YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter Review & Swatches
Bronze Gold
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter ($42.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a light-medium copper with warm, red undertones and a golden, metallic sheen. It had medium, buildable pigmentation (three layers for nearly opaque coverage) with a stiffer, firmer consistency that was harder to pick up with my brush. It blended out fairly readily when applied dry, but when I applied it with a wet brush, it was more challenging to blend out as the product adhered strongly wherever it was initially applied. I was able to buff out the edges for a luminous finish that did not emphasize my skin’s natural texture in the end, but it was a surprise that I had to work at blending out the color at all. It wore well for eight hours on me before fading slightly.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Huda Beauty Tahiti (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Flare (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Persona Del Mar (P, $24.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Champagne Heist (P, $25.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Smashbox Crank It Up Gold (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- MAC Dima's Glow (LE, $42.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Cuneirune (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Sephora High Noon (P, $16.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Padded Down (LE, $12.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Anastasia Golden Bronze (LE, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$42.00/0.11 oz. - $381.82 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to be "ultra-fine" with a "high-shine" finish that has "effortless, mistake-proof application" and "buildable intensity." It can also be used wet to "boost shimmer intensity." I tried two of three shades, and those two had varying degrees of pigmentation but were more semi-sheer to medium but buildable, both in terms of color as well as the intensity of the finish/shine. The consistency was more firmly pressed in the pan, which resulted in a stiffer texture that wasn't as blendable as it could have been and required a heavier hand just to pick up product in the first place. It was particularly noticeable when I tried to apply and blend out the color wet--it was more pigmented but it adhered very strongly to wherever it was initially applied and blending out the edges was difficult. I was able to blend out both shades on my skin, but it took more effort than anticipated. They lasted eight hours on me before fading a bit.
Browse all of our YSL Couture Highlighter swatches.
Ingredients
Bronze Gold
PPermanent. $42.00.
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter
YSL Bronze Gold Couture Highlighter
This looks so lovely, just enough red in it to work as a blush also.
While that shade looks lovely applied, it also sounds like far too much trouble to get it to apply as nicely as it looks. A big nope from me. Besides, I have CP Dew Drop, which always looks fab!
What a shame this is a fizz – it looked so pretty. But YSL is going the way of Guerlain, Lancome etc. Expensive, but poor quality products.
I really had higher hopes!