Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator Palette & Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in Diamond Dust

This is an interesting post today- it's a combo of two that I'd planned. It's the same line, but two reviews in one post. I also don't have a lot to say about either palette- so they make a good pairing.

Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator Palette. This isn't a new item, so it's not that exciting. However, I wanted to push this review out because this is one of the Ulta Hot Buys through this version of Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty.

This is currently on sale for $19.20 (regularly $32) , and will be through Saturday, September 23. It appears to currently be sold out online, but many local stores have the product in-store.I purchased mine originally at Nordstrom sometime after the holidays (I think this was a holiday feature for the retailer last year) for that $32 original price.

In terms of packaging, it's unimpressive- like most of Laura Geller's palettes. This is a brand that focuses on product over packaging. This is a light-feeling, burnished gold cardboard palette. There's a brush that normally comes with the palette (no clue where mine is, sorry), and a small mirror in the back of the lid. It's made in Italy, and you get 0.07oz/2g of product each (there are 3 pans in the palette). For comparison, you get 0.16oz/4.5g for $26 with the singles. The listing claims this is an $80 value.

I originally purchased the palette to try the cult-favorite Gilded Honey; I now own all of the currently-available shades. The formula is extremely metallic but with a good natural bristle brush and a light hand it can be used on the daily; this is really more meant for those who like that metallic glow.  These do double as lovely shadows.

There are three pans- Ballerina (described as candlelit rose gold), Gilded Honey (described as effervescent caramel honey), and Peach Glow (described as peachy champagne shimmer).

And some swatches- remember, I'm NW13-15ish.

If I'm honest, Peach Glow is the only one I'm comfortable with wearing as a highlighter on a daily basis. Gilded Honey is both pretty dark and blingy for my tastes, but it's gorgeous. Ballerina's an eyes-only shade for me.

These perform well and have earned their cult-favorite status. I'm actually a huge fan of Charming Pink (cool toned light pink) for my complexion, but I'm very happy to have this palette. These are great products- not just for reference reasons.

Now, for the other product from Laura Geller's Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator Line- the limited edition Diamond Dust ($26, 0.16oz/4.5g). I picked this up when it was first introduced (for the brand's 20th anniversary) but didn't plan to feature it because I didn't know how long it would be available.

Well. It's going to be around for awhile, and is even part of the brand's Holiday 2017 collection. When I spotted this on Ulta's website, I decided to do a mini review here as well.

Diamond Dust is a shade done by many brands- I actually referenced it in my Ulta highlighter palette comparison swatches. I call it a white pearl that flashes pink, but let's go to the actual brand for the claims.

Per LauraGeller.comhttp://www.laurageller.com/new-diamond-dust-baked-gelato-swirl-illuminator-limited-edition.html:"Diamond Dust: Holographic, pearlescent pink that moves with the light; made with patented technology that allows the shade to flip from violet to pink."

I haven't personally seen violet, but I think this shot shows the pink pearl the best:

It's just there.

In person, the pink shift is clearly visible in the light, but I've found it's darned near impossible to capture on camera.

I find this white-pink shifting duochrome to be one of the most wearable shades for my skintone. This one doesn't pull frosty- it's more metallic. This lasts all day, but this is one I really think flatters the lighter skintones rather then my deeper friends. To be fair, I think Diamond Dust and Charming Pink flatter the light skintones, Peach Glow and Gilded Honey are for medium skintones, and Gilded Honey and Ballerina flatter deeper skintones the best. So, everyone has at least two shades in this line.

Here's a swatch on my hand... it's hard to see the shift though.

See what I mean about it being great for my skintone? I do like this and reach for it in rotation. This shade is available via the brand's website and Ulta.

In sum, I really urge you to find the right shade or two out of this formula for your skintone. It's a great formula.