Beauty Care: Makeup by Mario Opal Soft Glow Highlighter Review & Swatches

Opal

Makeup by Mario Opal Soft Glow Highlighter Makeup by Mario Opal Soft Glow Highlighter ($28.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a pale white with subtle warmth coming through paired with a sparkling, metallic sheen. It had larger, more visible sparkle compared to most shades in the highlighter range, so for those who prefer a smoother, shinier finish, it may be too sparkly.

The texture felt almost wet to the touch, but the powder itself was more firmly-pressed into the pan, which ensured no powderiness but it was yielding enough to pick up evenly with a moderately-dense highlighting brush. It had medium, buildable color coverage that applied evenly to bare skin and blended out well. I noticed that the powder seemed to “melt” slightly against my skin, which contributed to a higher shine that appeared almost smoothing as a result. It stayed on well for eight hours before fading noticeably.

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

Top Dupes

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LORAC Fortune (LE, $23.00) is warmer (95% similar).
Anastasia Snowflake (P, $25.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Burberry No. 01 White (LE, $68.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Physicians Formula Pearl (P, $10.99) is warmer (90% similar).
Catrice Icy Glaze (P, $6.99) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Anastasia Icy (P, $22.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Wet 'n' Wild Glow Watcher (LE, $4.99) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
Anastasia Luna (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
Dior Strobe White (PiP, ) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
Coloured Raine Prove My Loyalty (Highlighter) (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$28.00/0.16 oz. - $175.00 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to highlight while "smooth[ing] the appearance of your skin" with an "ultra-silky" texture that "blends effortlessly." The collection this formula launched in was touted as having all buildable formulas, though I'd say that the highlighter formula was more semi-opaque to opaque for the most part.

It was easy to use a lighter hand as the texture was denser and firmer (without being stiff), so there were no issues controlling how much product was picked up. The product felt incredibly smooth and almost cream-like--as if it were emollient to the touch--which helped the highlighter "melt" onto skin after five minutes or so.

Some shades were smoother and more luminous than others; a few yielded a more intense glow that seemed just shy of emphasizing my skin's natural texture. They all applied evenly and blended out with very little effort. Most of the shades wore well for eight hours on me.

Browse all of our Makeup by Mario Soft Glow Highlighter swatches.

Ingredients

Talc, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Isostearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol May Contain/Peut Contenir (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742).

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.