A Touch of Gold

I was first introduced to theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer in this Valentine's Day tutorial by Promise Phan. Seeing her use the highlighter to such flattering effect really sparked my intrigue, especially as I'd never previously heard of the product before (or theBalm, for that matter). I was tossing up between getting the Mary-Lou Manizer or the Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Crème and I ended up initially choosing the latter. However, I was a little disappointed to find myself less than ecstatic with the Radiance Crème, as it just wasn't as transformative on me as I'd seen when used on others.

I debated for a while whether I really needed another highlighter and whether I should've picked the Mary-Lou Manizer over the Jemma Kidd. What sealed the deal one night was casually watching this Top 10 Makeup Must-Haves video from Wayne Goss and unexpectedly seeing the Mary-Lou Manizer featured. Hearing him say it was the "best highlighter I've ever used" was the last straw, and I practically scrambled to get onto StrawberryNet to promptly place an order. Me? Gullible?

l-r: Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Crème in Rose Gold, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

With flash

So does it live up to the hype? I'm pleased that it does seem to work on me better than the Radiance Crème. For one, it shows up when I lightly dust a small amount over the top of my cheeks, rather than having to pack it on and apply multiple layers as I do with the Jemma Kidd. It's lighter than my skin tone, so it has more of a brightening effect on me than the Radiance Crème, which gives more of a soft sheen. I couldn't see why the Jemma Kidd shade was called Rose Gold before, as on its own it seemed like a standard warm gold without any pink tones, but swatched next to the Mary-Lou Manizer, it appears almost to be a totally different colour. The overcast weather might also be messing with my camera settings, but the colour contrast is quite striking — Rose Gold seems quite orange next to the champagne/pale gold of the Mary-Lou Manizer. The Jemma Kidd, being a cream product, is marginally easier and smoother to blend, though the Mary-Lou Manizer is still buttery soft in texture and glides onto the skin effortlessly. Both are multifunctional (in addition to a highlight, they can be used as a wash of colour over the eyelid, in the inner corner of the eyes or all over the face), so it comes down to which shade is more flattering for your skin tone and whether you prefer a cream or powder product.