Becca

Becca Cosmetics has launched the perfect natural contouring and highlighting compacts called the Be A Light Face Palette ($46 each 0.52 oz/ 15 g). There are two shade options Light to Medium and Medium to Dark. They have powders Becca calls their Sheer Glow Filter Powder and they’re skin-enhancing powders to smooth and blur the complexion. I’ve never been a huge fan of contouring because it’s been tricky for me. Powder colors are often too sharp or grey for my skintone, shades are often too light or too dark for me, and I’d rather just use a soft bronzer to add depth. Now that these Becca Be A Light Face Palettes have launched I’ve finally found a natural looking contouring and blurring palette with enough options to brighten, contour and add color.

The Be A Light Face Palettes come in huge mirrored compacts with four shades per palette. I love that the shades are separated so you can easily pick up one color at a time. I tested these with a few different brushes and to me really any powder brush will work. The texture is soft and smooth with a natural finish. It is medium to sheer but you can definitely build either the blush color or deepest contour color. Since the powders are soft there will be powdery kick up/debris from the brush. On the face it will stay put.

Color-wise I am the skintone right now that I could wear either. If I had to pick one I would probably pick the Light to Medium for everyday because the lighter shades are sheer enough that I can use them as a finishing power on certain areas of the face without adding too much color. For me it has the perfect amount of warmth to work for my olive skin tone. Wearing Light to Medium below, it’s really natural in the photo – everything shows up a lot better in real life. On the lips is the Becca Glow Lip Gloss in Opal.

A closer look at Light to Medium where you have a pale champagne beige highlighter powder to brighten, a peachy shimmer blush, a deeper beige to blur and even out complexion and a darker contour powder.

Medium to Dark has the same concept but colors are all a lot deeper.

I tested both of these on a few different occasions. It is natural looking but stays put on the face, even in heat and humidity. The Medium to Dark one stayed on my face all day and even lasted through a 12 mile bike ride in humid 90+ degree weather. My face was completely sweaty and was 100% dewy and then some but the color remained on the face and everything looked like it stayed put. Just in case you are wondering, I don’t usually wear makeup for exercise or bike rides. I had everything put together because I thought we were going to have a quick and easy weekend bike ride but my husband had something else in mind. He decided we were going to test some bikes out from a rental shop and bike back and forth across the Courtney Campbell Causeway from Tampa to Clearwater. I was really surprised everything except my foundation lasted through the sweat – I also wore the Sunday Riley Influencer Foundation in 190, Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme Mascara, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink mixed with Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Copper and the Sisley Phyto-Lip Delight in #3. I was really surprised that even though most of my foundation/base had sweated off my forehead and chin that my cheeks and eyes still looked like color stayed put. Granted everything was glowing with sweat but surprisingly was still there.

To me these are perfect. It has just the amount of glow it’s not 100% matte but at the same time there’s not really a lot of shimmer, except for the blush. They have a similar vibe to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders but the colors of the Becca brighten, blur and contour options are more skin-like for me vs. color correcting like the Hourglass ones. I think you can also say they are similar to the Laura Mercier Candleglow Powders but softer in texture. If you prefer something matte, the best ones to me are still the Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Duos (reviewed a few years ago here) although those are completely matte and therefore not the same as the Becca palettes.

Bottom line love.

You can find the Becca Be A Light Face Palettes out now, available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Becca Cosmetics. Have you tried these yet? What did you think? More beauty reviews to follow from NARS and Chanel later this week. Also the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for Early Access starts as well, I’ll be sharing my haul picks for the Beauty Exclusives. In case you missed it you can see a sneak peek of the beauty offerings, dates and details on this page here.

Becca palettes provided courtesy of Becca Cosmetics for review.

I’ve loved the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter for years! I still remember the early days of the brand when the line had those beautiful loose shimmering powders, pigmented eyeshadow singles and glowy lip glosses. They had the prettiest pink gold shimmer powder called Gypsy and warm pink called Princess which I wish they’d bring back, but these days they have so many beautiful options you are bound to find one that works for you. The Becca Glow is one of the more intense highlighters on the market. The Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter is an ultra soft powder that comes in a number of colors. All the colors are very pigmented, ultra smooth and very soft. This makes the powder in the compacts themselves on the delicate side – it’s not something I’d throw in your purse for touch-ups. If you do carry it with you make sure it’s secured in a cushioned makeup bag.

I’ve found classics to be Opal, Moonstone, Rose Gold and Champagne Pop. I’ve used up entire pans of Opal and Champagne Pop which is huge for me since I own so many highlighters I rarely ever hit pan. I’ve purchased a few other shades and also have received a couple here and there as press samples. It occurred to me that I hadn’t done a comprehensive roundup and so I stopped by several different Sephora stores during the Spring Bonus Event and bought all the other shades I could find. Do note that you won’t find all the colors at Sephora. Some are Ulta Exclusives and a couple are exclusive to Becca’s Website. I don’t have all the shade options swatched today, I’m missing Prosecco Pop (I did swatch it from a palette here), Golden Mint and Parisian Lights, but I do have most of them!

In terms of application the highlight can be pretty intense but the formula is soft and easy to layer and blend. You can use them anywhere you want a highlight, on the cheeks or eyes. I find them versatile for both. Since they are intense I like to use a loose fluffy brush to apply. For me I prefer one that is really soft. My favorites are the Wayne Goss Brush 14 (also in The Face Set), Laura Mercier Fan Brush, MAC 137S or Chanel Foundation Blending Brush (it’s essentially like the MAC skunk brush but fluffier/less dense).

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Onto the colors, I’ve split the 15 colors I now own into 3 categories so you can see the shimmer/colors better up close. First set includes lighter champagnes and white shimmers.

Pearl, Moonstone, Vanilla Quartz, Champagne Pop and Opal

Color descriptions and swatches:

• Pearl is a glowy white pearl shimmer
• Opal is a champagne pink beige shimmer
• Moonstone is a soft light gold beige shimmer
• Champagne Pop is a classic champagne gold shimmer
• Vanilla Quartz is a duo chrome opal that flashes a hint of pink, note that on my skin it’s hard to see the duo chrome in the swatch below

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Dreamsicle, Topaz, Bronzed Amber, Chocolate Geode and Gradient Glow

Bronzey shimmers swatches:

• Dreamsicle is the newest, it’s a soft tangerine + gold swirl, on me this looks very orange on the cheeks, it looks amazing on the eyes thought!
• Topaz is a coppery bronze pearl
• Bronzed Amber (found this at Ulta) is one of the least shimmery colors, it has a velvety sheen and is a warm soft bronze amber
• Chocolate Geode is also one of the newer ones, the beauty world needs more medium to deep highlighters like this one! It’s a shimmering bronze, swatches darker on the arm than on the face (scroll down for beauty looks)
• Gradient Glow (also an Ulta exclusive) is a mix of Bronzed Amber, Moonstone, Opal, Rose Gold and Topaz pressed together in stripes. Swirl them together and you get a really pretty color!

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Rose Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Prismatic Amethyst, Rose Gold and Lilac Geode

Pink tones and swatches:

• Rose Quartz is one I never knew existed! I thought for sure it would be way too pale for me but it’s actually a very wearable pale cool pink shimmer
• Prismatic Amethyst is pale lavender with a hint of soft pink gold shimmer
• Smoky Quartz (available on Becca’s website) is a shimmering mauve with taupe undertones
• Lilac Geode (available at Ulta) is a a pale pink lilac gold
• Rose Gold is a medium rose peach shimmer

I swatched a few on the face. As always I don’t usually wear highlighter alone on the cheeks. I typically layer on top of blush or bronzer but I swatch them alone on the cheeks so you can see the true color. Also wearing below:

• Foundation is Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation in Natural Tan 4.25
• Powder is Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder
• Lip Gloss is MAC Lipglass in All Things Magical (new and LOVE it!)
• Eyeshadow is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal + Chocolate Geode mixed
• Brows have the By Terry Eyebrow Mascara in Dark Brown on them
• Mascara is L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof

Highlighter Colors worn:

• Top Row: Champagne Pop and Dreamsicle
• Second Row: Chocolate Geode and Rose Gold
• Bottom Row: Rose Quartz

Overall thoughts and a few comparison notes to other highlighter options. I think the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighters are some of the prettiest ones out there. Texture-wise they can be on the soft side so some may be more delicate than other brands. Shimmer factor is medium to high but easy to diffuse or intensify. Lasting power is excellent. There is a wide range of shades but if you’re medium skin toned like me some of the lighter options may look really similar on you. Whether or not these are must-haves really depends on what you already own. We live in a world saturated with highlighters and they keep on coming. I do think the quality, texture, pigment and finish are excellent with the Becca ones. If you own a ton you may want to shop your stash.

On me these don’t emphasize pores or texture but your mileage may vary depending on your skin type. I think with highlighters blending is key to smooth out any harsh edges.

My top picks are Rose Gold, Opal, Smoky Quartz and Champagne Pop. If you want a more trendy duo chrome kind of shimmer opt for their Light Chaser Highlighters (reviewed here when I was super tan!). Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kits have a more intense frost and shine. If you want something more natural looking with less shimmer I’d recommend you try the NARS Highlighting Powders or Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duos. If you like the shimmer and sheen of the Becca Highlighters but want more color (versus shimmer) their Shimmering Skin Perfector Blushes are some of the most glowy pigmented blushes I’ve ever tried. If you’ve been interested in these but don’t have a counter or store near you I hope these swatches help you!

You can find the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighters at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom and Becca Cosmetics.

If you’re a Sephora Beauty Insider there will be another round of their Spring Beauty Event coming up this week! The dates, details and codes for the Sephora Spring Bonus Event Round 2:

• Rouge Members: receive 15% off 4/20 through 4/23, use code YAYROUGE
• VIB Members: receive 15% off 4/20 through 4/23, use code YAYVIB
• BI Members: receive 10% off 4/20 through 4/23, use code YAYINSIDER

I’ll have my Sephora haul on the blog tomorrow 🙂 And to continue the spirit of giving back I’m doing a few more giveaways this week! One person will be selected to win 3 Becca items including the Iconic Trio Set, Ocean Jewels Highlighter Palette and Ocean Jewels Eyeshadow Palette. Open internationally to anyone 18 years or older. Simply enter through the widget below. Runs through 4/20/2018 11:45 PM EST. One winner will be selected within 48 hours after giveaway ends and contacted via email by me. They must respond/confirm within 48 hours or another winner will be selected in their place. Prizes are shipped within a week. Not sponsored or affiliated.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Press samples of highlighter include Vanilla Quartz, Prismatic Amethyst, and Gradient Glow. All other shades purchased by me.

I have a roundup of some new holiday palette launches from Becca alongside three Shimmering Skin Perfectors that have been on my wishlist for ages. The items are all shimmering and glowy and in this day I do not think any of us need any more highlighters but new ones continue to pop up everywhere.

For holiday there are two new palettes with the Apres Ski Glow Face Palette ($54 for 15.5 g/0.54 oz, made in USA) and the Eye Lights Palette ($45 for 9.8 g/ 0.35 oz). I think the Glow Face Palette is a hit, but not must-have and the Eye Lights Palette is ok, but also not a must-have.

Up first is a look at the Apres Ski Glow Face Palette which has three highlighters in Rose Quartz (soft iridescent pink), Icicle (pale white aqua), and Opal (classic shimmery champagne). All three highlighters are smooth and soft with sheer to medium pigment for a soft glow. There are also two blushes in Blushed Copper (metallic copper shimmer) and Winter Berry (sheer matte pink). Both are also smooth in texture. Blushed Copper is super pigmented while Winter Berry is sheer. There is also one bronzer in Bronzed Bondi which I find on the sheerer than the individual full-sized one I reviewed here. The overall look and composition of the palette is stunning, however if you have been a Becca fan you probably already own several of the shades. There is the convenience factor but I feel like there are too many repeats of previously launched shades which makes this less unique. Still I think this one is quite stunning.

The Eye Lights Palette has seven shimmering colors for eye highlights. I have mixed feelings about the pigment and texture. The overall feel is sheerer than what you normally see from Becca. Sheer shimmers can be good especially if you are looking for something with a super soft effect rather than a glaring sharp frost. In the palette you have lighter colors that I feel aren’t the most unique and while the medium to deeper colors are beautiful I would have liked to see more pigment in the deeper shades.

These are the shades swatched with a heavy hand below:

In addition there are three Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighters that have been a bit hard for me to track down. I am normally a Sephora or Beautylish shopper for Becca and some colors are retailer exclusives so I could not find them there. Two of these in Lilac Geode and Bronzed Amber are both exclusive to Ulta ($38 each for 7 g and 8 g respectively). Smoky Quartz is exclusive to the Becca website ($38 for 8 g). These three are absolutely beautiful, true to the individual Shimmering Skin Perfector texture, pigment and smooth finish. I 100% love them.

Close ups:

Lilac Geode is a unique duo chrome lilac pink gold shimmer. The gold is very soft which I like, sometimes with duo chromes the gold can be too yellow or too sharp. This one is perfect. Bronzed Amber is a soft luminous bronze. The shimmer in this one is on the softer side on my skintone which makes it look like a blush/bronzer a bit more than highlighter. I adore this color on the skin to warm up the complexion in a natural way. Smoky Quartz is just as pretty as it is on the Becca website. It’s a unique pink mauve tan taupe shimmer that has smooth pigmented shimmer. On me it’s a highlighter color, if you are fair this will probably show up more pink/tan.

Swatch comparisons next to the full-size individual Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal, Champagne Pop, Rose Gold and the two shades from the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Palette (review here)

Overall, palettes can be good, but every once in a while I’m reminded why I pass on them and opt for the individual colors. I really just like picking the shades I like and know I’ll use. The quality and colors of the Becca Apres Ski Palettes are good and whether or not I’d recommend them is going to be based on your color preference and if you already own individual shades. The three individual Shimmering Skin Perfectors are pure love for me. I definitely think they’re worth tracking down.

You can find the Becca Apres Ski Palettes at all counters and retailers now. Online at Sephora, Beautylish, Ulta Beauty and Becca Cosmetics. Smoky Quartz is a Becca Cosmetics website exclusive. Bronzed Amber and Lilac Geode are available exclusively at Ulta.

Have you tried any of these yet? If yes what did you think? If not what are some of your Becca favorites?

Apres Ski Palettes sent courtesy of Becca for review. Others purchased by me.