Melt Cosmetics Shadowplay Blushlight Review & Swatches
Shadowplay
Melt Cosmetics Shadowplay Blushlight ($22.00 for 0.13 oz.) is a pale, just barely warm-toned white base with a minty green sheen that shifted subtly between gold-green and true mint green. It had opaque pigmentation in a single layer, which was the “downside” as the formula is supposed to be buildable–the texture was soft and forgiving enough that it could be applied with a lighter hand and less-dense brush (true of many pigmented formulas, though) that more gradual application was, at least, possible. The powder was smooth, silky without being too powdery, and applied evenly and blended out without difficulty. It wore well for eight hours on me before fading noticeably.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Good as Gateau (LE, $12.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- Sleek MakeUP Subsolar (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- MAC Let It Rock (LE, $34.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Worth the Wait (LE, $49.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Looxi Beauty Posh (P, $7.50) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Jubilant Chorus (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Fine Gold (003) (PiP, $60.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Anastasia Lucky Clover (LE, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Nudelight (Top) (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- LORAC Star Reader (LE, $23.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$22.00/0.13 oz. - $169.23 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to be buildable and can be worn alone or layered with other blushes. I'd consider it a more pigmented blush formula; a few shades are soft and yielding enough to be used with a lighter hand or less-dense brush for sheerer, more buildable application, but most shades were semi-opaque to opaque in one layer. The texture ranged from smooth, lightly creamy to soft and slightly powdery (though finely-milled and silky to the touch!). They blended out fairly well, though a few shades could have been more blendable, and most shades lasted between seven and eight hours on me.
Browse all of our Melt Cosmetics Blushlight swatches.
Ingredients
Mica, Talc, Triethylhexanoin, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Magnesium Carbonate, Lauroyl Lysine, Nylon 12, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).
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.
It’s a nice one, but I doubt so on my skintone or thereabouts. I have the PMG one and also Emerald from that ok KVD Alchemist palette, so I’m set for this family of shades minus that strong white base color!
Even the slightest hint of green on my cheeks would make me look sickly, but this might be pretty on the inner eye corners (if eye-safe).
I love green highlighters, and I love how intense this HL is. I have three of the dupes, though, so I have to pass. (But that doesn’t keep me from really wanting it, just the same.)