Here we go again with yet, another local brand. And this time, it's close to my heart because this brand is based in Iloilo (my hometown!). I found this brand one day on Instagram and I found out that they were looking for brand ambassadors. I really liked their products so I decided to reach out and I became an affiliate. I mean, colorful makeup is my JAM after all.
I think my favorite product from this brand so far has got to be the glow kit and I haven't stopped using it! If you're looking for a more affordable and local option for all those beautiful and colorful highlighters, this might be worth checking out. I have been using these highlighters for most of the year so far, and I'm sure about my thoughts on it now.
It's under 1000 pesos, and you can even get it discounted when you order via the Shopee app or when you use my code (MERMPOMZ) or from their website (MBGISELA). I do make a small commission every time someone uses this code but I'm not going to bend the truth or lie about a product just for a few extra pesos. So this review will be honest and factual, just like any other one I have on this blog.
The Product
Encased in cardboard packaging, the Mermaid Glow Kit features 9 high-shine highlighters in duochrome finishes. If you're looking for a versatile highlighting palette that will give you a bright and iridescent highlight for any makeup look you do, this is definitely a great option. This has your standard colorful highlighters (blue, pink, purple, green, teal, etc.) but it also has the standard silver, gold, and champagne too.
The Mermaid Beauty team prides themselves in being an artisan cosmetics brand. Meaning that in addition to being an indie brand, they make many of their products themselves. Some of their products are vegan, but this isn't one of them. So just keep that in mind. Here are the swatches:
These shades don't really have names but you can pretty much connect the swatches to the highlighter it corresponds to. Mind you, I did not put any kind of base on my skin to get these swatches, and I was also not sweaty that day. Most of these came out like that in one pass so these highlighters are very soft and pigmented, good for glowing brighter than the gods. Here's another swatch of these colors blended out in low light:
So as you can see, most of these highlighters have a different color in the pan but reflect differently so they are true duochromes. Now, you could be looking at these colors and you're wondering, how do they compare to other highlighting palettes from foreign brands?
Comparison to Other Highlighting Palettes
Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit
This was probably one of the products that started this whole trend of unicorn highlighters in the first place when it dropped in 2016. This was also the gateway product that started my love of wearing highlighters in general. However, I've stopped using it because I have found that this isn't the best formula for colorful highlighters, it's just one of the first products that got big because, ABH.
As you can see from the swatches below, the Mermaid Glow kit does have similar shades to most of the Moon Child Glow Kit with the exception of Blue Moon. You can also clearly see how sheer and chunky the swatches from the ABH highlighter palette are (left) compared to how smooth and pigmented most of the Mermaid Beauty highlighter swatches are (right):
I basically stopped using this palette because I found out that the highlighters are actually so glitter infused and sheer. They just don't look like a smooth and colorful glow on your cheeks, they just looked chalky and weird, here's a closeup of Purple Horseshoe and Pink Heart (both on the left):
Mind you, Anastasia Beverly Hills isn't cheap so after other brands came out with better and more affordable highlighting palettes, I basically never used the Moonchild Glow Kit again. I definitely prefer and highly recommend the Mermaid Glow Kit over this.
BH Cosmetics Blacklight Highlight Palette
I would consider this product my ride-or-die highlighting palette. It's smoother and shinier for one thing. It has nicer colors too, and I wish BH Cosmetics came out with this earlier because I was missing out on so much. However, BH Cosmetics has been pretty inaccessible because their shipping and customer service are a nightmare, especially as of late.
Even looking at these, side by side, there are a LOT of similar colors. I was actually pretty sure that some of the colors in the Mermaid Glow Kit may be dupes of the BH Cosmetics palette. So here are the swatches:
I will say that the Silver highlight from the Mermaid Glow Kit is a dead on dupe for Strobe in the BH Cosmetics Palette. Everything else is pretty similar as well, even if they're not direct dupes. The only color I would honestly say is pretty unique in the Blacklight Highlight palette is Kween.
I will say that these palettes are definitely close together in terms of quality and formula. I do think the BH Cosmetics highlighters are more pigmented by comparison while you can still build up the Mermaid Beauty highlighters, here are swatches in the light:
So which one do I recommend more? It's honestly hard to say because I think both these products are good. You definitely don't need both, so I will quantify it:
If you want more intensity for less effort and are on the paler side, I think the BH Cosmetics Blacklight Highlighter Palette is better. It's just a matter of being able to find it.
If you want more variety and have more textured skin, the Mermaid Glow Kit is more appropriate for you. It's just about taking the time to build it up to your desired intensity (or lack thereof if you so choose).
My Final Thoughts
Honestly, I'm so impressed by the quality of the Mermaid Glow Kit, especially at the price point. If you don't have a highlighter palette with all the unicorn and mermaid shades your heart desires, I totally recommend getting this! Here are more looks of me wearing the highlighters:
The embracing of color such a nice thing to see happening in the Philippine market too (and they have a rainbow palette too!!!) Mermaid Beauty PH is such a breath of fresh air in the local market and I'm excited to see what they come up with next.
Where to Get it:
Shopee App (You can use MERMPOMZ for 10% off)
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