This is an expansion on some color focus features I’ve done in the past for face/eyes, nails and lips. When I was getting into makeup, there were only 4 loose shimmer powders I knew of and was always looking for something in between since the silver ones were just a tad too white and the bronze ones were way too dark. Now there are a lot more options out there!
I have medium golden-toned skin, so this is a post on more neutral glowy nude-beige products that work for me to give that natural glow. I love these because they are so versatile, you can use these alone or layered over other colors to add shimmer. Laura Mercier Stardust and MAC Silver Dusk are featured even though they are on the paler side and look more silvery because they still work if used with a very light hand.
Loose Shimmer Powders: These are my most neutral natural loose shimmer powders. I have a lot more colors of peach, pink, and bronze variations, but those I will save for a later feature. For these, I would say the most sparkly ones are MAC’s Silver Dusk and Dancing Light. The most subtle ones are Armani’s Midnight Shimmer Powder and Becca Hyawatha. The rest are somewhere in between.
Laura Mercier Stardust:
Laura Mercier Candlelight:
Laura Mercier Starlight:
MAC Silver Dusk:
Scott Barnes Diamond Dust:
FACE Stockholm Gold Shine:
Becca Hyawatha:
MAC Beauty Powder in Dancing Light:
Giorgio Armani Midnight Shimmer Powder:
Swatches: 1) Laura Mercier Stardust, 2) Laura Mercier Candlelight, 3) Laura Mercier Starlight, 4) MAC Silver Dusk, 5) Scott Barnes Diamond Dust, 6) FACE Stockholm Gold Shine, 7) Becca Hyawatha, 8) MAC Beauty Powder Dancing Light, 9) Armani Midnight Shimmer Powder
For liquid/cream products, I find colored products (bronzey and peachy included) more forgiving because you can blend the colors out easily or mix them with your foundation. Nars St. Barts is my holy-grail nude highlighter because it blends out to give that perfect contoured and slightly tanned look without any orange or bronze.
Left to right: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Topaz, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Opal, Chanel Brilliance Pur Sunkissed, Armani Fluid Sheer 2, Armani Fluid Sheer 10, Nars Multiple Maldives, Nars Multiple St. Barts
Swatches in the same order as above (note that these are not blended out):
For nails, I’ve always been into that barely-there natural manicured look. These are natural with a pretty sheen. I don’t have swatches as I just got my nails done. I highly recommend searching Nailgal.com for awesome pictures with different lighting and also swatches on different skintones.
Left to right: Chanel Galactic Touch, Nars Adelita, OPI Sand in My Suit, OPI Hollywood Blonde, Rescue Beauty Lounge Ani, MAC Golded
For lips, I have yet to find that perfect glowy lipstick that works all the time. I do have glosses that I love which gives that glow:
Left to right: 1) Bobbi Brown Rose Gold, 2) Bobbi Brown Sand Sugar, 3) MAC C-Thru, 4) MAC Young Thing, 5) MAC Instant Gold, 6) Nars Greek Holiday, 7) Chanel Gold Light #118, 8) Chanel Beige Guitare #121, 9) MAC Sugarrimmed Dazzleglass, 10) Dior Addict #137 Trenchcoat Beige, 11) Laura Mercier Champagne Glace (old packaging)
For eyes, I like to use the loose shimmer powders a lot, but there are quite a few beige-gold shimmer eyeshadows that enhance your skin making it look like a subtle glow. Basically your lids-but-better in a warmer nude glow. MAC Bagatelle is my favorite for this, but has since been discontinued, here are some other alternatives:
1) Bobbi Brown Copper Penny Shimmer Wash, 2) Benefit Rich Beach, 3) Chantecaille Rose Gold, 4) Chanel Gold, 5) MAC Bagatelle, 6) MAC Creme de Miel, 7) MAC Blonde’s Gold Pigment, 8) Paul & Joe Pearl Powder 01, 9) Bobbi Brown Sunset Gold Metallic, 10) Armani Maestro #2, 11) Urban Decay Blaze, 12) Becca Loose Shimmer Powder in Odette
Swatches, same order:
