NARS St. Barths Highlighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches
St. Barths
NARS St. Barths Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a medium-dark copper with warm, orange undertones and a metallic sheen. It had good color coverage in a single layer, though it took two layers for full coverage (if desired). The powder had a smooth, firmer consistency in the pan, but I had no trouble picking up product on my typpical, go-to highlighter brushes (both fan and tapered). It applied beautifully my skin and blended out with little to no effort on my part–it felt like the type of product that did the work for you. The finish was strong and shiny but did not accentuate my skin’s natural texture to my eye. It wore well for nine hours on me before fading a bit.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Milani Rose Gold (PiP, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Beauty Beam #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- OFRA Blind the Haters (P, $29.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- ColourPop Bae Area (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe Edition #20 (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Pose (LE, $7.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Milani Sunset Glow (P, $10.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Too Faced Cherry Bomb (Highlighter) (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Rising Star (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Looxi Beauty Divine (P, $7.50) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$38.00/0.49 oz. - $77.55 Per Ounce
The new powder highlighter formula is supposed to "melt seamlessly into skin to enhance your natural glow" with "buildable radiance." The texture had a smooth feel that was finely-milled but firmer, almost stiff in a way, in the pan (not in a bad way), and it was not at all powdery. There was a dryness and thinness present in the texture that made it less like traditional powder highlighter formulas (including the brand's original range of highlighting powders), and none of that translated into poor performance.
That being said, all of the shades applied better on the cheeks than the they did applied to my arm. I also noticed that finish became more and more luminous--almost blindingly at times!--as the powder was buffed and blended on my cheeks. They were very reflective and shiny on my cheek bones with semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation. I had no trouble blending and diffusing any of the shades on my skin, and despite having a firmer feel in the pan, I could use fan brushes and other feathery brushes to pickup product. The powders lasted between eight and nine hours on me.
Browse all of our NARS Highlighting Powder (2018) swatches.
St. Barths
PPermanent. $38.00.
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This has such a lovely, smooth finish to it! Obviously, I must really love the shade itself because dupes abound here, even a “possible dupe” or two!
This is a beautiful shade but unfortunately way too dark for me and very warm which although I can make many warm shades work the ones that run orange just do nothing for my pale complexion with strong cool undertones.
Wow beautiful. Reminds me of one of their single Shadows Lola Loa.
Even though this warmer and darker than what I can usually pull off, I might have to swatch it on my face, I’m surprisingly into it.