Following the trend of contouring, the current beauty obsession revolves around highlighting and strobing, championed by social media sensations like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, along with various beauty influencers and bloggers.
Highlighting has proven to be a lasting trend, suitable for every season, seamlessly transitioning from a fresh daytime look to a glamorous evening appearance.
As the highlighting and strobing phenomena reach new heights, consumers can now find an impressive array of products on the market to fulfill their highlighting desires.
With options ranging from cream highlighters to powders and liquids, an increasing number of brands are launching individual products and palettes to help achieve that coveted glow. Even well-known makeup artists and YouTube stars have created their own collections!
Amidst the vast assortment of both new and established highlighters, as well as premium and drugstore options, certain products have truly made a lasting impact and have earned their status as must-haves.
One standout highlighter from MAC is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, a luxuriously crafted, baked powder that delivers a soft, velvety texture and a glowing finish that enhances both the face and body.
The ‘Soft & Gentle’ shade I selected is described as a gilded peach bronze, incorporating warm beige tones that seamlessly blend into a radiant gold finish, imparting an ethereal glow to the skin.
Soft & Gentle is part of MAC’s permanent line and comes encased in a dome-shaped compact with a secure magnetic lid (a recent addition from MAC).
Featuring a unique 77-Mineral Complex combined with Vitamin E, the 10g compact is priced at $33, making it a reasonable investment given its longevity!
While it may appear to be a frosty metallic highlighter in the pan, Soft & Gentle is actually a universally flattering highlighter that isn’t overly metallic or harsh. Although it’s marketed towards medium to dark skin tones, it also performs beautifully on lighter skin.
The MAC Soft & Gentle shines for its ability to flatter all complexions, making it an essential addition to any makeup collection, regardless of skin tone—fair, medium, or dark.
It boasts excellent color payoff, with just a gentle swipe providing a soft golden glow that is easily buildable for a more intense look.
Many, including myself, consider the MAC Soft & Gentle as a Holy Grail highlighter. This is largely due to its shimmery texture, which glides on smoothly without appearing glittery, but rather showcases a ‘soft and gentle’ luminosity.
Thanks to its delicate sparkle and minimal shimmer, it won’t leave you looking overwhelming; instead, it will enhance your features beautifully, ensuring you shine in any crowd.
Another aspect contributing to its versatility across all skin types is its lack of a white base, allowing it to be used both as a highlighting blush and a traditional highlighter for accentuating the high points of the face and décolletage.
Working with the finely milled powder requires a gentle hand; I recommend starting with a small amount and gradually building up the desired level of glow.
On my combination to oily skin, I find that the MAC Soft & Gentle lasts around six hours when applied over foundation and setting powder, looking stunning in person and translating beautifully in photographs!
While there might be imitators of the MAC Soft & Gentle available, one experience with the original is all it takes for you to realize it’s a game-changer! It’s undeniably a top-tier highlighter that deserves a spot in your makeup collection!
