Review, FOTD: The Balm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer - best highlighter I have come across!

Hello my lovelies!!

Hope you all are doing great! First and foremost I would like to apologize for being MIA. I was busy preparing for and attending my cousin's wedding. It was a fun filled one week and I enjoyed a lot with cousins and relatives. Weddings are so much fun and it was a much needed break for me from work :D I will be sharing my outfit in my first ever outfit post soon. Today I am reviewing my favorite highlighter from the brand I love! - The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter.

I am head over heels in love with it. Read on to find out why.


Product Description (from official website):

Meet Mary-Lou Manizer, a seemingly innocent honey-hued luminizer that catches everybody’s eye. This highlighter, shadow and shimmer diffuses light so your skin looks softer and younger while adding a subtle glow.

Method of Use:

Layer it on your lids for a luxe look, sweep it on your cheeks for a sexy sheen, or use it as an all-over finishing touch before you head out for the night.

Ingredients: Mica, Isoeicosane, polyehylene, boron nitride, polyisobutane, ptfe, silica, synthetic wax, dimethicone, titanium dioxide

Price: $24 (approx 1500 INR) I got it from Sasa store in Hong Kong for around 160 HKD (approx 1300 INR) for 8.5 gram.

Packaging: I love how unique and cute packaging The Balm products have. It comes in a flip open pan which is equipped with a mirror which is really thoughtful because it is a savior at times especially for on the go application :) 

My Experience with The Balm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer highligher:

I love this highligher a lotttt!!! It does an excellent job of highlighting without being OTT. It imparts a healthy glow to the skin and highlights as if a fairy dusting some magic dust on you :) It is a golden white highlighter which would suit almost all skin tones.

Pigmentation: It is super duper pigmented (read highly pigmented in bold). You have to just lightly dip in your brush and that's it, the product picked up will be enough to highlight all the highlight points on the entire face. It is incredibly finely milled and since it is so pigmented, I believe this one pan will last for my entire life :P but obviously it would have to be thrown out at least after 3 years (trust me my heart would break if I have to throw it out). There is so much of product and only a tiny bit required each time. Be careful to apply it with a light hand and you are good to go.

Application: The application of this product is made easy by the fact that it blends like a dream. You will have to put in a tad bit extra effort to blend it in completely but once done, you will glow like a Goddess! :D The minute particles diffuse completely and settle onto the skin with ease.

Staying power: Once it's set, it won't budge. It stays on my oily/combination skin for almost 8-9 hours without fading. I believe it would stay on longer. (I just removed my makeup after 9 hours so quoting the same.)

Overall look after highlighting: The best thing about this highlighter is that it is illuminating rather than being shimmery. It will not make you look like a disco ball :D It will never look OTT when used in appropriate amount and with appropriate blending. It diffuses the particles in the skin and brings out the glow from within which really looks somewhat natural and as if you are glowing from within. It photographs really well even in flash photography.

Versatility: This is such a versatile product. It works excellent as a eyeshadow, for highlighting tear duct, highlighting cheek bones, brow bone, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. It can be used as a overall shimmer as well.

Texture: The texture like I already mentioned is finely milled. It is packed compactly in the pan and there is absolutely no fall out while picking up the product unlike most of the powders which tend to fall out a lot while taking the product.

I can go on and on and on about this highlighter! that's how much it has impressed me and made me fall in love with it. It is perfect to prep up dull face and add a healthy sheen to the face. It is totally worth the price.

This is how it looks on me (used as highlighter on cheekbones, bridge of nose and cupid's bow)

Pros:

• Beautiful champagne gold color which will suit almost all skin tones.
• Illuminates the skin and gives a healthy glow. It does not look shimmery and hence will not look OTT when applied with a light hand and blended properly.
• Highly pigmented hence a little product is sufficiently for one time use. One pan will last for ages.
• Staying power is incredible. It stays upto more than 8 hours without fading.
• Versatile product- can be used as a eyeshadow, shimmer and highlighter.
• Blends easily and smoothly.
• No fall out.
• Equipped with a mirror which is good for on the go application.

The list is endless.... ;)

Cons:

• Availability. It is not available in India.

Would I recommend this product?

Highly recommended product! Grab it soon. Ask someone to get it for you (from US or Sasa stores across the globe) if you are in India.

Would I repurchase this product?

I guess this pan will go on for ages but I will definitely repurchase if I either finish it up or throw it out (after expiry which I am assuming would be 3 years from the time I purchased)

My Rating: 5/5 :-*:-*:-*:-*:-*
(I will not cut points for non-availability because I cannot do injustice with this awesome product)

All in all this is an excellent highlighter with amazing quality. I would definitely recommend it to one and all.

Have you tried The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer? How did it work for you? Please share your thoughts via comments.

Take Care,

Love,
Mayuri