A Green Beauty Highlighter Showdown

 

Ladies, I love myself a little highlighter now and again. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a bonafide strobing aficionada or anything, but a little dab of highlighter on my cheekbones, inner corner of eyes, and cupid’s bow can take me from blah to luminous in less than a minute.

There are a fair amount of safe, natural highlighters out there, so I decided to look at the 5 that I’ve seen and heard the most about over the past year or so.

In no particular order:

RMS Living Luminizer – Described as “an ultra sheer, glowing, luminizer with a translucent, satin-pearl finish.” Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Tocopherol (non-GMO), Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, and may contain [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI77891, Mica CI 77019]

Tata Harper Very Illuminating – “This pearlescent luminizer delivers brightening and highlighting effects for an overall dewy, healthy looking radiance.” Ingredients: Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit extract, Ricinus Communis (castor) Seed Oil, Cera Alba/Beeswax/ Cire d’abeille*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed wax, Iron Oxides (C.I. 77891), Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) seed oil*, Plukenetia Volubilis, Palmitoyl Isoleucine, Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit oil*, Titanium Dioxide (CI. 77891), Lavandula stoechas (Spanish Lavender) extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

W3LL PEOPLE Bio Brightener Stick – “This magic illuminizing stick creates a hydrated, happy youthful glow in seconds.” Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cera Alba (Bees- wax), Silica, Mica (CI 77019), Olea europaea (Olive Oil)*, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate **, Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil*, Mica (CI 77019), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil (and) Aloe Barbadenis (Aloe) Extract, Essential Oil blend, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Lysine, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea)*, Roman An- themis Nobilis (Chamomile)* [+/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)].

Kjaer Weis Radiance – “The cream formula and perfectly smooth, silky texture adds a summery ‘just kissed by the sun’ finish to every skin tone.” Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Oil•, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil•, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch•, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax•, Cera Alba•, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil•, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil•, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Silica, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract•, Dextrin, Tin Oxide, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxide), CI 7499 (Iron Oxide).

RMS Beauty Master Mixer – “The RMS Master Mixer makeup is an update on cool strobing and highlighting products of past seasons with a universally flattering rose gold tone.” Ingredients: *Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), *Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Silica, Tocopherol (non-GMO), *Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Mica and may contain [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI77891, Iron Oxides CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499].

Let’s break it down.

Swatches in natural light. (I obviously applied heavily to give a good look at the pigments.)

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer is the most cool-based of the 5. It definitely pulls silver on the skin, and gives an overall wintry, silver look. This is one is just a bit too cool for my skin, and I’m actually cool-toned as it is. I think this color is best suited for the very fair, unless you are looking for a dramatic highlight. The formula is nice on the skin, but the main ingredient is coconut oil, so if you have issues with coconut oil, you might want to look elsewhere.

Next up, Tata Harper Very Illuminating. This highlighter comes in a pot, like the RMS highlighter, and is a tad bit warmer than the Living Luminizer. I really enjoy this highlighter and like to use it in tandem with the Tata Harper Very Bronzing for a chiseled cheekbone look. Feels nice on the skin and blends well.

W3LL PEOPLE Bio Brightener Stick is a fave. First off, I adore the champagne sheen it gives to the skin. I think this is the most compatible with my skin tone, but I’ve also heard so many women of different skin tones praise this highlighter as well. It looks very natural on the face…not too cool and not too warm. Also, HELLO, it’s in stick form, which I just love. It’s so easy to swipe across the cheekbones in a flash. I’m a huge fan.

Kjaer Weis Radiance is the darkest of the highlighters, but is lovely on the face. It’s described as a “sun-kissed” highlight, and I have to agree. (It doesn’t apply as dark as it looks – it’s very blendable, but I wanted to apply with a heavy hand so you could see the pigment.) I will say, however, that as it wears throughout the day, I can see little specs of mica on my skin, which isn’t my favorite. I much prefer a uniform pearly sheen opposed to a glittery one. (It’s not “glittery” per se, but like I said, I can see bits of mica on my face as it wears off.)

RMS Beauty Master Mixer is fabulous, you guys. I love the warm, rose gold sheen it gives the skin, and it is so perfect for the warmer months. It applies beautifully, and blends out very nicely. It’s definitely a nice addition to my makeup collection, as it’s so different than the other highlighters. (Once again, coconut oil is the main ingredient, as with most RMS products.)

Soooooo, which ones can’t I live without? Drumroll, please.

W3LL PEOPLE Bio Brightener Stick and RMS Beauty Master Mixer! They both are must-haves, in my opinion, as they are very different, but fantastic for creating different looks.

Here I am wearing the Bio Brightener Stick.

And wearing the RMS Master Mixer.

I highly recommend trying these two highlighters – I think you will enjoy them immensely. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!

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