Makeup by Mario Quartz Master Crystal Reflector Review & Swatches

Christine — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Quartz

Makeup by Mario Quartz Master Crystal Reflector ($24.00 for 0.12 oz.) seemed to have a transparent base packed with silver and white sparkle of varying sizes. It read “glittery,” though it didn’t contain plastic (PET) glitter. The flecks were flatter, too, so they adhered and sat better on my skin, but it didn’t have a lot of creaminess or binder, so there were issues with fallout (when used as an eyeshadow topper) and migration (when used as a cheek product, though migration was not as noticeable as the fallout from eye usage).

The texture was drier to the touch, though it wasn’t powdery, and felt fairly smooth with a slightly firmer feel. It had sheer color coverage, which was as described, that could be built up to more semi-opaque coverage with two to three layers. Per the brand, it should be applied with fingertips, which did work well with the product as fingertips gave me greater control over the where and better dispersion of the sparkles without them going everywhere. When using a brush, I’d recommend using a smaller, more precise brush (like a mini fan). It lasted for eight hours on cheeks and eyes, but there was light migration and moderate fallout, respectively.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

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View Swatches

Formula Overview

$24.00/0.12 oz. - $200.00 Per Ounce

It's supposed to be a "subtle and sheer" highlighter that is "buildable" and creates a "veil of crystal sparkle." It's a thinner, moderately-dense powder highlighter that is more sparkle/micro-glitter (though no plastic or PET glitter!) with more of a transparent to tinted base. They seemed a touch dry--not as inherent adhesion as one probably would want for something this packed with sparkle--so fallout and migration were issues.

They were sheer to semi-sheer when applied with a brush or gently with a fingertip--the brand actually recommended using a fingertip for both a "sheer wash of sparkle" as well as for a more intense, "spotlight effect." I found that a brush resulted in more diffused, less precise application and sheerer coverage. A fingertip gave more semi-sheer to medium, buildable coverage that was easier to apply just where I wanted it.

When I applied the product to my cheeks as a highlighter, they wore between eight and nine hours with light migration movement. When I tried it on the lid/brow bone, there was more noticeable fallout over time.

Browse all of our Makeup by Mario Master Crystal Reflector swatches.