Rare Beauty Mesmerize Positive Light Liquid Highlight Review & Swatches

Mesmerize

Rare Beauty Mesmerize Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight ($22.00 for 0.5 oz.) is a light pink with strong, warm undertones and a smooth, pearly sheen. The finish could be intensified to more of an otherworldly-level, metallic glow that beamed and was very shiny when worn at full coverage or when layered.

It was quite pigmented where a little went a long way at delivering both some coverage and shine, and the brand’s recommendation for “one to two dots” of product yielded a more forgiving, buildable application of coverage that was more medium to semi-opaque (two “dots” could get nearly opaque if those dots are more heavily pressed/applied!). Like I’ve said before, the formula is solid but can have a learning curve to figure out how much product yields that happy medium of coverage and shine based on one’s preferences.

This shade had a more buildable glow compared to some in the range (which were more intense from the get-go), which was more in sync with the formula’s description. The consistency was very lightweight, airy but had substance enough that it glided across my skin without being prone to lifting up foundation or emphasizing my pores. It applied evenly and blended out well with fingertips or a synthetic brush. There were signs of fading present after eight and a half hours of wear.

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

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Cover FX Celestial (P, $42.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Dior Pink Delight (008) (LE, $50.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Sydney Grace Pink Lightning (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Colour Pop Poker Face (LE, $8.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Urban Decay Wicked (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Colour Pop Manifest That (LE, $8.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Becca Acceptance (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
OFRA Covent Garden (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Burberry No. 03 Pink Pearl (P, $68.00) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).
Sydney Grace Arctic Moon (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$22.00/0.5 oz. - $44.00 Per Ounce

It's supposed to have "superfine, light-catching pearls" that can be built up from "soft sheen to pure pop." Per the description, it is intended to be used as a standalone highlighter--applied over liquid, powder, or cream--or mixed with foundation. It worked well on bare skin as well as over foundation, and it was mixable, though the style of applicator made it less readily mixed into foundation compared to a dropper. I had slight lifting issues with certain shades, but it was less prone to doing so overall.

The coverage was more controllable than with the liquid blush, but a little went a fairly long way; the brand recommended using "1-2 dots," which yielded a softer sheen with more medium to semi-opaque coverage that could be sheered out. It was buildable and easy enough to layer for higher coverage, if desired, and it was easier to build up than it was to really sheer out from over-application of product.

The brand doesn't comment explicitly on the pigmentation but rather bills it as having a buildable glow (as in the shine/shimmer, which is finish and not actual color!). They show opaque swatches in the promotional imagery and recommend the same application as the liquid blushes (which they do say are very pigmented).

The texture was lightweight, emollient, and more serum-like and spread well whether I used fingertips or a brush. I didn't find it was particularly prone to lifting up base products or foundation, but it was easiest to work with using smaller amounts and building up or applying to the back of my hand and swirling a brush into it, which seemed to help it "dry out" a bit and be less emollient.

It didn't have a fully transfer-proof dry down, but it did softly set so it had shine and sheen but didn't slide around while worn. The shades wore well for eight to nine hours on me before fading a bit. In general, I think it's a very good formula but like the liquid blush by the brand, there is a bit of a learning curve.

I'm still on the hunt to a linkable video or source, but I had some readers say they heard it in a livestream/live that the brand designed the packaging to be easier to work with for those who have mobility issues in their hands (like arthritis). The rounded, knob-shape was easier to grasp, especially as it was more of a soft matte than glossy matte, than a typical highlighter. It would be great to see ridges running around the knob/top, though, as it would make it even easier to grip!

Browse all of our Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight swatches.

Ingredients

Isododecane, Mica, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Nymphaea Odorata Root Extract, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isostearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tin Oxide, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, [+/- May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499)].