ColourPop Charleston Luster Dust Loose Highlighter Review & Swatches

Charleston

ColourPop Charleston Luster Dust Loose Highlighter ($7.00 for 0.106 oz.) is a darker, rosy copper with moderate, warm undertones and fine flecks of sparkle over a luminous sheen. The loose format made it harder to ascertain the exact coverage, as it was very fine and airy, but it seemed to have more semi-opaque coverage that could be sheered out if desired, but it didn’t take much product to get higher coverage.

I found it liked to adhere wherever initially placed and only gently diffused along the edges (rather than spread out), and it was best to really swirl the product into the brush before applying, which yielded a more even application. The effect was luminous with a bit of twinkle but didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture. It wore well for eight hours before fading a bit.

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

Top Dupes

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Urban Decay PSA (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
Fenty Beauty Ginger Binge (PiP, $36.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
MAC Superb (P, $37.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Anastasia Taffy (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar).
MAC Overt Trickery (LE, $37.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Fenty Beauty Fenty Glow (LE, $38.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
ColourPop Total Package (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Sydney Grace Morning Glory (P, $9.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Cover FX Golden Peach (LE, $34.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Tarte NYE (LE, $28.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$7.00/0.106 oz. - $66.04 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be a "finely-milled, soft powder" that "packs a blinding punch" where "a little goes a long way." These can be incredibly shiny and metallic on the skin, and the coverage seemed to be all in the application. They actually seemed to be more pigmented when I applied them to my cheekbones using a tapered highlighter than when I used smaller brushes (for eyes) on my forearm. The powders were finely-milled with some base color and a lot of shimmer/pearl. I found the best way to apply these was to pick up product onto a brush and then swirl my brush on the interior of the cap, which helped to disperse the powder more evenly through my brush. This resulted in more even application to my cheeks that required less buffing and blending than if I skipped the swirling step. They lasted around eight hours on me.

Browse all of our ColourPop Luster Dust Loose Highlighter swatches.