Archived Post

Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter Review, Photos, Swatches

1 of 7
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter
Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter

Kitten

Stila Kitten Glitter & Glow Highlighter ($30.00 for 0.20 oz.) is a medium, coppery brown with warm undertones and large, chunky gold glitter. It had a semi-sheer base, but it seemed to disappear when I applied it to my actual cheeks, as it left behind faint shimmer and some sparkle. It swatched rather intensely, so I’m not entirely sure where all the color/product went upon application and subsequent dry down!

Some of the loss was due to how much product adhered to my fingertip rather than my skin as I attempted to pat and blend it gently. It also lifted up base products, so be wary of applying over fuller coverage foundation. What was there upon initial application seemed to last for a solid eight hours on me, but the glitters would dislodge easily if I pressed my face at all.

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

Formula Overview

$30.00/0.2 oz. - $150.00 Per Ounce

The brand says it's supposed to be a "complexion-enhancing formula [that] contains a sheer base with a multicolor mix of pearls and visible flecks of glitter." It can be used alone or layered over other products. The brand reiterated that the Highlighter formula is "not pigmented" compared to their Glitter & Glow Eye Shadows, which I appreciate. Similarly, the brand clearly stated that these should not be used on the eyes due to sizes of the glitter used in the cheek highlighter. I find this to be an odd product that I expect to work for a few but largely, it didn't work as described.

The do have sheer bases with light-to-moderate amounts of glitter; some are chocked-full of glitter and others are sparser. The ones with less sparkle and glitter did not work well alone; they looked more like random bits of grit on the face rather than a highlighter as it illuminated nothing. The ones with lots of sparkle and glitter could be used alone. They seemed to be better layered, but the effect that these added was rather minimal.

The more glitter there was, the more prone to migration/traveling, and these absolutely have to go on last and cannot be blended with a brush or else most of it comes off and goes wherever it is destined to go (nose, chin, trapped in one's brush). The formula was thin and more watery, though it did not take too long to dry down. It was more challenging to apply as the glittery bits tended to adhere a bit too easily to my fingertips while a sponge absorbed the wetness quickly and then the glitter dried more on my sponge than on my skin.

They're a bit larger (but more expensive) than the Glitter & Glow Eyeshadows, which run $24.00 for 0.15 fl. oz. or $160.00/oz.; the Glitter & Glow Highlighters are $30.00 for 0.20 oz. or $150.00/oz. My advice is to opt for one of the eyeshadows, where some of them are sheerer and often can be sheered out if desired, and could be used on the eyes OR the cheeks as a more glittery highlighter.

Browse all of our Stila Glitter & Glow Highlighter swatches.

Ingredients

Water, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Glycerin, Silica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Caprylyl Glycol, Bis-C16-20 Isoalkoxy TMHDI/PEG-90 Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Tin Oxide, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate. May Contain (+/-): 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.

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Guerlain Parure Gold Foundation
  • Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Powder
On eyes:
  • Viseart Tryst Eyeshadow Palette
  • Urban Decay Scorch Eyeliner
On lips:
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty Cream and Sugar Le Marc Lip Crème

13 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Moriah Avatar

I wonder… this is almost exactly the same product as the liquid eye shadow so I have to wonder… what’s the point? Unfortunately this is a hard pass. ☹️ Thank you for your review!! I always trust what you have to say about new makeup!!

Rachel B Avatar

I wish Stila would not duplicate shade names. For example, the Shimmer and Glow liquid eyeshadow also has a shade named Kitten, which was rated A+ on this site. This can be really confusing.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!