Kosas 8th Muse Color & Light Palette Review & Swatches
8th Muse
Kosas 8th Muse Color and Light Palette ($34.00 for 0.32 oz.) is the sheerer, more buildable coverage version of the shade and includes a soft pink blush paired with a pearly, light pink highlighter.
The shades offered semi-sheer, somewhat buildable coverage with a creamy, emollient formula that dried down to a more skin-like finish that lasted around eight hours on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Formula Overview
$34.00/0.32 oz. - $106.25 Per Ounce
Each shade in the range has two levels of color intensity; each shade has a "High Intensity" version, which offers "double the pigment" compared to the regular shade (which has less intense, more "buildable" coverage). The formula is supposed to offer "easy-to-apply, blendable" blush that is paired with a "complementary" highlighter with.
In my experience, the High Intensity version offered greater pigmentation but also offered a more saturated take on the color scheme; it felt more like making a certain color combination work for both lighter and deeper complexions rather than just doubling up on the pigment. The regular shades were semi-sheer to medium coverage and were buildable. The High Intensity shades were definitely higher coverage and typically ran semi-opaque to opaque.
The consistency was creamy with moderate slip and felt like a traditional cream brush (wet to the touch, emollient, and thin). They applied well to bare skin as well as over foundation for the most part, though a few shades could have been more foolproof to work with over base products. The more shimmery shades (like highlighters) felt slightly more emollient compared to more cream-finish shades (like blushes).
As they're a creamier product, they sheer out and blend quite well during application, so one often needs to pat on a second layer to amp up the coverage (rather than applying more heavily) if higher coverage is desired (less necessary with High Intensity shades).
The formula dried down for the most part but didn't look totally flat or matte. As a result, they didn't slide around too easily during wear on my skin. Most shades started to show signs of fading after seven to eight hours of wear, which is average most cheek colors for me.
Browse all of our Kosas Color and Light Palette swatches.
Ingredients
8th Muse
PPermanent. $34.00.
8th Muse (Blush)
8th Muse (Blush) is a medium, rosy pink with subtle, warm undertones and a natural finish that seemed to have barely-there pearl (just enough to make it appear skin-like once blended out). When the product was applied and blended out, it dried down so it didn’t have a glossy finish.
The consistency was lightweight, thinner, and creamy with a lot of slip initially. It had more medium coverage when applied (and it was marketed as more buildable coverage), as the product sheered out as soon as one started to apply and spread it out, which I find is typical of cream blush. It stayed on well for eight hours before fading noticeably on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Milani Pink Play #4 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Skater Boyz (LE, $8.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Lovecloud (P, $24.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Counterpoint (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Burberry First Love (LE, $68.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Mini Me (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC No Shame (LE, $30.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop What Like It's Hard (LE, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- NARS 413 BLKR (Blush) (P, $30.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Too Faced Sweet Pink (LE, ) is lighter, less glossy (90% similar).
Formula Overview
-
Each shade in the range has two levels of color intensity; each shade has a "High Intensity" version, which offers "double the pigment" compared to the regular shade (which has less intense, more "buildable" coverage). The formula is supposed to offer "easy-to-apply, blendable" blush that is paired with a "complementary" highlighter with.
In my experience, the High Intensity version offered greater pigmentation but also offered a more saturated take on the color scheme; it felt more like making a certain color combination work for both lighter and deeper complexions rather than just doubling up on the pigment. The regular shades were semi-sheer to medium coverage and were buildable. The High Intensity shades were definitely higher coverage and typically ran semi-opaque to opaque.
The consistency was creamy with moderate slip and felt like a traditional cream brush (wet to the touch, emollient, and thin). They applied well to bare skin as well as over foundation for the most part, though a few shades could have been more foolproof to work with over base products. The more shimmery shades (like highlighters) felt slightly more emollient compared to more cream-finish shades (like blushes).
As they're a creamier product, they sheer out and blend quite well during application, so one often needs to pat on a second layer to amp up the coverage (rather than applying more heavily) if higher coverage is desired (less necessary with High Intensity shades).
The formula dried down for the most part but didn't look totally flat or matte. As a result, they didn't slide around too easily during wear on my skin. Most shades started to show signs of fading after seven to eight hours of wear, which is average most cheek colors for me.
Browse all of our Kosas Cream Blush swatches.
Ingredients
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Mica, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Isononyl Isononanoate, Microcrystalline Wax, C10-18 Triglycerides, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax; Caprylyl Glycol, Commiphora Myrrha Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, [+/ -: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360)]
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.
8th Muse (Blush)
PiPPermanent in Palette.
8th Muse (Highlighter)
8th Muse (Highlighter) is a light pink with strong, warm undertones and a luminous sheen. It had sheer to semi-sheer coverage, which was buildable to medium coverage with a second layer. With cream blush, especially more emollient formulas like this one, I find it works best applying in sheer layers and building up with a second layer rather than applying more heavily in one layer.
The consistency was creamy, lightweight, and thin with moderate slip, which worked well over bare skin but was not quite as foolproof applied over foundation. I just felt like I had to be gentler to avoid lifting up my base products with the highlighter formula in the duo but was able to do it with success. This shade wore nicely for eight hours before showing signs of fading.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Huda Beauty Copacabana (LE, ) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Angel Food (DC, $12.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Beaming Blush (P, $44.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Melody (P, $9.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Becca Acceptance (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Starlight (LE, $20.00) is more shimmery, darker, more pigmented (85% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Rosy and Ready (P, $5.99) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Bobbi Brown Foiled Petal (LE, $50.00) is more shimmery, darker, more pigmented (85% similar).
- Sol Body Catwalk (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Bobbi Brown Sunset Glow (P, $48.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
-
Each shade in the range has two levels of color intensity; each shade has a "High Intensity" version, which offers "double the pigment" compared to the regular shade (which has less intense, more "buildable" coverage). The formula is supposed to offer "easy-to-apply, blendable" blush that is paired with a "complementary" highlighter with.
In my experience, the High Intensity version offered greater pigmentation but also offered a more saturated take on the color scheme; it felt more like making a certain color combination work for both lighter and deeper complexions rather than just doubling up on the pigment. The regular shades were semi-sheer to medium coverage and were buildable. The High Intensity shades were definitely higher coverage and typically ran semi-opaque to opaque.
The consistency was creamy with moderate slip and felt like a traditional cream brush (wet to the touch, emollient, and thin). They applied well to bare skin as well as over foundation for the most part, though a few shades could have been more foolproof to work with over base products. The more shimmery shades (like highlighters) felt slightly more emollient compared to more cream-finish shades (like blushes).
As they're a creamier product, they sheer out and blend quite well during application, so one often needs to pat on a second layer to amp up the coverage (rather than applying more heavily) if higher coverage is desired (less necessary with High Intensity shades).
The formula dried down for the most part but didn't look totally flat or matte. As a result, they didn't slide around too easily during wear on my skin. Most shades started to show signs of fading after seven to eight hours of wear, which is average most cheek colors for me.
Browse all of our Kosas Cream Highlighter swatches.
Ingredients
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Microcrystalline Wax, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, C10-18 Triglycerides, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax; Caprylyl Glycol, Commiphora Myrrha Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, [+/ -: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491)]
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.
Surprisingly, even though I fall squarely into the “Medium” category of skintone, I believe I would possibly love this duo even more than the High Intensity formula. Sometimes, all I want is rosier, glowier, more natural looking cheeks!