with base products and could lift them up.
They were blendable and had "natural-looking radiance" as described. The pigmentation was more semi-sheer to medium, slightly buildable, while they were described as buildable, so it was mostly accurate. They lasted between seven and eight hours on me.
Browse all of our Kaja Mochi Glow Bouncy Blendable Highlighter swatches.
Ingredients
Dimethicone, Mica (CI 77019), Talc, Triethylhexanoin, Diisostearyl Malate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Pentylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Lauroyl Lysine, Aluminum Hydroxide.
Thankfully, I do have some better quality dupes that don’t lift up base products! PMG Bronze from the permanent highlighter trio, UD Rhaegal and CP Pose all fill that niche for bronzey cheeks.
A bronzer that lifts up the base product is not really ideal, a pretty shade though.