MAC Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter

MAC Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter ($29) is described on the MAC website as a soft peachy nude with multi-dimensional shimmer. It has a hint of warm pink to it and mixed with the glistening champagne-peach, it gives off a rose gold appearance. It's a limited edition highlighter originally released in the MAC In Extra Dimension Collection this past Spring, but was re-released in the newest MAC Glamour Daze Collection.

The power itself is very finely milled, silky smooth and almost feels like a pressed pigment. It's highly pigmented with a high shine finish. I found that when I apply too much, it looks very metallic. This is easily the most intense highlighter I own. The great thing is that if you over-do it, it's easy to fix. If I screw up, I'll lightly run my foundation brush over it (with foundation residue), and it lightens up perfectly.

To apply, I usually use a small stippling brush or my fingers. Either work fine, but I like using my fingers to diffuse the edges. It works really well. Due to the texture, a synthetic and/or dense brush picks up product better than a natural bristle brush.

I really like the way it wears over time. Some highlighters tend to sit on top of the skin, sometimes looking a bit ashy/powdery and unnatural. Superb becomes one with my skin and catches light without looking like an obvious highlighter. I prefer this formula over the MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes which can look a little powdery.

It stays put all day, which is a huge bonus. Since I'm not one to touch-up my makeup throughout the day, anything long lasting is good news for me. One of my favorite highlighters is The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer, but it disappears too quickly on my skin. By the end of the day, Superb hasn't gone anywhere.

In this photo I've applied Suberb to the back of my hand with a fan brush. You can see that it's not very shimmery or frosty, but it has a very rich sheen making it appear very natural.

Here's a close-up of Superb appied to the heights of my cheekbones and blended out with my finger.

From left to right: MAC Superb, MAC Honey Rose Magically Cool Liquid Powder (didn't swatch well) and Dior Amber Diamond. You can see how much more metallic Superb is compared to the much sought-after Amber Diamond.

Overall, I'm really happy with Superb, and I can't say for sure yet because I haven't had it for too long, but I can see it becoming my favorite highlighter. I already purchased a back-up, and I'm not one to ever purchase back-ups. Once I finish a product (which is also very rare) I usually can't wait to discover something new, but because Super is so unique, I had to have an extra on hand!

Did you purchase any of the Extra Dimension highlighters? What's your favorite highlighter?

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Gorgeous color
• Silky smooth texture 
• Blends really well on the skin - doesn't sit on the skin looking ashy or powdery
• Captures light better than any of my other highlighters
• Will work on a variety of skin tones (especially nice on warm skin)

Cons:

• Natural bristle brushes don't seem to pick up product as well as synthetic brushes - with a natural bristle brush, it causes a bit of dust, and produces fall-out on the cheeks.
• Can look too metallic if too much is applied (but don't worry, it's quick fix)

Price: $29, MAC, Nordstrom, Dillard's.