The cult favourite highlighter "Mary-Lou Manizer" by theBalm was definitely not an impulsive purchase, but rather when I saw the restocked stand overflowing with a plenitude of these little boxed beauties, I snatched one up and all of my friends did too!
Formula
The best way I can describe Mary-Lou is by stating it has a "creamy" texture. In comparison to Mac's Soft & Gentle which is essentially quite a dry powder, Mary-Lou glides on the skin effortlessly, giving you a wondrous glow to the skin. I wouldn't say it looks completely natural on my pale skin as it does have a gold undertone to it (as you can see on the swatch below), but if you have a medium skin tone it would look absolutely phenomenal!
Also, the product's finish is more shiny and glowy than it is glittery and does not contain any chunks or specks of glitter at all in comparison to Soft & Gentle which has more of a glittery finish. This factor also helps Mary-Lou look a little more natural on the skin.
Packaging
The packaging is flawless. It comes in a reasonably sized compact with a crisp mirror included as well. It's an impeccable size to just pop in your handbag if you want to top up your shine throughout the day.
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| Swatch of theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter |
Lasting power
I have to say the lasting power on this product isn't too impressive. I have quite dry skin to begin with so it's not as if my face is oily and causing the product to break up, but it virtually completely disappears within a couple hours. Of course it's beyond simple to re-apply but for $30 you expect something with a little more longevity.
Overall I'd give this a 4 out of 5 stars - It's pigmented, has a lovely gold undertone and isn't glitter based so it looks like you're glowing from within and is perfect for everyday wear!
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Lexy xx
