Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator – Sunbeam

10 Reviews

1. 

   betrayedFlamingo9

   Reply

   I’m old (60 in a month) and for the past decade my whole life has been about how to add some youthful glow to my washed-out NC25 complexion. I discovered highlighters and I can’t live without them. As I age, less is more as far as glitter goes, so I want something that looks natural, not like I’m auditioning for RuPaul’s Drag Race. I picked up the NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in my local Ulta a while back when I wanted to experiment with a drug store brand. Overall, it’s not a bad product, just not great, and not one that I reach for. Sunbeam is a barely-there pink gleam that would seem to suit my cool-toned skin, but it’s just not my HG highlighter. It dries quickly and gets a little gummy if you use too much. I think NYX’s highlighters are a good place to start if you’re just starting to use highlighters and want to experiment without going broke. But I’ll stick to my Becca, it give me a much more natural glow that just makes my skin look better.

2. 

   wingedWildfowl3

   Reply

   I bought this ages ago as it swatches really nicely I bought the shade that comes in the pink packaging. However when on my face it didn’t really show up. I would try again because since then I have had better practice with strobing creams and maybe I needed to experiment more

3. 

   exactingCurlew3

   Reply

   I really like this to mix with foundation when my skin is clear but looking somewhat dull. I’ve also tried it mixed with primer and it works well that way too. It is very densely pigmented, so I only need a tiny drop. In such small amounts it doesn’t really affect the wear or color of my face products, which is nice. It imparts a soft lit-from-within glow that I really like; it isn’t dewy, just healthy looking. One tube will also probably last me for the rest of my life, which is also great. I believe that Sunbeam is a dupe shade-wise for Benefit High Beam, though Benefit’s version is more runny and has way worse packaging.

4. 

   worriedDove8

   Reply

   At first swatch it was pretty but when applied to the face it’s a glitter bomb. The glitter particles are chunky and cheap-looking and very very far from producing a realistic-looking glow. I could only see this applied very very sparingly on the cheekbones or the inner corner of the eyes for a night party look. Not the absolute worst product out there but you can find so many others that are better than this. The primer from the Born To Glow line is a million times nicer, go for that one.

5. 

   wingedUnicorn7

   Reply

   I have this in sunbeam and I love it! I use the pro brush that Sephora sends out when you get VIB rouge and that cuts down on all the chunky glitter and leaves you with this perfect glow that lasts all night. It even adds a tiny hint of colour that’s super flattering for my neutral-cool skin

6. 

   dopeySyrup0

   Reply

   My worst purchase from NYX, really cheap and shimmery looking ‘highlighter’ that will not last you even a couple of hours. The shade Sunbeam is really cute but I’m really disappointed in the product itself.

7. 

   holisticMuesli2

   Reply

   This product is best used as either an addition to a primer or a very small addition to foundation. It is way too pigmented and shimmery to use alone as a highlighter. I prefer to mix a VERY small drop into primer to give you a little bit of a dewy glow. I do love that this is an affordable option that is slightly similar to Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. Just remember: a little goes a long way!

   A

8. 

   adoringFerret3

   Reply

   This product was so difficult to use and I never liked the finished look. I’m sure there are good uses for liquid illuminators but this stuff just removed the foundation underneath and messed it up when I had already powdered. I found the only way I could use it was with a damp beauty blender after foundation and powder to even see it. Then it turns into loose glitter on the face which really was not cute. Sometimes you could see where I put the original product to blend so it would look cakey and patchy.

   Just an infuriating product to work with… into the regret pile for you.

9. 

   superiorThrushe4

   Reply

   I personally think that this highlighter is beautiful. Love the icy opalescent pink color. Love the hints of glitter actually. Love how it stays on. The key is to apply with a light hand and you won’t be looking like you’re ready for a rave. It’s actually funny to that people complain about the glitter since I can think of at least two highlighters that have stronger glitter: NARS New Order and NARS Undress Me.

10. 

    giddyJerky0

    Reply

    So for a while I have loved the idea of having an awesome highlighter for my face, to give me a glow as I enter summer with pale skin. I saw this product at Target after hearing a few people review it well, and at such an affordable price I couldn’t resist. I quickly rushed home and tried it on. At first I couldn’t see any difference- therefore I slathered more on. And more. And more. Finally when I could see the difference in my skin, I noticed one thing: sparkle. Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle.
    Now I wish that I had done more research.

    Pros:
    Felt silky and smooth in application
    Subtle glow

    Cons:
    Had to be layered to be seen
    Extremely sparkly
    Hard to remove

    I hope that this review helps others looking for a good highlighter to use- I’m sure one is out there, it’s just not this one.