BD Trade Secrets Dream Shimmer Highlighter

RRP: £7.99

--What does the promo say?--
"Add effortless shine to cheekbones, eyes and body with this stunning textured shimmer compact.  Delicately swirl across the skin to help enhance your features with a radiant sun kissed shimmer."

--Packaging--
The shimmer brick comes in a shiny gold-effect compact made of plastic, which closes securely using a click mechanism. Equally, the mirror is of a generous size.

--Application--
Sweep over face for a naturally sunkissed effect. Focus more on the cheeks for use as a blusher. Warning: a little goes a long way, so start sparingly and layer up!

--Appearance--
The brown shades dominate over the pink and white, but equally you can choose to dip your brush more in the pink shades depending on the effect you want. This is also why you should apply this sparingly if like me you are very pale and don't want to look like you've been Tangoed. Done correctly, however, the effect can be very natural-looking.

--Scent--
Nothing discernible.

--Texture and consistency--
Smooth and easy to blend.

--Longevity--
Perhaps needs touching up once during the day, but that's all. Generally lasts well.

--Value for money--
While the casing feels a bit cheap, and I personally would maybe prefer pinker tones to dominate, it's a decent bronzer/shimmer brick that stands up well to its main competitors this summer. Available now at Tesco!

Too Faced Candy Bars

RRP: $25/€22/£17
Retails at: Sephora, www.toofaced.com, ASOS, HQHair, Debenhams, Boots, House of Fraser
# of shades available: at least 3, but this seems to depend on country + stockist

--What does the promo say?--
"These glimmering bars of candy colors are created using four complimentary shades of sugary shimmers that can be used individually as eye shadows or combined together as an all over illuminating face and body blinger! Candy bars have never been more decadent!"

--Packaging--
Too Faced is probably Benefit's nearest rival in terms of kitschy, leap-off-the-shelf packaging, and this is no exception, combining a girly pink box with a funky shiny black case, all of course topped off by their characteristic swirly vintage script. Utterly vintage with a twist of modernity. The case itself is a bit big, though, giving the impression that you get more product than there actually is, and while you get a decently-sized mirror, no brushes are included (although this is less problematic than it sounds - see below).

--Application--
No brushes are included, but fear not, as this applies very well indeed with your fingers when you have no brushes to hand (although I have one of the lighter compacts - Tropical Truffle - so don't know how you'd get on with finger application if you had one of the darker palettes). Just smear onto your eyelids in any combination you choose - the choice of colours seems to adapt well to any manipulation, whether you choose to use all four colours at once or fly solo. To apply as a shimmer brick, just use an ordinary big powder brush.

--Appearance--
On the eyelids this works fabulously, responding well to all kinds of mixes of colour and suiting any complexion. It's subtle enough for day, yet shimmery enough for night. As a shimmer brick, however, a different story is told: there's not enough glitter/shimmer for this to have nearly enough impact on the décolletage and the darker shades just lend a muddy look - a shame.

--Texture/consistency--
When used as a shimmer brick with a brush, this is disastrous - shadow flakes everywhere and can lead to wastage. However, when applied using an eyeshadow brush or fingers to your eyelids, it glides on with ease and there is no wastage at all.

--Longevity--
On the eyelids it is just fabulous - can't remember the last time I had an eyeshadow that was of such high quality (it probably came from MAC or Prescriptives). Doesn't crease at all. Not even my Agnès B shadows, which cost €3 more, can quite compare to this in terms of staying power.

--Value for money--
I got mine in the sales, so all the better. However, for even further value for money, cash in on the highly attractive British exchange rate (if you usually operate in euros at least!). Even if you pay full whack for this, you're getting a really good product, despite its shortcomings and general multi-use failure - even if this wasn't advertised as a Bobbi-Brown knockoff, I'd still pay the full RRP for its excellent performance as an eyeshadow quad alone.

perfect partners
Liquif-Eye, $17.50/€15/£10
Shadow Insurance Eyelid Primer, $17/€14/£11