TheBalm • Mary-Lou Manizer • Highlighters

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SharonT14 on 3/4/2013 10:30:00 AM more reviews by SharonT14

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is an amazing highlighter. Gives an amazing, glowing, angelic "lit from within" look to the face. It doesn't make you look like a glittery mess like a lot of other highlighters. Lasts a long time, doesn't irrirate the skin, doesn't settle into pores or fine lines, doesn't make skin look oily. It's just amazing! The only downside is that it's white. So if you're going for a bronzed, sun-kissed, summery glow, you may want to use a different highlighter, one thats more champagne. Or just layer this on top of a bronzer.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* morphinization on 3/4/2013 8:39:00 AM more reviews by morphinization

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I often like pink/cool-toned highlighters as they tend to show up better on my skin, but this highlighter is so silky, smooth, buttery and pigmented that it shows up plenty well enough on its own, and I love it even more for its gorgeous golden-white sheen. I also prefer powder highlighters over liquid/gel/cream as they tend to blend out a little better and look a little more natural. I also love that theBalm in general uses better ingredients (it seems that most of their products are paraben-free) compared to other non-drugstore brands.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

jmarshtomp on 3/3/2013 6:08:00 PM more reviews by jmarshtomp

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I like how this has a golden sheen to it. I have a pinky highlighter, and this blends into my skin a lot better ('cause I'm Asian). Anyway, I was going to give this a lower rating because I've noticed that close to my mirror and under my bathroom light, I could see distinct glitter particles. Not a big deal, as from normal distance and natural lighting, it's not noticeable. But that was when I applied it on bare skin. I've recently started using mineral foundation, and when applied over mineral foundation, this just gives me a nice glow, not a glitter particle to be seen! It looks great and natural, and it gives dimension to my face. Not to mention that the pan's huge and the highlighter does not seem to fade as the day goes on.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* thecharm on 2/28/2013 10:17:00 PM more reviews by thecharm

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer comes highly recommended on the boards, but I have to say I'm not too enthused about it. The powder is a little dusty but creamy and soft to the touch. It feels lightweight. It lasts fine on me. In the pan, it looks like a sheeny white-gold color, and if you look closely, you can see fine multicolored shimmer. Once applied, it seems to warm up on my pasty NW5 complexion and even looks a bit yellowy on. The shimmer isn't all that blingy, but it is noticeable even when blended out. I can see why people like it--you can do far worse with all the glitterbombs being sold as highlighters these days--but I prefer Shiseido High Beam White for its incandescent sheeny powers of defining features sans shimmer.

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chupachups79 on 2/25/2013 9:31:00 PM more reviews by chupachups79

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Love this product. I use it everyday as a highlighter and it just softens my face while adding a golden glow. Love it because it doesn't add glitter, it just adds a soft golden sheen. The compact that it comes in is sturdy, very cute and with a nice mirror. I use ecotools finishing kabuki to apply a very, very small amount all over. With this product, you only need a little to see a big difference so that's really value for $$

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

larissagurl on 2/25/2013 2:04:00 PM more reviews by larissagurl

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

LOVE LOVE LOOOVE! Such a pretty color and super light feeling looks angelic on brow bone cheeks inner eye corner very lovely as a base eyeshadow. The packaging is alight minus the fact the actually plate thing keeps falling out of the mirror part but I guess you could just glue it down. Expensive but worth it :)

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*TOP REVIEWER* Thena on 2/24/2013 2:26:00 PM more reviews by Thena

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

So I don't really wear much makeup. Some bb cream and lip stick is the usual for me. I'm not sure why I even bought this, but I'm glad I did! I have normal skin which isn't shiny except a bit in the nose. This light and flattering powder makes my skin glow and lasts for hours. I've gotten compliments on my skin and it looks great in photos.

I use it primarily on: the apples of my cheek or just above, brow bone, nose, cupid's bow, along the chin and jaw line. I will also sometimes use it on my forehead/temples, as an eyeshadow, outer cheeks to contour, the inner corners of the eye, and finally the décolletage/collar bone area. I highly recommend using a fan brush because I found using my hands or other brushes dispensed too much product. The packaging is cute, sturdy, and includes a mirror. Finally, there is a lot of product and will last a long time for me so I will repurchase but no idea when that will be! For Canadians, I found this at Rexall for $30.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

jessface83 on 2/22/2013 3:16:00 PM more reviews by jessface83

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Olive   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I love this highlighter! I originally got a sample of this in my Birchbox and I think it really lives up to the hype! I use this everytime I wear makeup and it always gives me this glow that I love! I use a fan brush to apply and it works amazing! I was a little nervous at first because I have oily skin and some highlighters make me look oily. But this one is gorgeous and I recommend it to everyone. I am NW35 in the summer and NC42 in the winter for color reference.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* 2010 on 2/21/2013 8:00:00 PM more reviews by 2010

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Love this highlighter! Tons of product and gives me a very sheer, glowy look! Paid $20 (incl. shipping) for it on Hautelook which was a pretty good deal. My only issue is that I find the packaging hard to open! I have to use tweezers to open it every time.

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*TOP REVIEWER* aznmnkygrl808 on 2/21/2013 7:35:00 PM more reviews by aznmnkygrl808

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Purchased this off of hautelook for $12! Heard many good things about this highlighter and it did not disappoint. Gives your face a gorgeous subtle sheen without being too glittery/sparkly. Color is a gorgeous golden pearl color whereas my other fave highlighter (Mac's soft n gentle) is more on the pink/champagne side. I also love using this highlighter as a brow highlight, sheer wash of color on my lids and on the inner corner of eyes. Def would repurchase a back up if I see it on hautelook again!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

kpxgenie on 2/20/2013 5:53:00 PM more reviews by kpxgenie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

My OFFICIAL HG HIGHLIGHTER! Did u miss out on Mac's Whisper of Gilt? Don't wanna pay $50 for it from someone? Get theBalm Mary LouManizer! Omg this is BEAUTIFUL on any skintone, light to dark, and it's not sparkly! Shimmery isn't even the proper description. It literally makes your skin glow wherever u apply it. And I don't mean a greasy, oily kind of glow...I mean a heavenly-omg-your-skin-looks-radiant glow! I've received so many compliments & questions from friends & random ppl about what I do for my skincare, what do I eat, etc. of course I tell them something stupid like drink a lot of water and exfoliate (but in my head I'm like..YES...my secret works!) lol!

Put a little on the bridge of your nose (I'm asian with a not-so-prominent bridge) but it emphasizes what I do have in a subtle way. Apply your blush, the apply some of this on top of the blush (higher than where u normally apply blush) for a lovely glow to your cheekbones.

This is very affordable, lasts all day, and it's a big case! I will definitely repurchase over and over!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

BritMC on 2/20/2013 2:04:00 AM more reviews by BritMC

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a superb highlighter! It gives a soft, diffused glow and offers a "dewy" finish that looks very natural. Its very hard to come across a powder highlighter that mimics the effects of a liquid one. Applying a liquid highlighter over top of my setting powder always looks cakey and streaky, so its fantastic that there is a powder highlighter that gives such a perfect glow to the skin. I also use it on my brow bone and around the tear duct, its just fantastic. The amount of product you get in the compact is impressive as well. If you are looking for a powder highlighter that doesn't look like powder on the skin and mimics a "dewy" look, this is for you!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Mellydelp on 2/3/2013 4:24:00 AM more reviews by Mellydelp

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Very beautiful highlighter.
Will repurchase when I run out (which will be in 5 years)
Had this over a year now looks brand new like I haven't even used it . But in reality iI use it every single day lol....

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Norah1325 on 2/3/2013 3:56:00 AM more reviews by Norah1325

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

This was my first The Balm product I ever tried, I got it about 2 yrs ago for like 26 dells I believe... I've never had to try another luminizer.
The product itself is very fine and long lasting. The packaging is super cute and of good quality plus it has a compact sized mirror which is awesome. The price is a little steep for my taste, but I know that I can get them much cheaper at eBay and amazon, so I don't complain haha. Overall I think it's a great product, that's worth the money and hype. Highly recommend it :)

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

peronce on 2/1/2013 2:46:00 PM more reviews by peronce

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I use this on occasions, more at night than during the day. I found it to be too shimmery and powdery. I don't like the package as the pan come out easily. Just be careful as I just dropped mine and it broke in pieces. Love TheBalm products but not this one.

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AJ6488 on 1/30/2013 2:18:00 PM more reviews by AJ6488

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

OMG..... this is such a beautiful product!!! I bought this because the good reviews I saw on MUA, so when I saw this in store on sale for $20 CAD I bought it immediately. The SA also gave me a free cosmetic bag from TheBalm. I saw on the website that it's only free with over $50 of purchase, so it is a surprise. I already took out all my makeups from my chanel classic black bag and put them into TheBalm makeup bag, just because it's so much cuter :p

Back to the product, I'm so glad that I bought this. I tried it on and immediately felt that there had never been any highlighter better than this one. I pretty much used all kind of popular highlighters in the past years, I'm the type of girl would put no makeup on except a touch of highlighter. The one I sticked with the longest was the Bobbi Brown Rose Shimmer Brick, and I have to say even I love Bobbi Brown products, theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer is 100 times better than the shimmer brick!

The packaging is so cute, convenient and good quality, the texture of the product is so much softer, and it's much more pigmented. You would think Bobbi Brown has some of the most pigmented products in the market, but wait till you see this one. Also the finish is soooo... natural, and some how the powder doesn't look dry at all on my very dry skin. It won't highlight the fine lines when I smile, which none of any other powder product can do, from CHANEL, Dior, YSL, Guerlain, Clinque, Givenchy ... to Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Mac, etc.

It's also worth to mention that the product is Paraben free and fragrance free. Like I said in my other reviews, I try to use as less paraben products as I can. I don't intent to put anything on me that makes me pretty temporary but unhealthy and ugly in the future. That's another reason I've been using bobbi brown's products for such a long time. Pretty much all other powder products I used contain paraben and very strong fragrance, regardless HE or none HE.

I'm so happy that I found this highlighter and will definitely stick with it, as long as the company is still making it. Also thanks to MUA, otherwise I might keep wasting time and money on finding and buying better highlighters.

I suggest that you use figure to apply the product instead of a brush to ensure a more precise application, also brush will waste too much product, you really just need to use a tiny bit, it's very pigmented so a little goes a long way.

This is absolutely a perfect highlighter, you can use it with or without makeup, it will make your skin naturally glow without looking too shimmering and fake like a light bulb, you can also use it as a shadow base to light up your eye, or highlight the tear duct and brow bone, put it on the top of your lips to give a fuller looking lips. Not to mention it's so much cheaper as well compare to all other popular HE highlighters, and you get to keep away from the harsh chemicals. Just go to get it if you haven't own one, see all this much review I wrote, I'm not kidding!

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* lizzea on 1/26/2013 1:21:00 AM more reviews by lizzea

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

What an absolutely beautiful highlighter, a nice buttery texture and a gorgeous champagne colour that will suit most skin tones from light to dark. I have deep tanned skin and this highlights my cheekbones and brow bones without the area looking chalky like some light highlighters can do so on me. A really nice product!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* cleogirl on 1/21/2013 8:01:00 AM more reviews by cleogirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

I am a highlighter addict, I seriously have a problem with acquiring every highlighter anyone recommends. I must have a gazillion liquid, cream, powder highlighters. I do think they add a lot to any look and this one is no exception. I picked this one up because I tried out TheBalm's NudeTude palette and adore it and am a sucker for cute packaging. This highlighter really does live up to what everyone says - the shade is universal, the formula is smooth and very blendable and the product itself is highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. Trust me, I will never use this up! I usually press this onto the top of my cheekbones and move up to the side of my face to make the letter "C" and then blend it out. The compact itself is very cute with a big round mirror I love. All in all I'm very very impressed with TheBalm -can't wait to pick up more items from them!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* MsPsylocke on 1/20/2013 10:57:00 AM more reviews by MsPsylocke

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I wanted to try this highlighter because I have JM illuminizer but really wanted to try a power. Just like everyone else I really like this product. It's so easy to give it 5 lippie's because it really is amazing. I'm an NW15-20 and this gold color just looks beautiful on my moon burnt skin;). The color is perfect with my pink undertones and is very soft and finely milled. I use it with a medium size bronzer brush swirl tap and then i apply it after my blush to my cheekbones. I do a little on my nose and a touch on my brow bone,cupid,inner eye but I mostly use it to highlight my cheeks.

I highly recommend this because I have had no experience with highlighters. With this it's kinda full proof so if your new to highlighting I really recommend this because it's easy to learn and it is very forgiving. I watched one 3 minute YouTube tutorial and it was no problem and made my cheekbones look awesome. I always thought using a product like this is just too much makeup but no way would I think that now.

It's an enhancer and the MaryLou is my favorite without a doubt. It is also awesome because it compliments a multitude of skin tones and it isn't too glittery so I can see myself using this for more than just special occasions without a doubt.I'm in <3 get it you will be really happy. Plus the packaging is awesome an for the price you get a lot of product. Totally happy with this purchase!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

flylikeacg on 1/19/2013 12:08:00 AM more reviews by flylikeacg

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Absolutely love this for my medium skin tone, im a NC35 in mac foundations btw, this highlighter is so much better than MAC mineralized skinfinishes, although i only have soft and gentle MSF to compare, i really really love this, gives me that nice and healthy glow to make my face glow and dewy skin:) LOVE

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No