MAC Let It Glow Extra Dimension Skinfinish Review & Swatches
Let It Glow
MAC Let It Glow Extra Dimension Skinfinish ($37.00 for 0.31 oz.) is a silvery-white with cooler undertones and a sparkling, luminous finish. It had larger flecks of sparkle in it compared to most of the Extra Dimension Skinfinishes I’ve tried over the years, which may come as a surprise to long-time fans. The texture was fairly smooth but had a drier feel to it than past shades in the formula, though by no means actually that dry/dusty–just not nearly as smooth and firm.
It had semi-opaque color payoff that applied evenly to bare skin and had good dispersion of shimmer/sparkle. The base seemed more translucent to me, so the coverage came more in the form of shimmer/sparkle to my eye. The finish was shinier, but it did not emphasize my skin’s natural texture. It wore nicely for eight and a half hours before fading a bit, and the shimmer/sparkle didn’t seem to migrate noticeably.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Give Me Glow Snowflake (P, $17.25) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Icy (LE, $10.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Cover FX Prism (LE, $34.00) is more pigmented, cooler (90% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Eviscerate (P, $18.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Anastasia Snowflake (P, $25.00) is more shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (90% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe Edition #18 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (90% similar).
- LORAC Fortune (LE, $23.00) is lighter, more pigmented, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop S'il Vous Play (DC, $12.00) is lighter, more pigmented (90% similar).
- Burberry No. 01 White (P, $68.00) is lighter, more pigmented (90% similar).
- Clionadh Luna (P, $12.50) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$42.00/0.31 oz. - $135.48 Per Ounce
The Extra Dimension Skinfinish formula is supposed to give “the perfect glow to the skin” with a “creamy powder formula” that wears for “10 hours.” It’s a powder highlighter that I’d describe as a moderate to intense highlighter, and they come in varying hues with some that might work as highlighting blushes/bronzers are on some skin tones and true highlighters on other skin tones. In general, the formula is very pigmented, blendable, and wears around eight to nine hours on me.
Browse all of our MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish swatches.
Ingredients
Mica, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, C12-20 Acid Peg-8 Ester, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Squalane, Glycerin, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dicalcium Phosphate, Polysorbate 80, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Caprylyl Glycol, [+/- Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Carmine (Ci 75470), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140)]
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.
So sad it’s got “larger specs of sparkle”, I was excited for this one. I love the packaging and I don’t have a silvery white highlighter. Oh well, money saved. Thanks for your review Christine!
This is a really pretty EDSF for winter. Probably a bit too cool white for my skintone even though I can get away with a light-handed application of Ofra Glazed Donut.
Very pretty and would work well with my fair skin tone. I like that it is cooler but not sure about the larger sparkles. I generally stay well away from anything with larger particles as it just isn’t attractive on my 66 year old skin. Doubt I will pick this up.
This does look good for all the cool toned people out there, but MAC’s fascination with sparkles (like a lot of other brands) lets it down. The formula would be much better without the glitter.
It’s funny you mentioned it being sparkly because mine isn’t. There’s some shimmer but when I blend it onto my skin, I don’t notice it much.
I had almost decided to buy this, but thought I’d wait for the review (thank you, Christine) before ordering it. Now I see that I have a dupe, so I’ll probably not get it. Larger sparkles are a bit of a deal breaker for me, still it looks lovely in the photos. So it’s the usual, want, don’t need, better options out there for less money, but still really want it.
I love that this doesn’t have a white base.
It looks beautiful on you!!
I bit the bullet and purchased this with some Ulta points and hope I don’t regret choosing it over the three-pan highlighter option. It was close, but knowing I’d never use the gold or pink shades from the palette, this one won out.
Are you happy with your purchase? =)