What They Say: "Ultra sheer and light as air, Silk Lights can be used anywhere you want to add some light. Brush onto cheeks to highlight, or layer over blush to adjust the color. Add a bit of sparkle to décolletage, eyes and lips."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: I tested this in Whisper, a "sheer creamy apricot". Now THIS is a product I can get behind much more so than the Blushing Lights blush that Toya and I just reviewed. Much lighter in color, and geared toward highlighting, I find this to be a really pretty accent for the tops of cheekbones, upper eyelids, and more. Unlike the problem we had when the irridescent sheen was too much to use as a blush color, I find these lighter, slightly more subtle shades are much more fitting for highlighting. It can easily be too much if you're not careful, but used in moderation it's lovely.

There is still a bit of trouble getting used to keeping the powder where you want it (like not all over your bathroom counter), but if you are careful about using the brush to dab a tiny bit from the pot, then swishing it into the lid, it's manageable. I would also suggest sticking to the lighter shades.

Retail Price: $18.00 - or just $2 for a sample! (at lauress.com)

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What They Say: “Blushes with a dash of sparkle and light, brighten the cheeks with subtle sheen and just the right amount of glimmer. Use mineral Blushing Lights to highlight cheeks with a gentle flush of color, or layer them for a more dramatic effect.”

Toya’s Take: I sampled this in Finesse – a golden peachy-pink and Euphoria, a rosy pink. Having heard that the important thing to remember about mineral make-up is “less is more”, I made an effort to pick up a small amount on my blush brush, swirl it around in the top of the jar to evenly distribute the powder and then tap off the excess before applying it to my cheeks. Still, in both cases, I hated the final look. Way, way too shimmery, even for me (and I love all things shimmery). I thought the blushes aged me quite a bit and a co-worker even said my make-up “looked heavier than usual.” Not good. However, I love both colors as an eyeshadow! For some reason, I like shimmer much more on my eyes as opposed to cheeks. They make great highlighters under your brow and on your tear duct and also work well as a layer underneath other, more traditional powder shadows.

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: Like Toya, I found that it's really quite hard to NOT feel like you've ended up with too much of this on no matter how hard you try. I sampled the blush in Perfect, "the perfect mix of beige and pink with gentle sparkles". Well, the color may have looked the right shade to me in the pot, but I felt like the tiniest bit made my cheeks look too shiny and irridescent, and it seemed like some of it traveled to other places where i definitely didn't want to be shiny. Once it was on, it was hard to blend in without just adding too much color and shimmer. I just felt like this was hard to control.

I also agree with Toya that this kind of sheen is best for the eyes, not the cheeks. While it's likely possible to use an EXTREMELY light hand to achieve a glow with this blush, I certainly didn't master the technique and felt like it wasn't worth the trouble.

Retail Price: $18.00 (at lauress.com)

DeLush Ratings: Toya
( if used as a shadow!)
Melissa

What They Say: “Add a touch of color to lips while offering nourishment and healing benefits. Glistening Lips Glosses are made of over 99% natural ingredients, including avocado oil and meadowfoam seed oil to moisturize, plus shea butter and Vitamin E to help heal lips. A subtle chocolate scent from natural cocoa extract perfects this nonsticky gloss. Use gloss alone for a healthy, gorgeous smile or layer over lipstick to complement and enhance the color.”

Toya’s Take: I liked the two colors I tested – Enamored (“shimmering rose copper”) and Intoxicating (“shimmering warm pink”). The colors were nice and the glosses felt very smooth and soft when applied. However, the chocolate scent was a bit much and, once left on the lips for a few minutes, the glosses set into a very dry finish, which left my lips feeling chapped all day. That was only remedied when I layered another gloss on top. So, these glosses work if you’re willing to layer, otherwise, stay away.

Retail Price: $14.00 (at lauress.com)

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What They Say: "Mineral Gem Lights illuminate and enhance eyes. With colors that gently gleam to colors that sparkle like diamonds, you will find the perfect gem to define your beauty.
(colors reviewed)
Mallard – Deep emerald green
Opal – Creamy undertone with opalescent violet highlights
Mesmerize – Silvery lavender with prismatic flashes of green
Envious – Rich chocolate brown with a glistening green highlight"

Jamie’s Thoughts: Eye shadows are a big obstacle for me – I tend to stay safely within my tried and true line of neutrals and browns. I was both frightened and excited to test out these 4 gorgeous colors from LaurEss’ “Gem Lights” line of mineral-based shadows. Opal and Mallard are deeper, shimmery hues where as Mesmerize and Envious are downright sparkly.

I originally thought Opal would be a great all-over-the-lid neutral, but I was wrong. The purple undertone becomes really noticeable once you start spreading it around – the more you put on, the less it looks like a neutral. My pale skin was just too thin for this color…I suggest this for darker skin tones and olive complexions.

Envious, a sparkly-spangly-makes-me-want-to-do-a-jig-in-my-bathroom brown, is by far my favorite. (Shocker, I know, I am SO predictable) It went on smooth, application was easy, and the color was even almost immediately! This is definitely going into my everyday rotation. Added bonus: It’s not too sparkly for the office.

Mallard, a beyond gorgeous emerald green, looked the most intimidating. In the end, it turned out to be shimmery, smooth, and lovely – not nearly as frightening as it looked in the jar. It’s a bit drastic for my skin tone, but would look AMAZING on someone with darker skin and brown eyes.

I think Mesmerize surprised me the most by being a tasteful sparkler with icy blue tones. It would be great for a night out, but is far too glittery for everyday use. Where was this great shadow when I was in college, huh?!

As always, be careful when applying mineral shadows. They are sort of like Thanksgiving dinner – you can always go back for seconds. Don’t dump a big load of it on your eye at first, because 90% of that shadow will end up sitting on your cheekbone in big clumps. Also, the more sparkly shadows will impart some teeny shadow particles in/around your eye – eye rubbers and sensitive eyes, beware.

Retail Price: $13 (available at lauress.com or go here for more information about international orders, retail locations, and more)

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