I have always loved the Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in the shade Kitten ($32). Literally, it’s one of my all-time favorite highlighters. I think I actually wrote a blog about my fave highlighters and included this? Yes. I did! Back in April. It’s been almost a year and this is still one of my faves! Considering how much makeup I buy and try, that says something.
So when I saw Stila was coming out with a new version, the Stila Shade Mystére Highlighting Face Gloss ($28), I was intrigued. The pics looked like this and i was like, Yes I am here for this. But… was I really? Read on.
The Comparison
I bought the Stila Shade Mystére Highlighting Face Gloss ($28) on a whim in late December when they came out, prior to beginning my low-buy. (See how I snuck that in there?) I was really excited because it looked slightly different than the original – like maybe it would be a little duochrome-y? It’s described this way:
What it is: A lightweight balm featuring three marbleized shades that combine to create a subtle, multidimensional, glossy, colored sheen.
What Else You Need to Know: Blend Shade Mystère Face Gloss all over for a vibrant glow, or spotlight the highest points on your face for a dewy, brightening effect. It leaves skin feeling soft, not tacky. It has the perfect mix of warm and cool shades for universally-flattering, glossy illumination.
On the left is the new Shade Mystére compact and on the right is my original Stila Kitten. You can see how similar the packaging is, so I really expected the same formula! I was wrong.
Maybe I should have known because the description really did describe it as a balm, but… I don’t know. I was still surprised when it showed up and was a greasy, glittery mess. In the description, it says it leaves skin soft and not tacky but I have no idea how that is possible because it’s a greasy, tacky mess. My original Kitten on the right is more of a putty formula, not glittery at all, and just shows up as a sheen versus anything glittery.
Left: Shade Mystére Right: Heaven’s Hue in Kitten
I tried to take a few pictures to show how glittery the Shade Mystere is. Can you tell? I feel like the first picture shows it better. But it’s literally just a balm with glitter in it? It’s awful. I am taking it back ASAP. But because I had raved about Stila’s Heaven’s Hue highlighter in the past, I didn’t want any of y’all to make the mistake I did and think this was the same formula, just because the packaging is the same.
And Yet Another Stila Highlighter!
Additionally, Stila previously released this other highlighter palette that’s different than BOTH of the formulas I just described! It’s the Shine Bright Heaven’s Dew All Over Glimmer Palette (Currently on sale $30, so I feel like this is limited edition.)
Sephora described it like this:
What it is: A palette of three bouncy-to-the-touch, hybrid cream/powder illuminators for an all-over glossy sparkle.
What it does: This palette features three new shades of stila’s Heaven’s Dew all-over, glossy illuminators. Bouncy-to-the-touch, the unique hybrid cream/powder formula contains a translucent base that allows light to illuminate the pearlescent shimmers and micro-fine glitters to create a hyper-lustrous, glistening effect—without the tackiness. The gossamer formula melts into skin for a barely-there feel. Use it alone or layer over your favorite Heaven’s Hue (sold separately) shade for an amped-up sheen. For added sparkle, tap it onto your lip color for a dazzling effect.
This set contains: 3 x Heaven’s Dew All Over Glimmer in Northern Lights (whisper pink), Sedona Sunrise (dusty rose quartz), Santorini Sunset (burnished gold)
Essentially, the Heaven’s Dew highlighters seem like a combo of the two highlighters I initially described. They are very glittery but not in that weird balm-y texture. Instead, it has the same putty, cream-to-powder finish as my original Kitten. So while the shades look very dark in the pans, they really don’t have a dark base shade- they are super glittery.
Santorini Sunset, Sedona Sunrise, Northern Lights
While I do not have it, I feel like this is probably a very similar formula to the Fenty Diamond Bomb ($38). I’ve seen people describe it in a similar way, and check out the description:
Celebrate one glittering year of FENTY BEAUTY with this all-over sparkler that will make you look and feel like a million bucks. Diamond Bomb features a unique jelly-powder formula that’s bouncy, cool to the touch, and melts into skin like butter. This highlighter is loaded with 100-percent pure brilliance to create an all-glitz-no-grit finish that easily decks out every skin tone. Plus, all of this glittery goodness comes in a faceted, jewel-like compact you’ll never want to put down.
I’ve wanted to try the Fenty Diamond Bomb and now I actually feel like I own three different shades of it! I think I still prefer my regular Kitten highlighter for on the daily wear but I think this will look really pretty on special occasions! Like I said, this little Stila palette is limited edition, so if you are interested, you should click on my link and pick it up soon! I think it would look great on all skin tones, too!
Have y’all tried any of these? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Purchased; All opinions are my own
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laurenelectro
A self-proclaimed beauty junkie/hoarder with a serious Sephora problem. This blog is a total rationalization of that problem. Everything is TOTALLY fine. Her free time is a mixed combination of making fun of reality TV with her husband, hanging out with cats and finally trying to figure out how to do her hair.