Make Up For Ever 109 Golden Star Lit Diamond Powders Reviews & Swatches
109 Golden
Make Up For Ever 109 Golden Star Lit Diamond Powder ($26.00 for 0.08 oz.) has a medium-dark, coppery-brown base with gold-to-green shifting sparkle and shimmer. It had a stronger, more pigmented base to it, and it seemed to melt a bit more on more normal-to-oily skin (rather than dry, like my arm) and didn’t sheer out too readily but would be best applied with a dampened brush or used with a tacky base/adhesive spray for maximum coverage and minimal fallout. The texture felt as finely-milled as expected, given it had a lot of sparkles in it.
There was a definite shift that was noticeable, though it tended too look a bit brighter and lighter (almost in-between shift and no-shift) overall. For example, I wore it on my lower lash line (shown above) and it has a greener look (with neither copper nor gold dominating), whereas it was more gold-green shift on my cheeks (and I enhanced the gold tones by using it with a yellowish highlighter for the look in the slideshow). On its own, it lasted for eight hours with moderate fallout on my lid but closer to eight hours with some traveling/migration on cheeks.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Moonwalk (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Like a Moss (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Provocatrix (LE, $25.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Sephora Lou (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Tea Garden (P, $4.50) is lighter (90% similar).
- Terra Moons Hot Spiced Cider (P, $8.50) is lighter (85% similar).
- Bad Habit Transcend (PiP, ) is cooler (85% similar).
- ColourPop IRL (LE, $6.00) (85% similar).
- ColourPop Barrel (LE, $9.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Fyrinnae Mythical Dalliance (P, $14.50) is cooler (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$26.00/0.08 oz. - $325.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to be "buildable, blendable, [and] light-reflective" and can be used on the eyes, face, and body. The brand says that they can be applied with "brush or fingers," and while they say that "for cleaner application and stronger hold, wet brush with" an adhesive spray, it does imply it can be used without for less clean/less hold. The powders seem as finely-milled as they're going to get, but they have micro-sparkle and sparkle to them so they have a drier, almost loose glittery texture overall. Some shades seemed to have a stronger base color that came through than others, which were more glittery overall with a sheerer or transparent base.
I wore several of them on cheeks as well as eyes with most shades performing decently without an adhesive spray/tacky base, but the wear time was between six and eight hours with light to moderate fallout (depending on the shade) on eyes and eight hours on cheeks with some sparkle migration over time. I definitely would recommend using the product with an adhesive spray for the "cleaner application and stronger hold" the brand says it would result in.
Browse all of our Make Up For Ever Star Lit Diamond Powder swatches.
Ingredients
This one is quite the chameleon, eh? Believe it or not, this is one I would enjoy wearing during summer with a red-based bronzer. I think it would be a head turner used in that capacity! Or perhaps a little too much for our region….? ?
Incredible shift of color, and what great quality pictures you take, Christine. This powder reminds me of MAC I like 2 watch. Its sparkles have a striking effect on the lid when moving.
I really love the shade, but like many, not the sparkly glitter. It’s a stunning colour and MUFE have done a pretty good job on this one.
Beautiful eye look Christine.
Just simply gorgeous!!