Beauty Care: Clionadh Bellona Highlighter Review & Swatches

Bellona

Clionadh Bellona Powder Highlighter ($12.50 for 0.21 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark rosy copper with subtle, warm undertones and a bright, metallic finish. The texture was smooth, lightly creamy without being too dense or too thick, so it picked up well with a myriad of brushes and applied evenly to bare skin. It seemed to stop just short of emphasizing my skin’s natural texture.

It had opaque color coverage in a single layer, and I’d say a little went a long way, so I’d recommend using a lighter hand or a less-dense brush to get the more buildable coverage as described by the brand. This shade lasted well for eight and a half hours before fading visibly.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

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Sydney Grace Allegro (P, $9.00) is lighter, warmer (95% similar).
Sydney Grace Shooting Star (LE, $8.00) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
Bobbi Brown Tawny Glow (P, $48.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
Colour Pop Out of Quartz (LE, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Fenty Beauty Rose on Ice (P, $28.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Estee Lauder Modern Mercury (LE, $65.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Sydney Grace Morning Glory (P, $9.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Dose of Colors Bathe (LE, $28.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Bobbi Brown Pink Quartz (P, $46.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
OFRA Blissful (P, $29.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$12.50/0.21 oz. - $59.52 Per Ounce

There's not much that describes the formula other than it has a "soft, buildable application." They tended to be quite pigmented--semi-opaque to fully opaque--with soft, smoother textures that weren't too dense nor too softly-pressed into the pan. For sheerer or more buildable application, I'd highly recommend using a lighter hand a less-dense brush to do so.

The texture was typically smooth, slightly dense and a bit thicker than most powder highlighters on the market, so they often needed to be really buffed and diffused on the skin. The finishes were often more intense, leaning toward metallic, and occasionally, they emphasized my skin's natural texture when worn at higher coverage levels. They wore between eight and nine hours on me for the most part.

Browse all of our Clionadh Powder Highlighter swatches.

Ingredients

Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Iron Oxides, +/- Ultramarines, +/- Chromium Oxide Green, +/- Ferric Ferrocyanide, +/- Bismuth Oxychloride, +/- Manganese Violet, Zinc Stearate, Calcium Carbonate, Kaolin, Silica, Allantoin, Magnesium Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone