L'Oreal Lumi Powder Glow Illuminators Reviews, Photos, Swatches
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator ($12.99 for 0.31 oz.) is supposed to be a highlight powder that can be used all-over or on the high planes of the face, and there are three shades. Each shade is divided into four colors, though you’ll end up using at least two together unless you use a very, very small brush. I didn’t feel like it mattered a whole lot whether you mixed evenly or leaned towards one side or the other. The texture of these feels soft and smooth in the pan, but it’s a drier powder where the shimmer separates from the powder to a degree, which makes the shimmer emphasize the skin’s natural texture even more than it already does do to the high shimmer and micro-sparkle amount. It read more like a glittery highlighter on the skin than a luminous sheen. I can’t imagine using this all-over as a highlighter unless you were going for a very over-the-top, disco-ball effect, but I don’t think that’s going to work for most. The wear was eight hours across the board, but the sparkle and shimmer travel all over–I had sparkle on my neck and around my nose, so by the end of the day, all of me was effectively highlighted. On my skin tone, there isn’t a big difference between Ice and Rose; on very fair or cooler-toned skin, you might pick up more of a difference applied. What’s funny about this particular highlighter is I think it looks ten times better in photos than in does in person, so maybe if you aren’t actually going out and just need to take a photo, these might do the trick! I’m very disappointed, because the powder seemed promising just touching the powder itself, and there aren’t nearly enough budget-friendly highlighter options on the market.
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator ($12.99 for 0.31 oz.) is a brightened, pink-tinged white with warmer gold shimmer and pink sparkle. It was intensely pigmented and very frosted on the skin with visible specks of sparkle/micro-glitter that emphasized pores and the skin’s natural texture (it made my cheeks look dry and textured). It wore for eight hours, but I had glittery bits all over my face and neck by the end of the day. The powder itself feels really smooth in the compact but can be powdery. L’Oreal Ice (P, $12.99) is less shimmery, darker, warmer. Becca Pearl (P, $38.00) is less shimmery. MAC Light Sunshine (LE, $26.00) is less shimmery, darker. Chanel Lumiere Sculptee de Chanel Highlighting Powder (LE, $72.00) is less shimmery, darker. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator ($12.99 for 0.31 oz.) is a brightened, orange-based gold with a frosted sheen and lighter gold sparkle. It was intensely pigmented with a very soft feel to the powder’s surface but was quite powdery once you worked with it. Again, the sparkly bits tended to lift from the base color and get everywhere. The powder itself lasted for eight hours, and this was the only one with visible color on my medium skin tone. The sparkly, metallic finish emphasized pores and gave my cheeks a drier look. L’Oreal Golden (P, $12.99) is lighter, brighter. Becca Opal (P, $38.00) is less shimmery, lighter. Becca Opal (P, $38.00) is less shimmery, lighter. Dior Transatlantique (LE, $58.00) is less shimmery. Guerlain Terracotta Sun in the City Illuminating Powder (LE, $70.00) is less shimmery, darker. bareMinerals The Shining Moment (LE, $26.00) is less shimmery, lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator ($12.99 for 0.31 oz.) is a light beige with warm undertones and a frosted sheen with visible sparkle/micro-glitter. The texture was soft, smooth, and only a little powdery, but as soon as you start to blend it out, the shimmer and sparkle separate from the powder. This shade had the least visible sparkle compared to the other two. It’s actually a product best applied wet or with fingertips, I think. The highlighter emphasized the skin’s texture and made it look worse for the wear as pores looked enormous! On me, the effect lasted for eight hours but the sparkle migrated all over the face. MAC Mystery Princess (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery, less pigmented. MAC Sparkling Rose (LE, $28.00) is darker, warmer. Cle de Peau Delicate Pink (14) (P, $55.00) is less shimmery. Bobbi Brown Pink Glow (LE, $45.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer. NARS Devotee (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery, darker. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
P.S. — I will review the liquid versions soon.
Ice
PPermanent. $12.99.
Golden
PPermanent. $12.99.
Rose
PPermanent. $12.99.
See more photos & swatches!
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Ice Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Golden Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
L’Oreal Rose Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator
I was watching Miss Lola Lynn’s video yesterday with the swatches. Immediately I thought the Ice highlighter would make such pretty eye shadows. Do you think layering them over over shadows will have a transformer type of quality?
I don’t think so, they’re mostly just shimmer! I’m not sure if the sparkle used would be eye safe, and since it travels, you’ll likely get it in your eye 🙁
I don’t have these to gauge the shimmer particle size but I usually purchase highlighters for that purpose! They are sheer yet sheeny enough to pop a color in a beautiful way, cooler, icy, warmer, but to really shift a color you need an iridescent sheer at the least, duochromes & polychromes will give it for sure! Look into pigments from whatever brand you’d like! I’m sure you’ll find something! 🙂
I was really looking forward to your review of these – I wish more drugstore brands would offer different shades of highlighter, and these look so pretty in the pan! I don’t know if you watch kathleen lights on youtube, but she had a similar opinion on sparkle migration and showing skin texture issues. I am definitely passing on these despite being really excited for them – the traveling sparkle is a total deal breaker.
I couldn’t believe how far the sparkle went, lol!
I have Rose and I definitely agree. It looks amazing from far away but up close not so much. I do like it though because it’s such a good color for fair skin like mine. What I like to do is use it for my forehead, nose, and Cupid’s bow and then use a different product on my cheeks where my skin is more troublesome. I also find that if I apply it while my foundation is still tacky (which I hate doing but) it prevents SOME of that sparkle transfer. That being said, my boyfriend still hates this one because he always gets coated with a very subtle, tasteful layer of glitter when I wear it haha. Hopefully Loreal or another drugstore brand will put out an affordable highlight that outperforms these.
Haha, poor boyfriend 😉
I don’t know why there is so much separation of the sparkle + powder.
Way too sparkly for me as I get older! I’ve noticed I can’t quite pull off shimmery products like I use to. The price is also on the higher end for what I’d want to pay for even a good drugstore highlighter.
Totally understand! 🙂
I definitely want to try Ice & Rose, although Golden may be fun to try, too! Do you happen to know if these are similar to the Maybelline Master Hi-Light powders?
I don’t think I’ve tried those!
I don’t recall seeing a review here, but with sooo many products to cover, I wasn’t sure if it was just a matter of time, LOL!
I’ve been noticing *alot* of crossover/similarities between the 2 brands, so I was just curious. It seems the Maybelline has 2 teams-either absolute love, or complete disdain. I’m in the former, so I’m really looking forward to trying these!
I’m not even sure if I have them – I have seem them around, but I don’t know if I bought them. They’re definitely not photographed or even in the “next to photograph” stage if I have them, lol!
It would be awesome if you could try some more drugstore highlighters! Just my 2 cents 🙂
“All over the face” – do you think these were intended as dupes for Hourglass ambient lighting powders/finishing powder?
I don’t think so – these are highlighters and Hourglass’ are finishing powders, which are actually quite different products 🙂
KathleenLights said the same thing about the emphasized pores and how ridiculously far the shimmer travels too 🙁 unfortunate because these look really pretty!
I was soooo excited when I swatched, because I couldn’t really see the shimmer, but once you start working it onto the skin and blended it out, wow!
I was going to comment on this, too! I just watched her video; it’s nice to see two people (whose opinions I respect) agree about a product…makes me pretty convinced I can pass on it. If two people I trust disagree, might be worth trying out, but I’d prefer for at least a few people to love it in order for me to make a purchase that would be a special trip out, then possibly a trip back to return it if it doesn’t work out.
Ok. These are an example of something at the drugstore I’d have to buy.. Loving them! Do I need? Nope! But they could be used in place of others.. I have a highlighter addiction though it’s not for my face, it’s the colors in general that get me. Magical stuff! 😛
I like highlighters a lot, too, but these made me sad.
It’s so hard to find a good drug store highlighter! I was hoping these would work. I might still try one. I wonder why there is such a void in drugstore makeup when it comes to highlighters (and bronzer to an extent but I think drugstores are catching up)
It is!
Hi, Lisa. I don’t know your skintone, but I have some suggestions. Some good drug-store priced powder highlighters are e.l.f. Studio Baked Highlighters (3 shades), e.l.f. Studio Blush in Gotta Glow, e.l.f. Studio Baked Blush in Pinktastic; Wet n Wild Fergie Shimmer Palette (2 shades); and City Color Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder (they also have Spotlight Highlighter and a highlighter palette that I haven’t tried yet). Bhcosmetics also has a brand new highlighter palette. If you ever buy from Sleek or Makeup Revolution, they have highlighters, too.
I just got some ColourPop highlighters, and would agree with everyone’s raves about those. I’m wearing Monster right now.
They were right to put out some highlighters and they choose good color tones. Too bad about the glitter!
I think they could have done at least one darker! I’m light-medium and only the Golden one is really workable for my skin tone, so it seems like they’re leaving a lot of skin tones out 🙁
Too bad because the swatches look fantastic! I also wish a drugstore brand could come up with a good, affordable highlighter. Maybe the liquid version is better?
Same, Lulle! They are very hard to find.
I was hoping Ice would be nice!
lol!
If I want an affordable highlighter, my money’s on Colourpop!
There ya go!
I’m glad that you added in the piece about it not looking good in person, but great in photos, because it looks awesome on you! I am a little disappointed in this. But I will say that I have seen swatches of the liquid illuminators from this line and they look promising!
Sooo glittery, but really… that it migrates is the problem.
Yeah, I was really intrigued when I saw these, reminded me of a cross between the Becca highlighters and the Clinique 3 color blush/contour palette. And the packaging is great, comes with mirror and the bottom holds a brush. But another reviewer said the same thing – the shimmer is glittery, can emphasize pores, and you can easily go overboard into disco ball territory. And at $13, not cheap for drugstore, so you have to catch a sale or use coupons. It’s too bad because if L’Oreal can improve on the formula and colors, this could be a hit, it’s so pretty in the pan and there aren’t that many drugstore options yet
If it didn’t travel, I think it would just be one of those “this is an intense highlighter, so if you like that, enjoy” products, but it sucks that it doesn’t stay where you put it!
Wow. Just…so glittery. Sad, because I liked the packaging!
Aww!
I saw these somewhere on YouTube and I was excited, because there’s such a dearth of of good drugstore highlighters, but then I saw kathleenlights’s review and it was just so bad. She zoomed in and you could see all the individual glitter specks all over her face! Hopefully the liquids will be better, they looked a lot more promising.
I had glitter on my neck, and I was in disbelief!
I’ve never had anything travel all the way to my neck! I won’t use a shimmer product that travels even to my inner T-zone/undereye area, let alone off my face completely! Very disappointing, especially considering how pricey these are for the drugstore. The only bright side I can see is maybe now other drugstore brands will put out highlighters to try and compete, hopefully with better results!
Aw – it would have been so nice if these had been better quality – reasonable price, 3 different shades. What a shame they’re not very good.The Rose one looks like it might work for me though – I might just give it a try.
Keep us posted 🙂
These look so beautiful in the photos! Golden seems like it would be up my alley… Too bad about the glitter though! Ugh so mad… It’s so hard for me to find the perfect golden highlight, and this looks like it would be a contender, at a drugstore pricepoint to boot!
Another reader suggested Hard Candy! I know a lot of people also like Wet ‘n’ Wild’s highlighters (I can’t remember if they were LE ones or not, though).
I know this is a terribly uncharitable thought, but… do you ever wonder if brands intentionally make products underwhelming to push consumers toward their more pricy alternatives? L’oreal is a parent company to so many purveyors of alternatives that I can’t help but suspect they COULD make a better product I’d they wanted to, but they don’t want to steal business from the high end brands. like when GAP had to issue apologies to their shareholders because Old Navy had succeeded too well, and the same consumers were simply now opting for the less expensive options…
I don’t think I’ve reached that level of cynicism quite yet!
I don’t think so. Many L’Oréal products are *exact* dupes of Lancome (especially when it comes to foundations). Besides, IMO, Lancome has gone down hill over the last few years, while L’Oréal has improved.
L’Oréal also owns Maybelline, which is often considerably less expensive, and their Master Hi-Light products are *amazing*! Maybelline also did a collection several years ago (Cosmic-something…), and it included a highlighter that rivaled Becca & Kevyn Aucoin, so it *can* be done!
When i saw these in cvs i couldn’t resist and got all of it including the liquids. Since they weren’t on sale i was able to use a 25% off coupon but they were still really expensive. Now to see that they don’t perform well is such a let down! I haven’t had a chance to play with them but your reviews are good enough for me. Return time! I think colourpop is a way better option and cheaper, but not everyone can get it. At least loreal tried, there aren’t really any drugstore options. Hard candy glow all the way and elf are all i can think of that offer highlighter products.
ColourPop is definitely a nicer option for highlighters, IMO! And half the price of these!
I want them all! I know, Veruca Salt much? 😛
Haha!
Pass on these but it’s nice to see the drugstore coming out with more highlighters!
Upside 🙂
I tried the liquid version, and … I wish I had bought it from a retailer with a better return policy. I want to take it back. It made me look greasy. I have combination skin right now , leaning more towards dry. Greasy was definitely not what I was going for
I could see it being too shimmery/high shine for combo skin.
And I love glitter/shimmer when it’s done right. This just looked a hot mess. I used it with my moisturizer to give a bit of glow (and because so much product came out of the tube). This went beyond glow.
The swatches look good but Awww the grade sucks lol but maybe the golden one will be amazing on my NW50/55 skin lol…I’m all about sparkle and glow during spring summer…
There’s definitely a place for glittery highlighters (though not everyone’s cup of tea for sure), but this migrates SO much.
These are pretty, especially ice. I agree, they are not all-over highlighters. I think they’d be very pretty on the cheekbones, inner corner of the eye, and browbone.
I can’t imagine using them all-over, lol!
My ColourPop highlighters arrived yesterday (Monster, Hippo, Smoke n Whistles). They hype is definitely deserved. I just want to run my fingers across them because they feel so good. lol I think I’d much rather use my money to buy two of those than one of these.
Woohooo 😀
Pity they didn’t perform well. They looked rather nice in the pan.
They seemed promising initially!
Apart from the small size of the pan – these look way too shimmery and I know they would migrate everywhere. There isn’t enough of these products at the budget end of the market, but if you were into highlighters I think I would treat myself to a better brand.
Definitely!
I really want all 3, but I must have Rose and Ice!
Enjoy!
I purchased Golden & Rose the other day and have only swatched them, but I could see the glitter. I haven’t tried on my face yet, I might or I might just return them. Guess the only highlighters worth mentioning at the drugstore are Physician’s Formula & Wet nWild Fergie Palettes.. Those are nice!
Keep us posted, Anastasia!
They DO look great in the photos! Too bad about the in person experience you had and the rating 🙁 Guess I’ll still save for the Hourglass powders 🙂
🙂
Darn, and they looked so pretty :/ I almost bought 2 of them because an Instagram page called DupeThat swatched them and compared Rose to Macs Lightscapade and Golden to Bobbi Browns shimmerbrick in Apricot. Their pictures made them look almost exactly alike ! Glad I seen this first, because I hate glitter on my face lol.
If you don’t like glitter, I’d definitely be wary! 🙁
Oh dear! What a shame, because these actually look so nice in the pan. But I sure wouldn’t like glitter on my neck of all places. Well, I’ll be sticking to the Colourpop highlighters instead for my LE/DS glow in that case!
There ya go 😉
Oh my, I was going to buy one of these because they look so pretty(even though they are actually a bit more priced than I can allow myself right now). Thank you for messing things up for me . 😀 No, I’m actually joking – thank you for saving me from spending my money on something that I feel I would be really really displeased with! I have no wish for a glitter-ball highlighter.
No problem, Scarlet!
I’ve heard good things about these elsewhere. I might try the rose if I can get it on sale.
Enjoy!
Eeeek, my pores are shivering in fear at the sight of these, haha 🙂 Definitely way too much glitter and shimmer.
Poor pores ;P
Golden looks incredible on you, Christine!
Thanks, Kelsey!