The consistency was light, fluid and more like a thin, spreadable gel, as it was easy to maneuver on bare skin or over foundation without lifting the base products. It had a semi-transparent paint release that could be built up and tended to have medium coverage when applied to the body where a full pump (or more) was easily dispersed. The formula dried quickly to a more powder-like finish so I could still gently blend the edges if needed, but it wasn’t as transfer resistant as marketed. It lasted a good eight and a half hours before fading a little.
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 add radiant dimension”. 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 shine” when worn alone.
It’s a very fluid formula, almost watery, but I had a more 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 noticeable 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 shear 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.
Browse all of our Melt Cosmetics SexFoil Liquid Highlighter swatches.
ingredients
WATER (AQUA), mica, dimethicone, isononyl isononanoate, Pentylene Glycol, VP / VA COPOLYMER, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, myristyl alcohol, beheneth-30, GLYCERYLISOSTEARATE, phenoxyethanol, GLYCERYL STATIN, GLYCERYL STEEL NATRIUMACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURAT COPOLYMER, sodium dehydroacetate, carbomer, isohexadecane, SODIUM HYDROXIDE , CETEARYL ALCOHOL, CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE, POLYSORBATE 80, SORBITAN OLEATE, SODIUM STEARATE, SODIUM STEARATE, SOCOPHEROL ZINUM MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON 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 ingredients list for the product you purchased, or the brand or retailer website for the most up-to-date list of ingredients.
