Review | NYX Illuminator for Face and Body in "Ritualistic"

Product: NYX Illuminator for Face and Body in "Ritualistic"
Price: $9.00 (Ulta) | $11.45 (Amazon)
Review: So I'm back with another review. I didn't really see a whole lot of reviews for this particular NYX product so I decided to add this to try and fill that void. I mean, since highlighting and strobing have become super popular in the past year, I thought this would be a good drugstore alternative to the more expensive higher end brands. I thought I could save a lot by going for this one. I love NYX products and have never really had any issues with them. Of course, I've only used their lip and eye products, I haven't really used any of their face makeup. To start things off, out of the five shades offered I got the shade "Ritualistic" which is a champagne highlight. I initially swatched it and found it to be smooth and almost creamy. It didn't feel cheap, overly powdery, or chunky with cheap glitter particles. It felt nice and it swatched nicely. I seriously thought that this could have been a drugstore dupe for the Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector in "Moonstone". Having had and used this product for three days and eventually returning it on the third day, I realize now that I'm just gonna pay the $38 for the Becca highlighter because at least with that, I know that it'll stay on all day and I can adjust the highlight to be subtle and luminescent to strobe queen bright. 

Basically, I did not like this product AT ALL. It felt so nice but it wears and applies terribly. You can't get a strobe-strength highlight with this product let alone a subtle natural glow. It applies patchily and as it wears throughout the day (or night), it emphasizes your pores and/or fine lines all while fading. I even set it with the Smashbox Priming Water and it still faded. It was so disappointing when it felt so nice and swatched so nicely. It just didn't last and it didn't even get me to that "lit from within" look that I've been doing recently. If you thought about getting this, definitely don't. Save your money and just pay the extra $28 for the Becca Cosmetics highlighters. The one good thing about this product is how big the mirror is. Other than that, there aren't any redeeming qualities. I am disappointed because up until now, NYX has been a total hit for me. Unfortunately, unlike my recent reviews, I don't have a lot to say about this product other than what I've already said about it being a waste of money. 
Rating: 1.5/5

 For some reason, this photo made the product look quite white in the pan and in the swatch. I'm not sure why my camera did that, but the actual product is quite goldy.

Left: No product on my brow bones, cupid's boy, and cheekbones

Right: Product applied to my left brow bone and to the top of my left cheekbone

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