Sephora Favorites: Sunkissed Glow Bronzer and Highlighter Essentials Set Review and Swatches!

Hi Friends!

I have another Sephora Favorites review for you today! This is another little set that I picked up during the Sephora Holiday Bonus sale. I think this set initially released in the summer time because it also went on sale not too long before the holiday bonus sale. This set initially retailed for $40 but it was 50% off (only $20) when I bought it! And then of course, I bought it during the 20% off sale so I only ended up paying $16 for all of these items!

Product Details

There are 7 items included in this set. They are a mix of bronzers and highlighters for that “Sunkissed Glow” affect. And the entire bundle has a value of $99! I got a really good deal! Plus it is always fun to try some new items – I already tried a couple of these items before as well.

This set includes:

• Laura Mercier – Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01
• Benefit Cosmetics – Hoola Bronzer in Natural Bronze
• Tarte – Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess
• Hourglass – Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick in Champagne Flash
• Milk Makeup – Highlighter in Lit
• Ciate London – Dewy Stix Luminous Highlighting Balm (full size)
• Becca – Sunlit Bronzer in Capri Coast

Swatched in order: Laura Mercier, Benefit, Tarte, Hourglass, Milk Makeup, Ciate London, Becca

My Review

Laura Mercier – Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01

This is one of my favorite items in the Sunkissed Glow set! It is a beautiful baked highlighter. It is really reflective but looks really natural on the skin. It is more of a glowy white champagne shade. It looks really beautiful and it so easy to blend on the skin. I am SO happy that this was included in the set because I haven’t heard much about this product. When I think of Laura Mercier, I think of her loose setting powders. I didn’t even really know that she had a baked formula for highlighters!

Benefit Cosmetics – Hoola Bronzer in Natural Bronze

The Benefit Hoola Bronzer is one of the items that I have tried before I bought this set. But I totally don’t find that it was included in this set as well because it is a great bronzer! I also have an obsession with Benefit blushes and bronzers. This is the darkest bronzer in the set but I still think it can work on a lot of different skin tones. It might be too dark for really fair skin but it does work perfectly well on me and I am pretty light. Hoola is one of those classis bronzer shades that a lot of people like so I think it is great that they included it in this set.

Tarte – Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess

I also already have this exact Tarte Bronzer which I didn’t realize until I started testing this one out. It again is a really nice bronzer. It is a little lighter than the Benefit Hoola bronzer but a little darker than the Becca Sunlit Bronzer so if those don’t work for you, then maybe this one will! I really like the packaging of the Park Ave Princess line from Tarte. It looks really luxe in my opinion so that is just an added bonus! I need to start using this on the daily to use it up though now that I have two!

Hourglass – Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick in Champagne Flash

Just look at that swatch! This is seriously a BEAUTIFUL cream highlighter! It literally beams to the heavens above. It has this beautiful champagne shade and is so opaque. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Hourglass because they are such a luxury brand. I wish this sample was a bit larger. I am not sure how long a little cream highlighter like this will last but I will for sure be buying a full size one.

Milk Makeup – Highlighter in Lit

This is another great highlighter that I am happy to have tried! I think it is a really beautiful champagne shade on my skin. It is not as opaque as the Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick but is still has a beautiful natural radiant color. It is really easy to apply and blends right into my skin. I actually got another one of these in my Milk Makeup Meet the Fam that I recently hauled so I am set on this highlighter for awhile!

Ciate London – Dewy Stix Luminous Highlighting Balm

This Dewy Stix Luminous Highlighting Balm from Ciate London is the only full size item in the bundle and I kind of feel like it was included because not a lot of people are interested in this item? I mean, I had never heard of this highlighter before seeing this set. Unfortunately, I have had some difficulty with this highlighter. I don’t think it looks good on my face where I normally highlight (above the eye brow, on the arches of my cheeks, on the bridge of my nose). It just seems to sit on top of the skin and it has this white overcast look to it. Because it is balmy, it just never seems to settle.

I also accidently put the cap on right into the balm – which is so annoying! But the highlighter got kind of melty after that. It was weird. I think I need to figure out how to use this balm that will work for me.

Becca – Sunlit Bronzer in Capri Coast

 

If you don’t know already, I completely LOVE Becca powders. I have several of her highlighters, a few blushes, and I actually already have a full size of her bronzer in Bronzed Bondi. This bronzer is no exception – it really is beautiful. It has a warm neutral color with a bit of sheen so I think it would look nice on a lot of skin tones.

Of course, I love Becca’s packaging too. Most of their powders come in these little saucer / UFO shapes and they’re just really cute. Although, I wish it was a little bigger because a bronzing brush doesn’t fit in this little pan very well. Although I have been using the BH Cosmetics Small Contour Blush to apply my bronzer and that works really well with this size pan. Overall, I really like the bronzer and am glad to have another Becca bronzer in my collection.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really like Sephora Favorites box! I think I will get frequent use out of the 6 or the 7 items in this set. Of course, I still need to do some trial and error testing with the Ciate London Highlighting Balm but so far I am not a big fan. But the other items, I LOVE! My favorite items are the Laura Mercier and Hourglass highlighters. Both of those are really quality items. I don’t think this set is worth $40 but it definitely is worth $16! Even if you can get it for $20, I think it is worth it! I also think this is a well curated box for bronzing and highlighting.

Anyway, let me know your favorite items to give you that Sunkissed Glow affect! What is your favorite bronzer and highlighter?

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