NYX Lavender Steel Duo Chromatic Illuminating Powder Review, Photos, Swatches
Lavender Steel
NYX Lavender Steel Duo Chromatic Illuminating Powder ($7.99 for 0.21 oz.) is an iridescent, lavender with a pale, grayish beige base. It looked more like a very light lavender applied to the skin that appeared deeper in color as I moved around. Mine arrived broken (it’s not an Ulta order unless at least one thing arrives broken), so it was a little harder to discern the true texture, but it seemed a touch drier overall to me and not quite as smooth. It had semi-opaque, buildable coverage that blended out with ease and sat well on the skin (no emphasis of pores!). On me, the highlighter started to fade after eight hours of wear.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Bite Beauty Blush Pearl (P, $24.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Morphe Stardust (P, $14.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- NARS Wild Phox (LE, $29.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Becca Prismatic Amethyst (LE, $38.00) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- MAC Soft Frost (P, $42.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop Pinch Me (LE, $10.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Becca Aquamarine (LE, $38.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Giorgio Armani Pink Light (P, $45.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Monster (P, $10.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Confetti (P, $25.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
Formula Overview
$7.99/0.21 oz. - $38.05 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to "blend like a dream" and have a "luminous finish." The pigmentation varied from semi-sheer to mostly opaque with a denser, lightly creamy texture that felt thicker in the pan but did not look or feel that way on my skin. I would recommend using a denser brush or using a heavier hand to get product onto the brush. I didn’t feel like the powder was stiff, but it wasn’t as loosely pressed as a lot of highlighters on the market, which did make it easier to control and build coverage and sheen up. They lasted around eight hours on me.
Browse all of our NYX Duo Chromatic Illuminating Powder swatches.
Ingredients
Talc, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Tin Oxide, Barium Sulfate (CI 77120), Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 (CI 15850).
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.
I absolutely love this highlighter! It was part of my birthday month haul at Ulta and I’ve been using it a lot.
That is great to hear 😀
I think this is really pretty. I’m sorry yours arrived broken.
It is a pretty shade!
Okay, so two things: first, that Ulta line was hilarious. (and true) Second, I was worried when you said that, because after reading your glowing review of Snow Rose I decided to order it online. It just delivered in one happy piece! So lucky!!
Phew! I am glad yours arrived okay. This year, I think I’ve had one or two Ulta orders arrive with nothing broken, but the rest have had at least one thing. Luckily, I suppose, what breaks is usually something that isn’t that expensive and the 45 minute phone call, trip to the post office/Fedex/UPS store, and then the 2-week wait time is never worth doing since I will likely use the product a few times and move on.
Another one for my wishlist. 😉
🙂
Of course they have to have at least one thing arrive broken! What a shame, too, because this looks to be another warm enough lavender that could be wearable on warmer or darker skintones. A beige base instead of a white or chalky base just seems easier to wear for many skintones.
They do, seriously! I think I have had only one or two orders arrive this year without something broken!
In, I think, though from the store, next time Nyx sale rolls around. I haven’t ever had Ulta breakage. Oops, jinxed it. It’d be a good one for my mauve/gray/En Taupe phase.
Ah, you lucky gal 😉
I might have to pick this up during my next order to ulta
Awesome!
Oh wow, I’ve been ordering from Ulta for 3 yrs, not as much stuff as you of course, but probably at least 6-8 orders a year, but they are usually pretty big orders (to take advantage of 20% off or 2-5x points), and I’ve only had 1 thing broken, an eye shadow. Everything has been adequately packed, so I’m wondering if these are coming from different distribution centers. So sorry your stuff constantly gets broken 🙁 But thanks for the swatches –the highlighter is really pretty !
You are very lucky! 🙂 I’m pretty much the opposite! The orders that arrive fine are usually ones where I don’t have any powder products, LOL!
I love this! I’ve loved every single one of their duochromatic illuminators so far (from swatches), which tempts me to buy them…
I’m sorry it arrived broken though, Christine! Ulta really does ship poorly. It’s like they just throw everything in the box & add those silly, thin, air-filled pouch things like they’ll actually protect anything.
Yeah, their packaging is funny! Sometimes they throw all these little compacts into a bubble wrap “bag”, and then that’s in a big box with plenty of space for the whole thing to rattle around… and the compacts to hit each other.
Ha! Mine arrived broken, too. Yep, as per usual with Ulta orders. I just used isopropanol to fix it. It’s a really pretty color tho.
Sorry to hear yours arrived broken, too, Melissa! 🙁
Wow! It looked a lot grayer in the pan! Looks beautiful on you, Christine.
I’m going to have buy this for my niece because these lavender shades are great for brightening up rich olive Indian skin tones without turning them pasty or leaving a whitish cast. Doesn’t emphasize texture too? Bonus!
I hope it works well for your niece, Bibi!
Aw, RIP… It does look nice on you though. Good to hear it doesn’t emphasize pores.
It was kind to skin!
More and more makeup made in China. And so the quality (not to mention safety) slides.
The majority of the shades in the formula were quite good – and this isn’t wasn’t bad at all… Just because something is made in China doesn’t mean it is low quality or lacking in safety – it really depends on the brand and what manufacturer they’re selecting and what their requirements are. They are the ones who approve the products!
Interesting. Mine (also from Ulta) came broken as well. I think I had much better luck with Ulta than you did though. It took a very quick (less than 5 minutes) phone call and they overnighted a replacement to me (and told me to keep or toss the broken one). Mine swatched decidedly more lavender/purple than yours but overall, I’d rate it at about what you did. It’s a good lavender highlighter but not stellar IMO; which is why I ordered the new BECCA one.
Ulta requires me to send back the product, wait for them to receive the product, and then they will refund me. If I want to do an exchange, they will send me a new one after they receive the broken one. Returns take 5-10 days, and then another couple of days for processing, and then 5-10 days to receive the new one. So for a product that’s $7 that I’ll use 3-5 times (once to swatch, once to apply on the face for photos, and then once for testing), the hassle isn’t worth it. I tried returning in-store once, which they said I could do, but they said broken items from online orders must be returned through the online system as they said they can’t trust I didn’t break it on purpose (made no sense to me…).
WOW that’s seriously messed up! If I think of who I spoke with last time, I’ll let you know. (Not only was the highlighter broken but I had received a 2nd order on the same day and one of the Nyx shadows was shattered too. They replaced both overnight.)
Yeah, I could understand wanting it back for certain types of products or price points, e.g. a $50 palette, but I’ve had a $1.99 item arrive broken that I paid $1.00 for (buy 1, get 1 free) and they’ll want it back.
Oh my gosh, that’s nuts! Sorry your local Ulta is such a pain to deal with in-store and from a shipping standpoint. I did return a broken shadow in store late last year–it was the only thing that broke in the 3 years that I’ve been ordering from them, and yes, I’ve ordered notoriously fragile items (some of the NYX shadows and blushes). The store refunded me on the spot. The shadow was $14, but I got on sale for like $10, so it wasn’t super pricey, but it wasn’t $2 either.
It’s really pretty!
It is!
This one is lovely. I just migh get it. It’s on the wishlist and I think I must go through it to see what I really absolutely want and remove other things to be able to keep my low buy this year. (I have been quite good, so far.)
It’s a very pretty one!
(it’s not an Ulta order unless at least one thing arrives broken)
I live for your shade, Christine.
🙂
No pores?!?!?! NEED.
Haha!
it’s not an Ulta order unless at least one thing arrives broken
???
I wish it weren’t true!
Hi Christine. I really appreciate that you still featured this item even though it was broken. And that the photo shows how it is. It shows how items are really delivered and I hope Ulta does a better job with how they communicate and work with third parties to make sure they arrive to our homes without issues. I’d be upset if I had to pay to have it shipped back for a replacement. More of my time wasted. So thank you.
They don’t charge for the return shipping, thankfully, but it is a frustrating policy they have (to require a return before you can get a replacement, especially on a low value item). I’ve done a lot of online ordering, and most retailers will issue a replacement immediately and often expedite shipping without requiring a return.
Well, I have the other 2, might as well try to get ahold of this one.:)
i am a highlighter junkie and this one is my absolute favorite!!!! such a gorgeous color. i layer it over NYX liquid illuminator to get a super shimmery glow.
I just ordered some nyx stuff from Ulta and my lavender highlighter arrived broken too. And my nyx pressed powder and taupe blush. Ugh!
Oh no 🙁