♥ Revisited: My Top 3 Highlighters ♥

My next Revisited post is My Top 5 Highlighters. The biggest change, as you may already have guessed from the title, is that I only have 3 favorites now :)

Basically, the point of these Revisited posts will be to take a look back at my top 5 picks and see if and how they've changed or stayed the same. I don't take back anything I said about any of these products because at the time, I absolutely felt that way and loved them for reasons I discussed in those posts. Some of those products I still love (products that are still in the top 5 are denoted with an * symbol) , a few not so much, and others got pushed out of my top 5 because different products took their place.

My Top 5 Highlighters as of September 2010 were:

e.l.f. Shimmer Palette

MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle

NARS Orgasm Illuminator

* Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star

MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (LE)

My Top 3 Highlighters as of April 2011 are:

MAC MSF in Perfect Topping (LE)

MAC Pigment in Vanilla

* Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star

From L to R:

MAC MSF in Perfect Topping (LE)

MAC Pigment in Vanilla

Dior Amber Diamond

As far as my previous favorites that didn't make it into my new favorites, here's why:

-I still like my e.l.f. Shimmer Palette but that's it. I like it.

-I realized that while MAC Soft & Gentle is a gorgeous color, the shimmer can be quite chunky at times and there can sometimes be fall-out.

-NARS Orgasm Illuminator was okay. It was just really, really subtle on me.

-MAC Shell Pearl is pretty but a bit overrated, in my opinion. 

(Swatched in same order as above)

(Blended out)

1. MAC Perfect Topping kind of looks disappointing in the above swatches but in real life, it's a super pretty, subtle, pale peachy-pink highlight. The MSF itself is extremely finely milled and the shimmer is not chunky and does not produce any fall-out whatsoever. If anything, Perfect Topping can tend to look a bit powdery if used in excess and may look a bit ashy on darker skin tones. I like to use my MAC 188 to apply powder highlighters because it applies the perfect amount and blends it in flawlessly.

2. MAC Vanilla is, in my opinion, the most gorgeous highlighter in my entire makeup collection. It looks white in the container, but once applied to the skin and blended out, it reveals a multitude of other colors and transforms itself into what can be best described as a multi-dimensional, pale gold color. It's shimmery and can be quite dramatic and while I still like to use it during the daytime, it's the perfect highlight for nights out. I don't reach for Vanilla on days when a) I want a subtle highlight, and b) I don't feel like dealing with a potential loose powder mess.

3. Dior Amber Diamond is my favorite highlighter of the three. It's a shimmery peach with a touch of bronze, and it looks equally amazing and appropriate during the day as it does at night. The peachy bronze base helps it to blend in flawlessly with your complexion, and I can't imagine it would ever look ashy on any skin tone. Fairer skin tones may prefer to use only the lighter half, but the swatch above is of all of the shades swirled together.

Here's one last look at them blended out. I dare you to tell me Vanilla Pigment doesn't look amazing!

What are your favorite highlighters?