Calling all highlight lovers, I’ve got one for you today! The Stila Star Light, Star Bright Highlighting Palette has three cream to powder highlighting shades certain to give every skin tone a gorgeous glossy looking glow this holiday season. Stila claims these have barely there, light diffusing particles that can be layered on top of each other for the perfect radiance. I had my doubts about the shade range but ended up finding the palette much more versatile than I originally gave it credit for!
The Pigmentation & Payoff
Unlike many of the powder highlighting products on the market right now, the bouncy texture of these give the skin a genuine sheen that almost mimics a wet look to the skin. Specifically formulated to be blended with each other for the perfect shade, my only complaint is that I wish there was more of a pale yellow shade. The three shades included cover plenty of skin tones, however, with the pale cool toned white pink of Transcendence, the classic champagne of Kitten (a brand staple) and the warmer copper infused Bronze. I personally find the cooler tone of Transcendence looks too stark alone on my cheeks, but I love to wear it on my lids or blended with Bronze for a stunning golden pink hue. For my NC25 complexion, Kitten is the easiest to wear on its own.
These are difficult to rate in terms of swatch, because they look so much different once buffed onto the skin a bit. While the swatches tend to not give the product as a refined look as I normally would like, they really melt into the skin once applied! They really aren’t meant to be an opaque finish, but rather something that works with your existing complexion and skin texture.
Application
Stila suggests the use of their Wonder Brush or fingers to get a nice intense highlight, which I completely agree with. Using a denser brush or fingers will give a strong, reflective highlight that I am thinking for regular daytime use might be a bit much for most. However, a softer more traditional highlighting brush applies just enough to give a glimmer to the cheekbones that is totally office appropriate. They easily build on top of each other to get the desired effect, and I recommend using a brush that will lightly buff or work the product into the complexion. Ideally, a soft brush that won’t disturb your foundation is the best choice if you are really wanting to do lots of building. Oppositely, applying with a gentle swipe of the finger and then softening out with a fluffy brush works really really nicely as well!
Performance
I was happy to see that the Star Light, Star Bright Palette follow through with its promises; It provides beautiful buildability, that feels light as a feather on the skin and doesn’t play games with my base makeup. It also leaves a glimmering sheen that hangs around most of the day and can easily be topped up for Happy Hour! Given that the product starts out as a bouncy, putty-esque cream that turns powder on the skin, I am really impressed with the lasting power. The texture is akin to the Colourpop products, or Maybelline’s Dream Bouncy Blush, which did have me worried it wouldn’t pick up well on a brush (rather than fingers) but I had no reason for concern.
Another impressive product from Stila and I can’t help be left feeling like the brand has really tried to come out with some innovative, carefully designed products lately. The rebranding to the matte gold compacts are a nice touch, and stay clean and finger-print free which is just a really nice bonus. If you have a highlight lover in your midst, this would make a fab gift or a perfect addition to holiday party looks. The Stay Light Stay Bright Palette is limited edition though so snatch it up while you still can!
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