OFRA Retrograde Highlighter Review & Swatches
Retrograde
OFRA Retrograde Highlighter (Split) ($29.00 for 0.35 oz.) contains Star Island and Neptune within a single pan, so you may find you already have those two from prior launches or prefer that they’re housed in one pan instead. OFRA’s Highlighters are quite large, so half of a pan is still quite a bit of product and plenty of room to maneuver a brush in to just pick up one color at a time. Together, they swirled to create a very bright and light beige with a hint of warmth.
Ingredients
Retrograde
PPermanent.
Star Island
Star Island is a bright, pale yellow gold with warm undertones and a metallic finish. It had rich pigmentation in a single layer, which applied well to bare skin and blended out easily without emphasizing my skin’s natural texture. The consistency felt smooth, lightly creamy, and dense without being too firmly pressed in the pan. It wore well for eight and a half hours on me before fading a bit.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Urban Decay Now's the Time (LE, $26.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- OFRA Moondance (LE, $29.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Gleam Sheen (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Vieve Bijou (P, $37.50) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- MAC Double-Gleam (P, $42.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- LORAC Daylight (P, $23.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Kaja Gold Drip (PiP, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Golden Wonder (P, $9.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Milani Pearl (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- Clionadh Apollo (P, $12.50) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$29.00/0.35 oz. - $82.86 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have a "liquid to baked technology" that has "unparalleled pigment payoff" that can be used as a highlighter as well as an eyeshadow or as a blush topper." It's a very pigmented formula with a high-shine, metallic finish that will be most suitable for someone who wants an intense highlighter.
The texture was denser but not dry or difficult to work with, so it seemed to melt onto the skin the more I buffed and blended the highlighter on. They lasted between eight and nine hours on me before fading noticeably.
Browse all of our OFRA Highlighter swatches.
Ingredients
Mica, Zinc Stearate, Boron Nitride, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Silica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone, Ethylene/ Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin. May Contain: Ci 77891, Ci 77492,Ci 77491, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxychloride.
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.
Star Island
PPermanent. $29.00.
Neptune
Neptune is a light-medium lavender with neutral-to-cool undertones and a metallic sheen. It had opaque color coverage that applied evenly to bare skin and blended out nicely along the edges. The finish was metallic and shiny but didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture. I felt like it was ever-so-slightly cooler-toned than the standalone pan I reviewed earlier this week, but applied to my cheeks, I couldn’t tell any difference. The texture was smooth, dense but not too firmly packed into the pan, and felt lightly creamy to the touch. The color stayed on well for eight and a half hours on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Sydney Grace Majestic (LE, $9.00) is darker (90% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe Edition #19 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Pardon My Francais (LE, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Black Tie (LE, $8.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Squad (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Fenty Beauty 7daywknd (PiP, $36.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Get Lit (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Laura Geller Charming Pink (P, $26.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Still Loading (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Rocket Science (P, $10.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$29.00/0.35 oz. - $82.86 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have a "liquid to baked technology" that has "unparalleled pigment payoff" that can be used as a highlighter as well as an eyeshadow or as a blush topper." It's a very pigmented formula with a high-shine, metallic finish that will be most suitable for someone who wants an intense highlighter.
The texture was denser but not dry or difficult to work with, so it seemed to melt onto the skin the more I buffed and blended the highlighter on. They lasted between eight and nine hours on me before fading noticeably.
Browse all of our OFRA Highlighter swatches.
Ingredients
Mica, Zinc Stearate, Boron Nitride, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Silica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone, Ethylene/ Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin. May Contain: Ci 77891, Ci 77492,Ci 77491, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxychloride
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.
Lovely. I’m assuming the first set of photos (including your lovely face) is the product swirled together. Is that correct?
Yes 🙂
I seriously don’t need this, but I seriously want it.
I know I just ordered Covent Garden yesterday, but I’m now tempted to buy this one as well! Ifn fact, I think I prefer this duo. I can do a warmer lilac with it than Neptune all alone, or I can get a stunning champagne beige, even a pale gold! On the 2nd, Ulta, yeah probably. ?
I was really hoping to find Covent Garden in-store to swatch it, but it wasn’t at ULTA… On me, I think it would be a possible blush topper, but I still need to make sure it doesn’t pull too warm. Did you find it in ULTA’s site, or Ofra?
I had to order it from Ofra directly, Amy. Would have much rather gotten it from Ulta because points, and to check it out in person, but I fell so hard for it that I took that chance with Ofra.
Very pretty. Same as yesterday though, I don’t know if I can pull it off. It is likely to look like a bruise on me. The Star Island I could do, I think. I only have one Ofra Highlighter and I honestly can’t remember which one it is but I would go for Star Island by itself. The more I am looking at your peach eye, Christine, the more it is growing on me. I have never been a real fan of peach shades but I think it would be flattering with my really deep brown eyes. May have to break out some peaches. I have a lot in my palettes but don’t really use them much.
I just picked this one up on Thursday! I didn’t even realize that it was Star Island & Neptune, both of which were on my radar, so money saved, LOL! I only swatched it in-store, with both shades together, but now I can’t wait to get home, and play with it more.
I particularly like the blushes/highlighters that contain a few shades so that you can swirl your brushes in both (if you want to) and get a really different effect. This is gorgeous.
This was the only one of the Ofra highlights in the upcoming 21 Days of Beauty Sale at Ulta that I was thinking about since I have the other ones that would work for my skin tone. Christine, if you had to choose between Ofra’s Retrograde and Becca’s Berlin Girl — which one? Or both?
They’re both nice, but I think it comes down to what effect you’re going for – do you want to be able to use the two separate colors or were you just going to use it swirled together? I don’t find Retrograde swirled to be flattering on me so I wouldn’t personally choose it for myself, though. I think the quality of both products is very comparable!
I’m trying to decide between Ofra Star Island and Pillow Talk for the Ulta beauty steal tomorrow. I’m very fair, and here’s the thing: I have dupes for both shades. Is the formula unique and amazing enough that it’s worth grabbing with having dupes in my collection? Also, between the two shades, which is your favorite?
I really enjoy the formula; if you like a more intense highlight, sure, but it may also depend on what other formulas you have, too! If all the ones you have are more traditional power – a little dusty or powdery if you use a heavier hand – then this would be very different. Toss up between the two shades since it would depend on what look I was wearing, but there are probably less pink highlighters out there than gold ones…