Cream Color Base - Pearl

TL;DR: + Looks shimmer-sheeny to me w/out glitters, unlike a ton of other highlighters I've tried that ppl have said this about + Good hue for pale ppl, also weirdly uncommon - Wears off really fast As of yet the *only* highlighter that adds shimmer particles (as opposed to only greasy/dewey shine, which you can get w/ a dab of lanolin or sunscreens), but DOESN'T look glittery. Meaning I don't see discernible glitter particles in the mirror up close. At least in the lighting settings I've looked (which are varied, but all indoors - I don't think there's a highlighter that gives visible sheen in most light that doesn't look crazy in direct midday sunlight). I really don't get if it's just down to the size conformity of the particles or what - seems like this is something a lot of people really want (look what they're paying for the RMS Living Luminizer!) and shouldn't be that hard or expensive for corporations to provide, but yeah, for whatever reason this is the only one I've found. This light beige shade is also light, transparent + neutral enough to work well on my pale skin. You can sheer it out with a beauty blender for an everyday "glowy" look w/ just a hint of shimmer at the right angles, and you can build it up to looking pretty robofaced. It's really a shame it wears off so fast. I've been meaning to play around with using eyeshadow primer under it or mixing it with some Inglot Duraline, will try to update if I do.

"If I ran out of this product..." LOL! I don't think I'll ever go through this. Have been using it pretty consistently over the past 6 months and I've barely made a dent in it. You can have it go on very subtle to provide just a dewy glow or build it up to have a really intense high shine effect. Highly recommend it if you're on the hunt for a new cream highlight. Tip: I find that it works best with fingers to warm it up slightly, which it'll then truly melt into your skin when you lightly tap it in.

This really is one of those rare, multi-use gems. For reference, I have dry skin, with small almond shaped lids, NW10 skintone. I purchased as a stand-alone eye shadow, though you can certainly layer powder products over it. I wanted a subtle but illuminating all-over lid color. I have been through the gambit with MAC Paint Pots, Maybelline Color Tattoos and various Bobbi cream shadows. All of them ended up with an unflattering dry/flaky looking finish, eventually becoming hard and difficult to apply. So I ended up ordering one of these Cream Color Bases. Pearl is a warm/gold color...with a pearl finish. It is quite a bit warmer than Becca's Pearl SSP in the Poured formula (which looks much whiter). In terms of Becca, MAC's Pearl looks much more like Moonstone. This color and formula adds a youthful, dewy look without being frosty or metallic looking. It gives my slightly hooded eyes a more open/alert look. It will pool a bit in the crease, which is evident right after application, but simply push product away from the crease, and it does not resettle there. In the pan it has a hard texture, but it applies very smoothly with no dragging or flaking, unlike similar products. I usually wear alone with a taupe cream shadow pencil for the crease. I quickly found how lovely this is to use as general h/l as well. It is perfect on the C area to highlight your cheekbones, or your brow bone. I do have cool toned skin, but I find the warm shade of this product really enhances a natural/youthful glow. Weirdly, I find that using a cool toned h/l (baby pinks, whites, silvers etc) is actually aging and harsh looking even though it seems common sense to use an h/l that matches your skin's undertone, as with foundations. Ladies with mature skin who fear the glitter and dryness of so many much loved hl/s, you may find a friend in MAC Cream Color Base! I find it easiest to apply with my fingers, though a small concealer brush would work fine too. Very pretty, subtle and useful. It is one of those products that if I could only take a few makeup items in a travel bag, this would be one. Great lid color and general h/l for all ages. $22.00 is extremely reasonable for such a versatile product. I have had it for 3 months now, used it daily and it has not dried out at all. Would certainly repurchase.

I got my Pearl from MAC as a gift and my first impression of the product was it's thickness. I've never used a cream-based highlighter before and it took me a while to learn how to get the perfect result. The product is heavy, almost too much if you ask me and you really have to warm it up before using it on the skin, it also tends to take away parts of your foundation if you're not careful. I usually apply it on my cheekbones, above the cupid bow and on my brow bones. The thing is that you really have to blend it out or you get harsh unnatural lines, which I don't appreciate when I'm in a hurry, sometimes I skip this product completely if it takes too much time. If you in another hand do have time on your hands and want to create an amazing glowy/wet look for someone with a yellow toned skin this is the product for you! If gives an amazing shine to the skin.

Love this highlighter! No pink tones here! Which is fab for (NC35) yellow toned gals like me! I use this on my cheeks, cupids bow, I've even used this on my eyes and its FAB! The consistency is solid in the pan but melts upon touching and blends on like a smooth cream. The key word in describing this highlighter is that it gives a GLOW. Because of the cream consistency it has that smooth glowy finish as opposed to the shimmer that is typical of a powder. What I love is that the dewy texture means it catches the light gorgeously but subtly, in other words it looks a bit more natural than the dry texture of a powder would. The only downside is that because of the cream you have to be careful how/what you apply this product over. Mixing too many textures ie. applying over powdered skin or very matte makeup can result in a muddy or uneven look. I would suggest using this with liquid foundation, basically apply it before you apply powder otherwise it just won't blend as nicely.

it's pretty nice, not my fav highlighter but it does get the job done. the best thing about this is that it adds a glow not glitter like most highlighters. the only problem I have with this highlighter is that it's cream and I'm personally not a big fan of cream highlighters and that's the only reason why I won't be purchasing this again but other than that it's fantastic :)

I love highlighters and have been on the hunt for my holy grail product for a while. I believe that this comes quite close! It is super easy to apply and blends into the skin really well. The colour is soft and not too sparkly which I like. It adds just a tiny shimmer and catches the light not a glitterbomb. My only negative point with this is that it melts a little when its hot in the house and I have to keep it in the fridge :S

The idea of highlighting your face is so enticing wouldn`t there be so many trash products out there. Screamingly obvious in harsh, glittery colors, rendering old instead of dewy. So I stayed away from them - up to now! This product is soooo different, believe me! Texture like a dream - it simply melts into your skin, leaving nothing but an absolutely natural, vibrant and very youthful silky golden sheen. Even on my superpale skin it never looks streaky - nothing is visible apart from the seemingly inner glow. At first I used a brush but I find that my middle finger does a better job. The best result for me is without foundation, just together with concealer and the Brit Wit Blusher and a trace of powder for better staying power. I emphasize the bridge of my nose, the dent above my upper lip, the center of my chin, the upper part of cheekbones, above the outer part of eyebrows and between the eyebrows. The absolutely perfect nude look!

While this product is a multi tasking product, I simply wanted a highlighter for my skin. I´m very pale ( MAC NC15-20, C1) with somehow dull skin. My skin is dehydrated oily to combo and acne-prone. I never tan and rarely use self-tanner, so I rely on skincare and make up to make my skin look fresh and polished. Before trying this product, I went for powder highlighters. I tried MAC Soft and Gentle, which is raved about, and ELFs blush Gotta Glow which is a dupe for NARS Albatross. These highlighters never stayed in place and spread all over my face, so I looked highlighted all over my face. On top of that, the powder formula made my already dull and dehydrated skin look flat and lifeless. It always stayed on my skin and never fully merged with my skin and foundation. I felt like it was obvious that I wore highlighter instead of just looking like my skin was naturally glowing if you know what I mean. I went to my trustworthy MAC Muas and explained my problem. She recommended a cream colour base and we went searching for the right colour. Pearl was absolutely perfect for my pale skin with light yellow undertones. It has no obvious glitter particles and that makes it perfect for highlighting every day without looking like a disco ball. It´s described as pale gold with icy shimmer and has a very creamy texture that just melts into he skin. The perfect colour for my skin. I tried Luna too, but it was too cool, bright and frosty for my skin. This colour could work for cool pale skintones. I apply it around my eye area over my cheek bone and occasionally on the bridge of my nose or above my upper lip. That may sound boring, but for me, this is the way to polished healthy and glowing skin. The light catches so pretty on the spot over my cheek bones and my skin looks gorgeous. You can also use this on the inner corner of your eyes or lightly under your eyes whenever you want to look fresh and rested. I use this in conjunction with MAC Harmony blush as bronzer and I never want to be without this combo. As my skin is pale and I tend to look drawn, I make an extra effort to make my skin look good in the morning. And with this highlighter and bronzer, my skin looks good in less than 2 minutes. The cream colour stays in place the whole day inspite of my sometimes oily skin. For me, this was absolutely worth the money I paid for it. I use it every day and if it´s empty, I will buy it again. I recommend the cream colour base, but also recommend to test which one of the cream colour bases work for your skin tone.

I'm a highlighter fanatic. This is a great cream highlighter if you want dewy glowy skin. I prefer using a powder highlighter for everyday but this is especially flattering for special occasions and packaging is much more convenient for carrying In my makeup bag.