You all must know by now that I have an obsession with highlighter. I love layering them on, and I’m always in awe by how a touch of shimmer can add an extra dimension to the face. For this post, I’ll be talking about and comparing the two glow kits I always reach for when I do my makeup: the Anastasia Beverly Hills Ultimate Glow Kit and Aurora Glow Kit.
The Ultimate Glow Kit and the Aurora Glow Kit are both collections of six different highlighters that add shimmer, luster, and luminosity to the face. They’re available at Sephora for $45 and $40 respectively, and they can be applied both wet and dry. They’re both vegan and cruelty free as well.
Packaging
The glow kits come in a cardboard palette that close through the use of magnets. The Ultimate Glow Kit is a bit bigger than the Aurora palette, and it has a huge mirror, while the Aurora palette does not. The highlighters from Ultimate Glow are round and are 0.16oz each, while the Aurora Glow Kit highlighters are square and 0.15oz each. I like how the Aurora Glow Kit is much more compact than Ultimate Glow Kit as this makes it easier to travel with, although I wish it had a mirror.
The Shades
The Ultimate Glow Kit contains a lot of gold, warm-neutral shades, while the Aurora Glow Kit features more iridescent, cool-toned shades.
The shades of the Ultimate Glow Kit include:
- Snow, a true icy white with platinum effect
- White Sand, a warm beige with gold reflect
- Golden Dawn, a warm amber with gold reflect
- Sunray, a warm copper with peach gold lustre
- Amber Gold, a warm rose with gold lustre
- Hot Sand, a warm bronze with amber lustre
The shades of the Aurora Glow Kit include:
- Eclipse, a pink champagne pearl with a peach reflect
- Luna, a mother of pearl with an icy orchid reflect
- Spectra, a sparkling lilac pearl with an iridescent blue-green reflect
- Helia, a yellow gold pearl with a turquoise reflect
- Orion, a blue pearl with a purple amethyst reflect
- Lyra, a rose gold pearl with a champagne orchid reflect
The Finish
While the Ultimate Glow highlighters look a bit more natural on the skin, they’re quite glittery and I experience a bit of fallout with them. They’re really easy to wear, and I love how the gold shades really complement my skin. The Aurora Glow Kit highlighters are on the shimmery side, and I like that they appear to change colors under different lighting angles. While the shades look harder to wear as compared to the Ultimate Glow Kit, they’re actually more subtle than they appear when applied on the face; you just need a light hand. There’s a bit of fallout, but not as much as the fallout from the Ultimate Glow highlighters. I apply the highlighters from both palettes using a fan brush.
The Verdict
It’s hard to pick a favorite between these glow kits. I love the shades found in both these glow kits, although I find myself reaching for the Aurora Glow Kit more than the Ultimate Glow Kit. I think this is because it’s newer to my collection, so I’ve been having fun experimenting with it. I wish the formula of the Ultimate Glow Kit was more compact and less glittery like the Aurora Glow Kit, but all in all, they’re both great and it’s impossible for me to choose one.
Chab Ocampo 