Add to Cart is a reader-interest series that breaks down products and launches in beauty and skincare from your wish list. Has something caught your eye and preoccupied your desires? What products are you curious to learn more about? Let us know what's living on your wish list in the comments - each month, we'll select, buy, and review one product to see if it lives up to the hype!
Welcome to another round of Add to Cart! This month's products were chosen from a combination of social media hype and a close friend's recommendation. I already love most of the Rare Beauty products I have tried (except the powder eyeshadows. Avoid.) and as an avid natural-makeup enthusiast, I have mostly found this brand's formulas to appeal to minimalists like myself as well as the more glamorous and adventurous. A close friend raves about the concealer and the liquid highlighter is all over TikTok. So, naturally, I bought both.
The Products I Chose:
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight in 'Enchant' - $25
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer in '140C' - $22
My Subscription Addiction paid for this product. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Packaging
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Rare Beauty has some of the most beautiful packaging in the makeup game. And, sure, this might not matter to everyone, but as someone who likes to admire her makeup bag and finds joy in pretty little bottles and tubes, it is a plus in my book. Good packaging design can also make a brand feel luxurious and special, which is exactly what happens when you select a surprisingly affordable product from Rare Beauty. The clear acrylic tubes have a nice weight to them and the handles are geometric and feature a powdery-matte finish. Even the linen-textured boxes feel great to hold!
The Applicators
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One of the most striking things I noticed about this concealer and highlighter was that they both feature specialized doe-foot applicators. The highlighter is an oversized almost lip-gloss-like version with a flat angled head. It is perfect for applying dots of the highlighter wherever you want without overdoing it. It is large enough to cover cheekbones but also small enough to fit into smaller spaces.
The concealer has an interesting angled wedge shape that allows for more precision than the highlighter. You can use the tip to apply to the inside of the eyes while that flat surface allows you to sweep it across larger areas like the undereye or down the bridge of the nose.
The Texture & Performance
Here is a peek of both formulas swiped on my hand. Both are obviously pretty buildable and more watery than creamy, IMO.
1 of 3 | My skin texture under the concealer.
I am not totally sold on the concealer. I have dry skin and the thinner texture looked great on some of my skin, but dry patches were magnified. I also have larger pores and I felt like the concealer sort of sat into them in a way that wasn't cute at all. You can se this in the unfiltered photos above. The color itself looked like a miss in my swatch but was actually a pretty decent match for covering up my redness, which was the one redeeming quality. I don't think this concealer is for me personally.
The highlighter I really, really liked. I am going to also go out on a limb here and say that it works much better on bare skin, without the concealer under it. It is a great choice for anyone who wants to look dewy but not glittery, and the thinner consistency lays on top of my skin nicely. It also makes a nice choice for a sheer glowing eyelid, if you so dare.
My Takeaway
Rare Beauty continues to be a brand I really like a lot, though I am discovering that not every single formula is a good fit for my skin. Still, this brand has an affordable price point, delightful packaging, and thoughtful formulations.
Should You Buy this Highlighter or Concealer?
The concealer is a yes if:
- You have smoother skin or minimal texture.
- You like a thinner, buildable consistency.
- You want an inclusive range of colors.
The highlighter is a yes if:
- You like a natural glow rather than sparkles.
- You want an inclusive range of colors.
- You prefer a lighter, weightless finish.
Ready to Add to Cart? Get them here!
What's Next?
Here are a few products that I keep hearing about:
1 of 5 | Sol de Janeiro
Bum Bum Firmeza Firming & Debloating Body Oil
What new launch has you wondering if it is worth an Add To Cart? Let me know in the comments below!
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