illamasqua powdered metal in ether review, swatches

Because I love a good highlighter. Duh! Wanting to look super Barbie plasticy I asked for the lightest, shimmeriest shade and was pointed in the direction of Ether, a pale yellow gold.

Illamasqua's Powdered Metal is a very, very fine powder filled with infinite glow.

 

That's right, glow, not sparkle. Even though it is very shimmery, I don't get a big ol' BLING! like I do from my Estee Lauder gelee, nor a soft dewiness usually found in a Benefit highlighter. I get glow... that kind of soft, lit from within luminescence that you get from a product so delicate and fine that it seems to have a translucent base. Very hard to describe... the only other place I've found that kind of glow is in the new Lime Criminal, even then I was lost for words to describe it. x____x

But in a nutshell, translucent base colour, high gold reflect. Kind of.I'm trying my best here, okay? It seems to disappear at certain angles, then BAM! Shimmer. Does that even make sense?!

Used wet, a lot more yellow comes out and of course, it is a LOT more metallic. I've yet to find a use for it since I don't like using very yellow things on my already yellow skin, but I have a feeling this would look great on the collarbone and general boob area.

I like to wear it dry, dusted first on the cheekbone then blended out to the rest of my face too. Gives a soft subtle glow that way.

PS you're gonna have to keep the included puff sandwiched in the top, otherwise WAY too much will come out the top and you'll be left with a mountain of powder on the sifter, every time.