The beauty industry is constantly looking for a new gimmicky product to excite buyers and earn a few extra dollars. That’s why when I think of a putty highlighter it kind of sounds like a joke. The Stila Heaven’s Hue highlighter ($32) has been hyped up on the internet for a little while now, so I decided to buy it. The packaging is very nice. It is a soft gold color with more gold outlining and the Stila cosmetics logo on it. It snaps shut very easily, and has a full size mirror on the inside that is really nice. Overall, I’d give the packaging a 10/10.
This product is really a gorgeous highlighter, and It’s a product that you could use for an every day look. It’s applied on the face the same way a pressed powder or cream to powder formula is. You could also use a small fluffy brush to apply it. The texture is smooth and blends effortlessly onto the skin. It feels similar to play dough, and is not runny or liquid, so it isn’t any messier than a regular highlighter.
There are three shades: Transcendence, Kitten, and Bronze.
The finish of it is dewy with hints of some micro glitter mostly in the Kitten shade. (If you do not like glitter in your highlighters I would not recommend this product.) Kitten is also the most intense of the three shades. (I swatched them all in the store to test, and ended up purchasing Kitten. I don’t actually have pictures of the other two shades.)
As you can see, the highlighter is very pretty, but is it worth the price? Before I got this highlighter my go-to highlighter was the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter for $4.49. It is beautiful with no glitter. I would say it is more similar to Transcendence and bronze.
The formula of the essence pure nude highlighter is gorgeous. It has a subtle sheen that makes your skin look glowy and moisturized, without exaggerating any skin texture or looking oily. To add, the swatches of the two highlighters side by side look extremely similar. The only difference I would say would be with the tone, and that the Stila one is a bit more intense. The packaging is also another thing to factor in when thinking about buying one product or the other. I have already broken my essence highlighter by dropping it on the floor, so I had to repurchase it. On the other hand, I don’t think I could ever imagine breaking my Stila, it is very durable and the product itself will never crumble like a powder formula.
To add, the packaging in the Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter includes a mirror covering the entire inside. This is really very useful to someone who might want to just pop it out of their bag and apply without having to rush to the bathroom. It is clean, and crystal clear to look at. The Essence Highlighter includes no mirror, and a plastic cover. Choosing one product or the other-or neither completely depends on what your priorities and hopes are for the product. I think if you can afford to splurge on the Stila highlighter, you will not be disappointed with the quality. At the same time, the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter is gorgeous too and half the price. There is truly no definite way to know which product is better.
(All photos were taken by myself)
