Melt Cosmetics Iluminacion Digital Dust Highlight Review & Swatches

Christine — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 15:00:00 +0000

Iluminacion

Melt Cosmetics Iluminacion Digital Dust Highlight ($39.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a sparkling, light-medium peach base with pink-topeach shifting sparkle and pearl. It had more of a transparent base but plenty of “coverage” in the form of very fine shimmer and larger sparkle and micro-sparkle. If you loathe even the hint of a glitter highlight, this might contain too-large particles, but the resulting effect is very shiny and wet-like; it never looked like random glittery bits!

The consistency was smooth to the touch, more firmly-pressed in the pan as I’d expect for this type of formula (gel-powder), so there was no powderiness or excess product that kicked up in the pan. I would recommend using a moderately dense brush to pick up product–a typical, tapered highlighting brush with a moderate hand does it for me, but fan brushes are likely too feathery and soft–evenly for medium or heavier application. It applied evenly to bare skin, blended out well, and didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture. The highlighter stayed on well for nine hours, though it wasn’t quite the 12-hours promised (a bit of a lofty claim).

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

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Haus Labs Pink Amethyst (P, $40.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
Cover FX Lunar (P, $44.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Smashbox Prismatic Petal (LE, $39.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Becca Spanish Rose Glow (LE, $38.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Dior Coral (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Too Faced Starlight (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
MAC Dazzlepink (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Kaja Twinkle Lights (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Too Faced Canary Diamond (P, $34.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
MAC Show Gold (P, $42.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$39.00/0.28 oz. - $139.29 Per Ounce

The brand doesn't have a great description of the highlighter formula generally, just descriptions of each shade. The lightest shade--Stargazer--is described as "buildable" but the other two are silent with respect to pigmentation, and the lightest shade was quite pigmented. Since there was no general description, I'm holding the formula to the average powder highlighter's claims--pigmented, long-wearing, and blendable, except Stargazer, which I would expect to have "buildable" pigmentation. The formula has a denser, firmer texture, but it never felt stiff nor was it difficult to blend out on the skin. The coverage was semi-opaque and buildable with a high-shine to metallic finish. All three lasted eight hours on me.

Browse all of our Melt Cosmetics Digital Dust Highlight swatches.

Ingredients

Mica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Silica, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Squalane, Octyldo-Decyl Stearoyl Stearate, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tin Oxide, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Dicalcium Phosphate, 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.