Wet n Wild Highlighters Review: Cult Favorites

One of my favorite Beauty YouTubers at the moment is Samantha March, who has said recently that she has bought way too many highlighters. I feel like I am in the same boat.

Not only did a get a nice sample size of UD's Sin highlighter in my May Ipsy bag, I also bought two Wet n' Wild highlighters this month that I thought have reached cult status, which brings my count of Wet n' Wild cult status highlighters to three.

I thought I would take the time to share my thoughts on each of them, and how they compare to my more expensive ones.

To begin, Reserve Your Cabana is listed on my inventory as something I use as a setting powder. It does provide a very subtle sheen, and even has some SPF (15), which I think gives it a distinct fragrance, which I like. I've owned it for almost a year. It is not as luminous as my other highlighters, but it is nice to tone down a look or just to use a powder.

My more recent purchases are:

1. Precious Petals: a baked gelee formula highlighter which is a warm gold, but with a distinct pinkish-undertone. To make it work, a brush and a light hand is necessary. This is a really beautiful product.

2. Boozy Brunch- many report this as a dupe for Becca's Champagne Pop, and I agree it comes close. It is also a warm gold, but the pink and brown stripes give it a sort of tan/brassy undertone. A light hand is also a must with this, because the pigmentation is so intense.

I highly recommend both highlighters. Reserve Your Cabana is also nice, but the other two are interesting products. I have been using these two highlighters instead of my UD Sin and my Algenist liquid highlighter in Rose (two other new recent acquisitions) because these are simply just fun and summer-appropriate.

They are also excellent quality. None of these highlighters have chunky glitter, and the two newest ones have a complexity and uniqueness that set them apart, and for that reason I enjoy using them.

Wet n' Wild has been doing such a good job of being innovative  and I hope they keep going. Because I own these I have no need to buy really expensive full-sized highlighters or highlighter palettes, like from Becca. There is simply no need!

Swatches down below!

Reserve Your Cabana

Precious Petals (l), Boozy Brunch (r)

(from top-bottom) Precious Petals, Boozy Brunch, and RYC

Precious Petals, Boozy Brunch, RYC

no flash, same as above

My Highlighter Collection

As of now, I have four highlighters in my collection that I have picked for daily use. I have decluttered some this past year, and the four I have work best for me. At this point, I don't really have a need for a new highlighter, nor do I particularly like the "duochrome" trend, commonly known as "holographic." Let's dive in, shall we:

No flash: RYC, Marry Lou, Crystal Glare, Vessel...

w/ flash

1. Wet n' Wild's Reserve Your Cabana (RYC), about $4.00. I never knew this powder contained SPF, but it does, 15, which is not much, but still something. I wouldn't go about using this as one's only source of UV protection, though. This powder is lovely, with a subtle sheen. I commonly use this to set my under eye. I can't use it to dust all over my face, however, because it would be a tad too dark. As a highlight though, it is flattering, and I love the way it smells, though it is not perfumed. This highlighter I rarely use by itself, but frequently as a powder base for other highlighters. Overall I'd give this ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5.


2. Mary Lou-manizer, The Balm. $23. I knew I wanted to purchase a higher end highlighter, but I had no idea where to begin. If I had to start over, would I have picked this? Maybe not. Maybe I would have spent my money on the Hourglass ones, just to see, or some other brand. But this one was the most consistently mentioned one online. It is a beautiful highlight, and I do not need to use a heavy hand with it. I do not find it particularly long lasting, and have found that I bring it to work for touch-ups throughout the day. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

3. NYX, Away We Glow, Liquid Highlighter in Crystal Glare. OH MY. How are people not talking about this one? First, let me say I bought this, for $7.00, because Temptalia gave it an A-. Now, I have a love-hate relationship with Nyx, but I have been on a quest to find some sort of substitution, not really a dupe, for Kevyn Aucoin's Candlelight liquid highlighter. This is terribly pretty, and a paler,less sparkly version of Mary Lou. It is long-lasting, and because it is liquid, it gives a nice, dewy look. Application can be tricky of you are working with a powder base, so I only use this when I have used liquid foundation only. The doe-foot applicator can deposit a lot of product, so I dot it along the tops of my cheekbone and my temple and blend it with a damp makeup sponge. Compared to the other line of Nyx liquid highlighters, the "born to glow," the sheen of this is natural but strong, while the born to glow illuminators were glittery.  Lastly, I love the name of this. Crystal Glare. Staring daggers at anyone who dares. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4. Shiro Cosmetics, Vessel for Dissacharides, $9.00. One blogger on YouTube once gave a really solid critique of indie brands, saying "I have to protect my nerds." She was referring to the fact that many indie brands bank on the fact they can appeal to niche audiences while larger corporations cannot. Even if the product has a tenuous relationship to the concept at hand, by slapping a reference on it they generate an association that makes people want to buy the product. I found myself in this predicament when purchasing from Shiro. First, the name of this product, a reference to A Series of Unfortunate Events, makes reviews extremely hard to locate. Second, I find myself a bit reluctant to use this highlighter, because of the glitter. It can easily be brushed away, and the highlighter itself is the lightest one I have, white, with a good sheen and almost creamy formula. So, I do like this product. In a way. I just feel I do not particularly need it, but I do not want to declutter this Very Finicky Dust. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Decluttered Highlighters:

1. PIXI Rosegold highlighter blush duo, IPSY bag. Retail price $18.00. This product makes me roll my eyes. Pixi makes me roll my eyes. The blush had zero pigmentation, the highlighter was not bad, but I disliked the texture of it.

2. Wet n' Wild Rainbow Highlighter. Sigh. No reason to purchase this but hype. Can create an effect of the face with all the colors, making a slightly greenish gold highlight, but will show texture.

3. Essence Glow with it (?) highlighter, $3.00. Found at Target, clearance. I loved the look on this on my face. But did not last at all.

Final thoughts:
I have a lot of golden champagney tones. I myself am a cool toned person, with light skin. I think I would be willing to try a slightly pink toned highlighter. I am expecting UD's Sin highlighter in my next Ipsy bag, so we'll see how that goes!