REVIEW: Pony Effect Mirage Highlighter (Lucid Dream, First Chance, Fairy Tale)

Another item Pony launched in her Pony Effect makeup line that really attracted me was the Mirage Highlighters! Lately, I've been having a huge obsession with highlighting powders as I love glowing skin, but I have tried very few from Korean beauty brands. I've previously reviewed the Pony Effect Contouring Master Palette icon(review HERE), which included a highlighter in the shade Dreamcatcher and though it was a gorgeous shade, it gave off a very subtle glow (emphasis on 'very'). It wasn't bad, but more ideal for those who prefer natural makeup looks!

However, when the Mirage Highlighters landed on my desk, courtesy of Memeboxicon I was delighted to see that her highlighting powders were new-and-improved!

So without further ado, lets get right to the review! :D









PONY EFFECT MIRAGE HIGHLIGHTER

Strobing game strong - Glow from within with this silky soft highlighter featuring light-reflecting Pearl Powder. Luxurious powder blends effortlessly to give your skin a beautiful luminous glow. 

*Above photo taken from Memebox


The Pony Effect Mirage Highlighter (3g) is an illuminating powder featuring a "see-through system" with a radiant finish. The highlighter is one of Pony's three pressed-type powders, along with the Personal Cheek blushes (review HERE) and the Nice Shading contour powders.


The Mirage Highlighter comes in identical packaging as her other pressed-type powders. It comes housed in a mini navy blue compact with a clear see-through panel in the center of the case. The clear window is useful in differentiating between the shades with just a glance!


The compact itself feels very lightweight, and admittedly, a bit cheap, but it's sturdy and protective. It  features a secure magnetic closure that keeps the powder intact, while still making the compact very easy to open and shut. Opening the compact reveals a beautiful rose-gold inner housing with Pony's signature lightning bolt logo on the bottom right corner. The size of each compact is pretty small with one fitting in half of my palm! Each pan contains 3g of product and retails for $15.


The Mirage Highlighter compact also opens up all the way making it easy to access the powder!



The Pony Effect Mirage Highlighter comes in 3 different shades:
LUCID DREAM   |   FIRST CHANCE icon  |   FAIRY TALE
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Initially, I was really surprised when I looked at all of Pony's highlighters because at first glance, they looked very similar! There's not much variety or diversity between the shades except for a few subtle changes in tones, with hues ranging from a pearly white to a warm gold.





LUCID DREAM - Lucid Dream is described as a white pearl shimmer. It's the lightest shade out of the three and looks like a stark white out of the pan. Lucid Dream has a slight cool tone to it when applied, unlike the other two that lean a bit warm. This shade is also the most shimmer-intense with fine pearl micro-glitters. Despite the plentiful microglitters, the texture is very smooth and silky to the touch! Since Lucid Dream is a super white shade, but thankfully it blends out easily to a smooth finish. This is the shade I reach for when I want to highlight the tip or bridge of my nose, cupids bow,  and under my brows. It really illuminates my features making them stand out without being over-the-top. Lucid Dream is my favorite out of the three because it gives the most intense/noticeable glow!



For reference, here's a photo with no highlighter on at all (left) side-by-side with Lucid Dream on (right):





FIRST CHANCE - First Chance is a soft light champagne with a gold iridescent shimmer. It looks like its the baby between Lucid Dream and Fairy Tale if they got together. Out of all the shades this one looks the most universally friendly as it would compliment fair, medium, and dark skin tones. First Chance blends in seamlessly and leaves behind a natural glow. Though this one has a shimmery finish as well, it's not as intense as Lucid Dream. The shimmers are more sparse and spread out for a more subtle sheen. First Chance is the kind of highlighter that's perfectly neutral -- it's not cool or warm, so it would work wonderfully for any season and any skin tone!


I took the photo below in natural lighting, and didn't realize how hard it is to notice the highlighter (so sorry!). First Chance is a very sheer powder that leaves a light golden sheen on the skin. As you can see, it's the most natural-looking one on me!





FAIRY TALE - Fairy Tale is a warm-toned gold with a peach undertone and in a shimmery finish. This shade is the darkest out of the bunch and is a golden shade, which can borderline on light bronze. Fairy Tale has a much warmer tone to it than the previous two highlighters. It's also a tad dark, though not that much variation from Lucid Dream or First Chance, but this shade would be best for those with light-medium/medium to dark skin tones. It's a highlighter I would reach for when I want a warm sun-kissed glow and is perfect for the spring and summer months! Like First Chance, the fine shimmers in this powder are sparse and not as intense as Lucid Dream.


Fairy Tales gives my face a warmer glow, though it's not a huge difference between First Chance because of how sheer the formulation is.




The Pony Effect Mirage Highlighters have a silky smooth texture that's not stiff at all. The pigmentation and color payoff is decent and a noticeable improvement from the Contouring Master Palette. Each highlighter is nicely packed with pigment and "light-reflecting Pearl Powder", which is a huge step up from glitters/microglitters because it offers a smoother, seamless finish and a more even, luminous sheen. Lucid Dream is the star shade for me since it offers a more noticeable glow. First Chance and Fairy Tale are both great shades that work well on my light-medium skin tone (NC30?), but the shimmers are a lot more sparse in these two shades.

The Mirage Highlighters feature a "see-through" system meaning they're a sheer formula, which is meant to enhance your features for a natural glow. It allows the natural skin to shine through, so if you're looking for a highlighter that'll beam signals to space then these probably aren't the ones for you. The glow can be subtle, but it still manages to leave the skin looking radiant. The Pearl Powder is very finely milled which blends seamlessly onto the skin without emphasizing fine lines, pores, or skin textures making them friendly for a lot of different skin types.

As for longevity, the highlighters aren't very long lasting on the skin. They wore (without primer) for an average of 4 hours before they began to fade and disappear, but will probably last longer with a primer underneath.





FINAL THOUGHTS

The Pony Effect Mirage Highlighter is a silky smooth illuminating pressed-powder that gives the face a radiant finish. The highlighter has a "see-through system" (or in other words: it's sheer) which makes it ideal for natural makeup looks! These powders give the skin a very subtle, luminous glow thanks to the finely milled Pearl Powder. There's no gritty or chunky glitters in sight -- just a natural sheen! Personally, I prefer more natural looking highlights, so I love these especially for everyday makeup. My only complaint is that there's not a huge shade range since there's only three different hues that are all pretty similar. But there's a cool-toned, warm-toned, and neutral toned highlighter, so there's one for everyone. Plus, the pigments are so finely milled that it won't emphasize any fine lines, pores, or skin textures making them ideal for all skin types. I'd definitely recommend the Mirage Highlighter if you're look for a natural glow!





WHERE TO BUY?

The Pony Effect Mirage Highlighter (3g) retails for $15 and is available HERE!



Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes. All reviews are my own 100% honest opinions. Post also contains some affiliate links.

3 comments

  1. I must say that all the shades look really pretty and natural once blended in. As usuall, the packaging is also very pretty and it tempts me to get all of them ;D

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    Replies
    1. Pony really knows how to package things and make them look luxurious! :D They don't feel as fancy as they look though, but overall, I think these are pretty decent highlighters for a more natural look!

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  2. I want them all T_____T Love PONY Make Up <3

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