MAC • Iridescent Powder - Belightful • Highlighters

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dns2011 on 8/7/2012 11:52:00 AM more reviews by dns2011

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Black    

If you're looking for a sheen or glow highlight this is not for you. The base is a beautiful champagne color, that could be beautiful on the skin, if wasn't for the chunks of glitter. I'm not talking shimmery, finely milled glitter, it's really gritty glitter, just sitting on the skin. And, no, it's not about using a heavy hand, it's about the way the product was designed. Big waste of money imo. I'm using this as eyeshadow so it's not completely wasted.

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sophiamolina on 12/13/2011 10:47:00 PM more reviews by sophiamolina

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I saw this at a cosmetic outlet where discountinued and over-produced cosmetics were sold. I had a feeling this fell on the discontinued category so I stocked up with 2 of them. The staying power is great for someone like me who has oily skin. For everyone who complained that it's too glittery- don't you all know how to apply makeup with your brushes with a light hand? Geez! This product suits well if you just want to have an illuminated look in your cheekbones, on the bridge of your nose, and on the top of the forehead. I suggest that you use this product when your mineral makeup (or any foundation you fancy) has a matte finish, having a pearl finish of a foundation and putting this product on would make someone look like a shiny Christmas ball ornament.

Overall, if I ever run out- I would search for a very identical dupe. Not unless MAC revives this product =)

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VintageDisaster on 9/6/2011 8:15:00 AM more reviews by VintageDisaster

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I'm in LOVE with Belightful! People complain that it's way too glittery, but there's a secret on how to use it... If you want a highlight, you need to swipe the brush onto the skin. If you want more glitter, you dab it on instead.

Works for me! :) I'm so sad they discontinued it! Once I hit pan with mine, I'll definitely swap something for a new one!

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abcang123 on 8/10/2011 4:14:00 AM more reviews by abcang123

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Belightful looks SO pretty in the packaging so i thought it would look beautiful sitting on my cheekbones. ....wrong. i got this in the "Girls Next Door" package from MAC and was excited to use it but it is just glitter. i suppose it is good for a dust of glitter over eyeshadow but there are cheaper alternatives. for a eyeshadow in that size, its silly. so as a intended highlighter, it sucks. If you want a highlighter.. just buy grand entrance eye shadow and put it on your cheekbones. like seriously this product stinks (not literally)


the point is...don't buy it.

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finleyka on 7/7/2011 10:18:00 PM more reviews by finleyka

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I was rotating my makeup and I noticed I hadn't touched this product in a long time. I decided to use it as a highlight in the place of my usual highlighter. I thought the product added a nice sheen as I checked my reflection in my apartment, but when I got to work it was a different story--I had large chunks of gold glitter on my face! And I am not one to go overboard or be heavy handed! I wanted to wash all of my makeup off, and when I got home I never felt better about washing my face. I guess this may be a nice finishing touch for someone going out or perhaps someone a bit younger, but this isn't work appropriate for what I do. To be fair I do prefer a more subtle highlight, so it's definitely a preference thing. But no wonder this had gathered dust! I'm passing it off to my younger sister.

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MakennaRuddy on 6/17/2011 2:13:00 AM more reviews by MakennaRuddy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I looove this! I find it highlights my skin beautifuly and adds a nice shine to my face as well! I find it flawless!

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Breanna22 on 5/22/2011 1:58:00 PM more reviews by Breanna22

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is a really pretty highlighter but I have had many better highlighters. I find it to be chunky which I do not like. I like my highlighters to be a sheen not to be chunky with glitter falling off my face.

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ciarat on 5/22/2011 12:15:00 PM more reviews by ciarat

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

LOVE this product! I've always wanted a gorgeous sheen on my cheekbones like kim kardashian and had tried cream illuminators but they never worked well. Finally I found what I was looking for with this product! It gives a gorgeous sheen to the cheekbone and looks best when applied on the top of the cheekbone just above blusher. Looks fab in pictures too. Definitely a must-have!!

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mementomori on 5/13/2011 7:54:00 AM more reviews by mementomori

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Oh dearie. I was looking for a powder product that would give me a sheen and a bit of a tanned colour at the same time. MAC's By Candlelight MSF works like that for me, and it's fine as it is. I wanted something with a little less of a golden-rosey undertone this time.
However. I don't know what went wrong, but swatched with my fingers Belightful was just what I wanted - a light gold-shimmer tan. When I tried to apply it with a brush, though... all glitter, no colour! Glitter, everywhere! Damn Cullens.
To be fair, it is called "Iridescent Powder" indeed, but to this extent? Thanks, but no thanks.

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kristyc on 5/2/2011 11:33:00 AM more reviews by kristyc

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

NB: I'm a Bobbi Brown "Warm Natural" (the closest MAC shade is NC45 but it doesn't complement me as well as Bobbi Brown). As Bobbi Brown didn't seem to have a highlighter that suited me, I walked over to MAC and asked the MUA for something that would highlight my face for day time use, and she recommended Belightful.


She put it on for me and it looked wonderful and pretty in the store's complementary lighting. Since it was in the evening, I couldn't walk out to check it out in the sunlight as I would usually do. The MUA told me I could easily tone it down and blend it for a subtler look. Well, that was not my experience at home.


I tried using the gentlest hand with this highlighter but no matter how much I tapped the brush, blew on it etc there was way more glitter than I would've been comfortable with in an any environment - let alone the office. IMO, Belightful is probably better suited to evenings and/or those who love glitter.


After all the drama below, I've swapped Belightful for MSF's Soft & Gentle - which seems to give a much subtler shade minus the chunky glitter. I just hope it works out because there's no way I want to step foot into that MAC store again!




--- Begin Rant About Poor Customer Service ---



After about 3 tries, I gave up and returned to the 1Utama MAC store in a week and was annoyed to be given an unexpected yarn about how "by right, it is not our store policy to allow swapping once a product has been used" - which I thought was ridiculous as MAC is known for being exchange friendly and plus, I had only tried this abt 3 times in the effort to make it work AND I was swapping for a higher priced product and was going to top up the difference!


I voiced my surprise as the last time I bought SF foundation from a different MAC outlet, they hadn't given me any grief when it hadn't matched my skin tone in sunlight - they were more than willing to take it back and that bottle didn't even have a pump - it was the "pour out" kind compared to this being a sort of compact highlighter!


After conferring with her "colleague", the MUA stated that she was willing to "buy the powder from me with her own money" so that I could get another but I "would have to fill up a form". When the "form" turned out to be the standard product complaints form - I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I mean, come on people! This isn't some drugstore brand and I don't pay premium prices to be treated to such story telling.



--- End of Rant ---




UPDATE: I'm definitely happier with Soft & Gentle ... really glad I swapped!

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cvaldivia83 on 1/16/2011 9:36:00 AM more reviews by cvaldivia83

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

First of all: this highlighter its not a very discrete one. It does have some big chunks of glitter in the middle of the powder. But I love it anyway. Its such a beautiful color - champagne - and it looks gorgeous. Sometimes, when I want it to be more discrete and natural I tap the brush on the top of my hand before applying and most of the big chunky glitter comes off. I just adore this highlighter.

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LillyBeth on 7/28/2010 3:28:00 PM more reviews by LillyBeth

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I brought Belightful as a replacement for By Candelight- which was sold out in my nearest Mac Counter. The packaging i found was very good- in a large compact with a mirror. But the main flaw of this product was I found it to be incredibly unpigmented and very hard to use because of that. When you do manage to get it out of the pan it applies poorly with big chunks of gritty glitter. Overall I was very dissappointed

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*TOP REVIEWER* starrysim on 3/26/2010 4:15:00 PM more reviews by starrysim

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I was undecided when I swatched this - I should've just passed on it. It's pretty much just chunky glitter. I prefer highlighters with more of a sheen, like Perfect Topping.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Roxxy6341 on 2/21/2010 8:32:00 PM more reviews by Roxxy6341

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I got this from a gift set at CCO. The plan was my mom and I were going to split the set and she would get the powder. I wanted to give it a try and I find its quite nice.
Im an NW20 for ref and this looks like a natural glow on my cheeks with the tiniest hint of glimmer. I apply this in a C shape around my eyes and it makes me look awake. Usually I go for a matte look, but I think this may have changed my mind about hi lighting powders.

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*TOP REVIEWER* jennerss on 10/18/2009 10:01:00 PM more reviews by jennerss

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

Hate this powder. It is an iridescent powder, but with big chunks of glitter! Makes you look like a disco-ball. The color is also very hard to see. Barely even there. Not worth it at all.

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lotta_shoos on 9/20/2009 3:29:00 PM more reviews by lotta_shoos

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I had never used a highlighter before and as I usually wear matte makeup all over I wasn't 100% convinced - but I took the chance. I put a light dusting across my upper cheekbones, down the straight of my nose and at the top of my lip arches. Not too much. I liked the fact that there was a really subtle glittery shimmer but never thought it made that much of a difference really - until I saw some photos recently. My makeup really looked polished and finished and I swear it's down to the highlighting courtesy Belightful - but it was also the first time I'd used a contouring powder, so it may be the combination of both... Either way, I really like this. You don't need much and if you save it for going out, it could probably last a year!

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Valwyt on 8/12/2009 6:49:00 PM more reviews by Valwyt

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I got this with the Fafi collection and well maybe I used a heavy hand when I tried it but I feel, on my fair skin, that this makes me look orange and glittery haha....Maybe better for a night look. I don't think I will buy again. :(

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labellevie on 8/1/2009 1:57:00 PM more reviews by labellevie

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This highlighter is good for nighttime, but is simply too glittery. If you dust off some glitter it's not bad. I bought this after getting my makeup done at the MAC counter and loving the way she applied it on me. I won't repurchase this just because I don't get nearly enough use out of it for the price.

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*TOP REVIEWER* beautifulscorpio83 on 7/23/2009 8:09:00 PM more reviews by beautifulscorpio83

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This highlighter isn't one that i would normally buy but i got it with the Seductress look in a box. The color is a chamagney/peachy/beige tone with lots of glitter. The glitter part really annoys me. I think this would be an awsome hilighter if MAC would just remove the glitter in it. I can only use this at nightime, and even then only if i try to tap off some of the glitter.

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poutylipsplease on 7/15/2009 5:41:00 PM more reviews by poutylipsplease

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

it's pretty rare that I do not love a MAC product but here goes..

I honestly just bought this for the packaging The glitter in this is large and gritty, and not at all what should be used in a face highlighter. There is also no luminizing property or color payoff. There are much better highlighters to be found at the MAC store.

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