Melt Cosmetics Fetish SexFoil Liquid highlighter ($ 39.00 for 1.01 oz.) Is a light pink with subtle, warm undertones and flecks of lighter, cooler pinks and golds. It was one of the hues that had both finer mother-of-pearl and more visible sparkles. The texture was more fluid, like a watery gel, but it was thin and very spreadable, which was great for all-body use and work on the body. The formula dried completely in a few seconds, but wasn’t immobile, so you could refine edges if necessary.
When applied to the face, the pump delivered an excessive amount of the product and was difficult to squeeze more easily. I recommend applying something to the back of your hand first, then swirling through the product with a separate brush, and then applying it to the face for more targeted highlights. This created a semi-transparent, buildable opacity that was controllable and didn’t have to be spread further than desired to get an even layer.
It worked well all over the skin, on bare skin as a targeted highlighter, and over foundation as it didn’t tend to lift my base products. As a cheek highlighter, it lasted eight and a half hours, but wasn’t as transfer-resistant as marketed.
CONTINUE READING: Formula overview for details on general performance and properties (such as fragrance).
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Formula overview
$ 39.00 / 1.01 oz. – $ 38.61 per ounce
The formula is said to be “an emulsion of liquid pearl pigments that brighten, hydrate and give radiant dimensions”. The formula is intended as a stand-alone highlighter for face and body, but can also be mixed with foundation. They recommend using a shade deeper than your natural skin tone for a fluid tan effect. It should have a “light” coverage and give a “natural sheen” when worn alone.
It’s a very runny formula, almost watery, but I had more of a gel-like feeling when I played with it and spread it all over my arm. I’ve found that while it’s more liquid, it dries faster than I expected and works well on bare skin, over foundation, or mixed with foundation.
Some shades had a more pronounced sparkle and unlike many liquid highlighters on the market, these had more depth in the color spectrum, so some shades work better for multitasking (e.g., alone, mixed in, etc.) than others depending on the skin tone. In general, the hues produced a smoother, pearlescent sheen that wasn’t as intense as the product name suggests, but could certainly be built up and made foil-like.
They were easy to peel and were much less intense / opaque compared to the brand’s swatches (which was especially frustrating as they took a full pump of the product and didn’t even let it dry!). The applicator took some getting used to, but almost always pumped out too much product for use on the face.
It had semi-transparent, buildable coverage, although it certainly depends on how much product was applied. For greater coverage on the face, it is best applied to the back of the hand and then swirled a few times on a synthetic brush and then applied. This gave the formula some time to “dry” while it was being picked up by the brush, resulting in increased coverage on my face that didn’t spread as much.
They carried well on my cheeks for eight to nine hours. It was supposed to be transfer resistant, whatever it was – it didn’t move or wander instantly, and most of it stayed, but a light tap of my fingertip against the product revealed a bead on my fingertip (it wasn’t rubbed!). There was no smell.
Search all of our Melt Cosmetics SexFoil Liquid Highlighter swatches.
ingredients
WATER (AQUA), mica, dimethicone, ISONONYLISOONANOAT, pentylene, VP / VA COPOLYMER, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, myristyl alcohol, beheneth-30, GLYCERYLISOSTEARATE, phenoxyethanol, GLYCERYL STEEL sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate copolymer, sodium dehydroacetate, carbomer, isohexadecane, sodium hydroxide, cetearyl alcohol, cetearyl GLUCOSIDE, POLYSORBATE 80, SORBITAN OLEATE, SODIUM STEARATE, SODIUM STEARATE, SOCOPHEROL. MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), FERROUS OXIDE (CI 77491, CI 77499).
Disclaimer: The ingredient lists are available from the brand (or retailer) at the time of publication. Please always check the product packaging, if any, the applicable ingredient list for the product you purchased, or the brand or retailer website for the most up-to-date list of ingredients.
