Review: Dior Amber Diamond

While I've been purging my collection these past few months, I realized that I don't have a single powder highlighter.  Sometimes, you just want to highlight after you've carefully powdered your work.  Or in my case, you forget to highlight before you've carefully powdered your work and you don't want to do it all over again.

There are pale, shimmery shadows that could be substituted of course, but unless you apply those uber carefully, you end up with a streak of champagne-coloured powder on top of your cheekbone that just. Won't. Blend.  When Tod lived with me I used TheBalm's Mary Lou-manizer (which I LOVED), but that's gone with her to the boonies.

I was contemplating picking one up for myself, but when I swatched it on myself, it just didn't read right.  I'm not much of a highlighter user myself because I tend to have large pores, and shimmer tends to highlight that. I was looking for something insanely finely milled.  For a long time, I had my eye on Kevyn Aucoin's Candlelight, but I keep missing the chance to swatch it.

Finally, I went to the Dior counter to try Ambre Diamond.  I really didn't think it would live up to the hype -- when things get over-blogged, I'm a little suspicious.  I also didn't think a peach highlighter would work on me, and this thing is not cheap at $42 CAD.

Then I swatched.
Then I gasped.
Then I applied.
Then I applied more.
And more.

Click through to properly examine the sheeny goodness.

This stuff refuses to look over-done.  I think the only way to make it look garish in the least would be to gouge your fingers into it and smear it all over your cheeks.  Even then, that would take a while.  Click through on the above photo -- you see that swatch on the back of my hand?  That's Josie Maran's Luminizer, which I previously thought was the most beautiful highlight I'd ever seen.  See that indentation between the knuckles of my thumb and index finger?   That's because it's been highlighted by the most subtle, beautiful highlighter known to me.  Dior Amber Diamond.

I apply with a MAC 184 Duo Fibre Fan Brush, but fingers also work really well if you want a heavier application.  I can't even explain the effect of sweeping the brush over my cheeks, forehead, nose and lip -- my skin just looks...smoother.  Like there's a sheen over those areas simply because my skin is so impossibly smooth, it is reflecting light.

What highlighters do you use?  Do you prefer powder, cream, or liquid?