I Tried Rituel de Fille's Viral Black Anti Highlighter, and It Looked Awesome in So Many Ways
By Erin Reimel. Photos: Emily Kemp.
My favorite color is black and my idea of adding a "pop of color" is wearing gray. I've told more than one person (including my father, who was very confused) that the color of my soul is black, and I feel sexiest when I'm wearing dark lipstick. So when the Internet started freaking out about a product that married my two favorite things: dewy, cream makeup with a shade of goth, I thought, This is for me.
To be honest, the Rituel de Fille Eclipse Inner Glow Crème Pigment (or as it's being dubbed, the "anti-highlighter") is basically a blush on steroids. Unlike the intense shimmer powders and unicorn illuminators, the glow involved here is nothing more than a rich mauve flush—which is far from a bad thing. It's eye-catching in a far less obvious way. And like other cream blushes, you can add it to your eyes or your lips for a monochromatic (read: easy but put-together) look.
Clearly, it demanded a full test run.
Before: Here I am, with my #wokeuplikethis base, which is to say pale and without makeup so you have an idea of my starting point.
On my cheeks: I need a little warmth because my skin is so light, so I decided to try the pigment as a highlighter-blush combo. And to see how it looks as a complete look, I added some lipstick. I concentrated the cream blush on the apples of my cheeks and then blended it up onto my cheekbones. (Warning: If you apply it too far under your eyes, it looks like a bruise.) It was a little deep against my complexion, but the more I blended, the more it looked like a berry flush. Plus, it reflects light, so I look lit in a natural way. It could definitely work on a range of skin tones, depending on how much you apply and how much you decide to blend it out or build it up.
On my eyes: I get that deeper colors on your cheeks isn't for everyone, but who doesn't love a one-step smoky eye? I used a little extra pigment all over my lids and up into the crease, just dabbing and blending with my fingertips. I didn't blend quite as much as I did on my cheeks, and I got this cool purple-black shade. It's super subtle and wearable while still looking smoky.
On my lips: As I mentioned, I'm a big fan of dark lipstick, so I didn't want to blend this one too much. I removed the pigment from my eyes and cheeks and let the shade speak for itself. Against my fair complexion, it totally pops. I can see myself wearing this out at night with a ton of black mascara and not much other makeup or even at work with a creamy champagne highlight on my cheekbones.
My Verdict: To the average makeup-wearer, a black highlighter might look intimidating in the packaging. It's really just a pot of black cream pigment, after all. But once you start playing with it, it really is versatile. There's good value in any multitasking beauty product. You can throw in your bag and use all over your face in a pinch. Because who has time to apply a million different shades every morning?
This beautiful pot of black highlighting goodness is available for pre-order on ritueldefille.com for $29 now before it launches on April 5th, just in time for spring when I plan to look super glowy—and a little broody—all the time.
This story originally appeared on Glamour.
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