A closer look at... the Prismatic Petal highlighter, by Smashbox + Vlada.

Today I'm spotlighting the third and final item I've bought from the new Smashbox collaboration with one of their creative editors - Vlada Haggerty [Vladamua]. I had thought that this collection was going to be a US-only collection, so was excited to come across it in Boots.

The Boots store that I went to had actually put the products in the Petal Metal collection out a few days early, so I've had some extra time to wear and test everything that I bought [in 25 to 28 degree Celsius weather], and now I'm ready to share my verdict on the final item that I picked up...

Go all out and supercharge your highlight! This gel-powder highlighter has a clear base formula that allows for the purest possible reflection of light. The result is a rose-gold duo-chrome effect that wraps your skin in a spectrum of high-shine sparkle at every light-catching moment. - Smashbox

Prismatic Petal is a champagne gold to pink colour shifting/duo-chrome shade, with fine specks of microglitter in the shimmer. 

The non-sparkle highlighter from this collection comes in two shades to cover all skintones whilst this one just comes in the one shade, so I'm guessing that it's a universal shade?

Just like the other highlighter that I picked up [Gilded Rose], Prismatic Petal applies and wears very well. It applies with no drag or patchiness, the base doesn't outlive the sparkle and the microglitter doesn't migrate over the face.  I've worn it both with and without a setting spray, and it wears well all day either way [8+ hours] - in the summer heat.

It's a very close call between which formula of powder highlighter I prefer from the Petal Metal collection; I do like this duo-chrome shade a bit more as the pink is stronger & I love pinky toned highlights,  but the sparkle-free formula of Gilded Rose is neater and feels a touch more silky smooth. If you can afford to get both gel-powder formulas in this collection, then I say go for it - they are similar but different enough to justify the splurge, but if you have to limit yourself to one, then Gilded Rose has the "wow" factor.


The Prismatic Petal highlighter is £30 and is sold at Boots [also in larger stores] and Smashbox UK.