Following the trend of contouring, the current beauty phenomenon that has taken the industry by storm is highlighting and strobing. This movement has been popularized by social media icons like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, along with various beauty influencers and bloggers.
Highlighting continues to be a staple in beauty routines throughout the year, seamlessly transitioning from a natural daytime appearance to a bold nighttime glam.
As the highlighting trend reaches new heights, consumers can find an extensive array of products to meet their needs, ranging from creams and powders to liquids. Numerous brands are introducing innovative items and palettes tailored to enhance your glow, with even renowned makeup artists and YouTube personalities releasing their own collections!
Among the vast selection of both established and emerging products on the market, a handful have become notable cult classics. A standout is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, a finely milled, luxurious powder designed to give your complexion a beautiful radiance.
I chose ‘Soft & Gentle’, a shade characterized as a gilded peach bronze that shifts from warm beige to sheer gold, offering a stunning luminous effect on the skin.
Soft & Gentle is a permanent offering from MAC, housed in a dome-shaped compact with an innovative magnetic clasp that ensures secure closure. This 10g compact retails at $33, which is quite economical considering its longevity.
In the pan, Soft & Gentle appears quite frosty and metallic, yet it is incredibly versatile, providing a universally flattering finish that suits not just medium to dark skin tones, but also beautifully complements lighter complexions.
The defining feature of MAC Soft & Gentle is its remarkable adaptability; it truly is a must-have in any makeup collection regardless of one’s skin tone.
The payoff is impressive, as a simple swipe can deliver a gentle, sheer gold radiance, which can be built up for a more intense highlight.
Many makeup enthusiasts, myself included, consider MAC Soft & Gentle to be the ultimate highlighter; it applies seamlessly to the skin, providing a ‘soft and gentle’ glow rather than a chunky glitter appearance.
With its subtle sparkle and low shimmer, it enhances your features without overwhelming them, ensuring you don’t look overly flashy, while still standing out with a beautiful glow.
Its success across different skin tones can be attributed to its absence of a white base, allowing it to function as both a highlighting blush and a true highlighter for those key facial areas.
Though the powder is soft, it requires a delicate touch for application; starting with a light amount and gradually building coverage is recommended to achieve your desired level of luminosity.
On my combination to oily skin, this highlighter lasts about six hours over foundation and setting powder, and it appears just as stunning in photos as it does in person!
Although there are alternative products available that mimic the qualities of MAC Soft & Gentle, once you try the original, you’ll likely want to stick with it. It’s undeniably one of the best highlighters on the market and an essential addition to your collection!
