Glossier Play Molten Umber Niteshine Highlighter Review & Swatches

Molten Umber

Glossier Play Molten Umber Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate ($20.00 for 0.34 oz.) is a rich, chocolatly bronze with subtle, warm undertones and lighter, warmer gold and bronze pearl paired with a metallic sheen. It’s the deepest shade in the Niteshine range, and it works as a blush-bronzer combo with a highlighting effect on my skin tone but would be a highlighter on medium-dark to deeper skin tones.

The texture was lightweight, thin, and emollient, almost oil-like, but sank into my skin quickly and diffused easily both on top of bare skin as well as over foundation (no trouble with it lifting or moving my base around). The pigmentation was buildable from medium to opaque and was blendable, so it could be sheered out as desired/needed as it remained movable for long enough to diffuse the edges but then set in place. It wore well for nine hours on me before fading slightly.

Top Dupes

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Anastasia Peach Fizz (P, $25.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Anastasia Bronzed (P, $25.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Anastasia Patina (LE, $25.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe Edition #21 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, more pigmented (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Lust for Life (P, $45.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
MAC Bronze Hero (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar).
Coloured Raine Watch Me Werk (P, $25.00) is more shimmery, brighter, cooler (85% similar).
Colour Pop Happy Camper (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
NYX Gold Rush (P, $6.99) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
Natasha Denona Dark (03) (P, $38.00) is cooler (80% similar).

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Formula Overview

$20.00/0.34 oz. - $58.82 Per Ounce

It's supposed to have a "superior, refined pearl powder" that gives it a "buildable" level of coverage (though it is also a "concentrate" so high coverage is possible!) and leaves behind a "foil-like finish that sets and lasts." The texture is lightweight, emollient; it almost feels like a very thin oil that sinks into skin quickly and leaves behind a fine, sparkling sheen that's both intense and subtle at the same time. The fineness of the pearl keeps it from looking frosted, and the mix in depth of shimmers gives it a very twinkling look regardless of the angle.

It dries down fast enough that I don't feel like I'm waiting for it to set, but I had enough time to apply, spread, and diffuse the edges (though I worked one cheek at a time). The pigmentation is buildable from more medium to opaque, but dabbing very gently and diffusing quickly could give sheer coverage if desired. They lasted eight to nine hours on me with minimal fading, and they definitely dried down and set--I could only get a bit off if I really, really rubbed (I tried this with product on the back of my hand--I can't imagine using that much force to rub anything on my face!).

The bottle is fairly small, so if you have larger hands/longer fingers and/or are clumsy, it might not be your best friend as it is a glass container (I've dropped mine a few times!). The doe-foot applicator is one of the better delivery systems I've seen for a liquid highlighter, as it gives less per pull and is more controllable compared to most (like droppers). There was no scent from what I could smell!

Browse all of our Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate swatches.

Ingredients

Isododecane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Mica, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Squalane, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate. May Contain/Peut Contenir (±): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride).