The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer – Review & swatches

There has been quite some rave reviews of this product all over the internet so of course I had to give it a try.

Mary-Lou Manizer
Meet Mary-Lou Manizer, a seemingly innocent honey-hued luminizer that catches everybody’s eye. This highlighter, shadow and shimmer diffuses light so your skin looks softer and younger while adding a subtle glow.

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer - Swatch

My thoughts
The packaging is just adorable to begin with. And you get plenty of product for the price you pay which is amazing. I mean seriously, I have been using it for a month and a half and it still looks like it hasn’t been touched at all.

I wouldn’t label it THE BEST highlighter out there. It definitely has its cons. But let’s focus on the good parts first. I like the texture and feel of the product; it’s finely milled and spreads like butter. It’s also very pigmented hence you need a tiny amount to get the job done. It has a beautiful champagne hue which appears very natural against my complexion (NC25-30 in MAC). The best part about Mary-Lou is perhaps that it doesn’t appear shimmery or glittery on my face. It almost looks like I’ve applied a cream highlighter. It also looks absolutely gorgeous on the inner corners of the eye and bridge of the nose.

It lasts surprisingly well on my skin considering that my T-zone gets slightly shiny after 3-4 hours.

The only thing that troubles me is that it’s still a bit too metallic for my liking. I mean, I could clearly see those imperfections and pores getting emphasized soon as I apply it on my cheek bones. Moreover, it has the propensity to look patchy if not blended properly.

To wrap up, I’d just say it’s a very good highlighter and I personally enjoy using it. But it’s definitely not the best one I’ve tried. I still need to explore my options and settle for something that doesn’t emphasize my pores.

You might like it if…

• You think the packaging is adorable
• You get plenty of product for the price you pay
• It doesn’t appear glittery/shimmery
• It gives a gorgeous, natural-looking glow on your face
• The texture feels good. It’s also finely milled

You might not like it if…

• It emphasizes pores on your face
• It looks patchy if you don’t blend properly

My rating

4.5/5

The Balm  Mary-Lou Manizer is priced at $24 and can be purchased online from the website. You could also pick this online for Rs. 2400 from Rouge.

What do you think about it? Have you tried it yet?

PR sample(s) for consideration. This, however, has not affected my opinion. My loyalty is to my readers and being honest is my utmost responsibility. I have given my sincere opinion about the product(s) mentioned in this post. For more details, please go through my Disclosure Policy.

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