We're going old school today with a review of the MAC Mineraize Skinfinish highlighter. This might bring you back ten+ years ago when it was all the rage. But I've come back to it again, approaching 30, to offer a brand new perspective on it.
I find that when you're younger and you're used to shopping cheap, high-street brands, like MUA, Collection 2000 and Natural Collection, where products could cost as little as just £1, you think that the high-end makeup brands are 100% better, almost like they have to be better because you've actually splashed out with the entirety of the wages you earnt on a Saturday at the local cafe.
However, as I've got older and as I've started to work full time, you have more money to play with and I learnt, quite quickly, that when it comes to makeup, you really do get what you pay for.
Where there are some things that I refuse to splash out on, like concealer and anything to do with your eyebrows, there are other things I just swear by and your finishing products, like highlighter and bronzer, are some of those items.
That's why I thought I'd give this a try, after all this time. I'll be giving you the views of a 29-going-on-30-year-old as opposed to a teen. So here's my honest review of the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish highlighter in the shade; Soft & Gentle.
How does the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish apply?
Now, it sounds daft, but it's powdery. It's quite difficult to get what you need on the brush rather than all over the place, as if you're mixing a potion. I feel as though you're wasting a lot of the product just getting it on the brush to start off with.
Now you may suggest trying another brush that is perhaps less fluffy and more dense, but I have tried several different brushes, including a good old fashioned highlighter brush, and the effect is the same. It's not the easiest product to get on the brush. I feel as though you need to leave enough time to faff abut and be more careful when it comes to loading up the brush in the first place.
As a result of trying to prevent wasting the product, you actually don't get much on the brush to apply to the cheeks. So you find that you have to try a couple of times to load the brush and sweep on the cheekbones.
Again, if you have the time to sit and do that, then you'll see no problem in that. However, most of the time, I'm looking for something that's quick and simple but that gives a wonderful finish that will last all day. The first part of that, with the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish, is a struggle.
What finish does the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish give?
Once you've finally got the product loaded up onto the brush, it sweeps effortlessly onto the skin, transferring completely from the brush to the cheeks, which is what you want to hear. It doesn't apply too heavily, either.
So you don't have to worry about glowing in the dark, but it's definitely obvious that you're adorning a decent highlighter. The Soft and Gentle shade gives you a lovely sheen and combines really well with a quality blush. The one I like is Charlotte Tilbury 'Cheek to Chic', which I wrote a
blog post about. I find that it complements the colour of that product perfectly.
Soft and Gentle isn't a highlighter to be worn on its own, you really do need a good pin or peachy base to go along with it. Once you have the base right, the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle gives a natural-yet-flawless finish every single time.
However, this is supposed to be an honest review. I would actually say that I prefer my trusty Estee Lauder bronzer. It can be used on its own, it looks natural-yet-glows, it doesn't take a lot to get the desired look and it doesn't look as though you're mixing a potion when you're getting it onto your brush.
I really do prefer that over this product. Although, maybe I need to try a darker shade to make a more fair compairson. But that's where I currently stand between the two. If I was to spend my money on either one, it would be the Estee Lauder bronzer, every time.
Read more about it here.
How durable is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish?
To be honest, the durability is ok. It's not a patch on my Estee Lauder bronzer in terms of staying power, but it's not bad. It's not the sort of longevity I would expect from a high-end makeup brand, but you can't really complain.
If you're looking for a highlighter that will last for most of the day, then you'll be alright with this for everyday wear. I have had better highlighters when it comes to durability, even from high-street brands, but I think this is just a case of 'tomato-tomarto'.
***
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that you found it useful? Hopefully it's given you some idea of what to expect from a highlighter that costs over £30 (luckily, I didn't pay that for it) and has given you the info you need to decide whether or not to buy it and I will see you again very soon with a brand new blog post.
***
WHERE TO FIND ME
PREVIOUS BLOG POST
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Comments
Post a Comment