Becca: Light Up The Party Set

Like a lot of people, I was incredibly disappointed to see the announcement that Becca Cosmetics is going to shut up shop from September this year. I have always been a fan of Becca Cosmetics and I love that the brand is all for glowing skin. The products aren't wild or experimental, they are easy to use and always good quality, except the Glow Letters (which were part of the Khloe Kardashian x Malika BFF Collection) they were awful.

When I heard that the brand would be closing I thought of the products that I simply couldn't be without from the brand and there were a few, I will be writing a separate post on these products, but a couple of the products I would miss and wanted to purchase were in the Light Up The Party Kit. I found this set on the Boots website. I remember seeing this during Black Friday and it is still available which is great because this set is only £35 for 3 full size products and all 3 of them are winners.

Becca do not have many products but amongst their product line up they have some true icons; the Shimmering Skin Perfectors are truly remarkable. People are literally hunting down the final pots of the Under Eye Brightening Corrector and don't even get me started on their Primer. Becca will be sadly missed when it comes to the glow game because their products really do give your skin the glow we are all looking to achieve and this set contains the best of their glow products.

Shimmering Skin Perfector in C Pop

The Shimmering Skin Perfectors are definitely the standout products from Becca and it is the one product that I do not think I can live without from Becca. Becca have so many different shades in their Shimmering Skin Perfectors but C Pop is definitely the standout and the iconic shade that truly put the brand on the map.

The brand has actually existed since the early 2000s and has always been known for its amazing base products but then Jaclyn Hill collaborated with the brand and created this highlight which at the time was called Champagne Pop, and the brand went to whole new level of popularity. Champagne Pop started out as a limited edition but continuously sold out so the brand made it permanent. Since then Becca and Jaclyn have split ways but C Pop thankfully is still alive!

Most people will have tried a Shimmering Skin Perfector, they truly are a cult favourite but if you haven't I will give a rundown as to why they are soooo good. Firstly the shade range is amazing, there is literally a highlight for everyone and they even create some more playful shades; Champagne Pop is pretty universal but Opal and Moonstone are also stunning. However it isn't the shades that made the skin perfectors so popular, it is the formula.

The formula of the Shimmering Skin Perfectors is like nothing else I have used. These highlights add such a glow but it is so smooth, there is absolutely no chunky glitter in the mix and it looks gorgeous. It creates a bold highlight on your cheeks and it is not a shy highlight. You can either tap your brush in the powder so that you only add a light highlight or you can go in. I tend to stick to the lighter look so I use such a small amount of this product when I use it. I have had a C Pop compact since 2016 and I haven't even hit pan because I use so little of it and the pan is so big. However the fear of never being able to buy this again after September led me to buy this set so I could have a back up.

Even though I don't need it right now, I am happy to have a backup C Pop in case I use up or break my current compact. The formula of this highlight does mean that it cracks and breaks easily, knowing my luck after Becca closes shop, I will drop my compact and that will be the end of my Champagne Pop life. If you are looking to try one item from Becca before they close up, the Shimmering Skin Perfector is the one you want to try whether the shade is C Pop or not.

Backlight Priming Filter

I've never really been great with using primers; I do not like many of them and quite often I just think it is an unnecessary extra step that if you have a good foundation you don't need. However I am more than willing to make an exception for the Backlight Priming Filter from Becca. I initially tried a sample of this which came with a Becca palette I had purchased and I instantly loved it. I had never really tried an illuminating primer before and this opened my eyes to how my skin could look.

Some of my issues with primers before using this one was that they never seemed to help my makeup last any longer and they didn't make my skin look any better whereas this highlight completely changed that opinion. This primer not only adds a soft focus glow to your skin which subtly shines through the foundation you use over the top but it also helps to smooth pores and keeps your foundation looking good for a long time. On a good day my foundation will start looking a bit sketchy around lunchtime but after using this primer, it will look good for most of my work day. My foundation lasting until the end of my work day is ideal as the likelihood is when I get home I am going to be taking my makeup off anyway.

As well as perfecting your skin and making sure that your foundation lasts longer, the texture of this primer is the nicest one I have tried. A lot of primers use silicone as an ingredient, I am not against silicone in my primer as an ingredient, I simply don't like the way it feels. Silicone has that slippery texture that does hide your pores but it feels gross to me. The Becca primer does not feel like that, instead it feels like a light moisturiser with a slightly tacky feeling. This makes the makeup you use over the top last longer but it doesn't feel gross for that long whereas silicone remains slippy until you remove it at night.

With Silicone primers you have to be careful not to use too much or it will have the exact opposite effect and will make your makeup break down quicker, you do not need to worry about that with this primer. You can apply as much of the Backlight Primer as you want and it will keep the makeup on, you could just end up looking like a disco ball due to the bold glow in this primer. I love this primer and it is still one of the only ones I will use and recommend to other people. I will never see a primer as being essential which is why I do not think you need to rush out and buy it but if you love a primer, this is a must try!

Light Gleam Liquid Eyeshadow

The only full size product I hadn't tried in this set was the Light Gleam Liquid Eyeshadow which is a relatively new product from the brand and to be honest if it hadn't have been in this set, I probably wouldn't have bought it but it is lovely product. Light Gleam is a double ended liquid eyeshadow with a pigmented matte shadow on one end and a super glittery topper on the other end. They can be worn individually or they can be worn together. They look great together and I think that is the best way to wear them because let's face it, glitter is not something most people wear daily and there is nothing subtle about this glitter product.

Interestingly the pigmented shade is referred to as a 'Primer Base' but I think this is more than a base/primer, this can definitely be worn on its own. Becca have these in quite a few shades but the duo I have is called Lunar and the pigmented shade in this duo is a dusty rose shade with a rich brown base. The colour of this base is not wishy-washy at all, it is super pigmented and very bold so you do have to take the time to blend out the edges when you have used this eyeshadow.

The applicator is a doe foot applicator which makes it easier to apply to a bulk area and then you use a large fluffy brush to blend out the eyeshadow. It makes it really easy to use and apply and it gives such a bold colour. If you are someone who likes ease, this is going to be a product for you. In a way it is a shame that they do not create this liquid eyeshadow on its own as I feel like most people will use the pigmented primer rather than the glitter portion.

As this is a primer, you do get longevity from this eyeshadow. It does take a bit of time to set but once it is set, it is in place and not moving. You have to use an oil based makeup remover to get rid of this product from your eyelid.

Even though the majority of people over 5 do not use glitter in their makeup, I'm sorry I cannot help it, I love a bit of glitter and I love what you can do with this glitter topper. The brush is like a paint brush so you can do so much with it and it means you can be more detailed with the glitter or you can apply it all over your eye lid. Personally I quite like a sweep of the glitter all over my eye lid but you can use the brush for more detailed application.

The glitter is a beautiful rose gold shade but it has a slight iridescent glitter in it which is why it pairs so well with the rosey matte taupe shade underneath. If you want you can use this glitter on its own but I don't think it looks great. I do however like this as bit of a glitter liner.

Be warned this is a glitter so removing this product is a nightmare and you never really get rid of the glitter and it will be part of your look for weeks after you have used this. It is a stunning rose gold glitter that I adore. I don't think you can go wrong with a little bit of rose gold anything.

These shadows are nice but I wouldn't rush out to buy another one but it wouldn't be enough to stop me from buying this set, the savings you get from the primer and the Shimmering Skin Perfector alone makes this set worth it. This eyeshadow is a lovely addition but certainly isn't one of the main parts of the set.

Ignite Liquified Body Highlight Sample

Within this set as well as the 3 full size products you also get a sample of the Body Highlight in Ignite. The body highlighters are actually quite new to the Becca line up and the packaging of the full size product is gorgeous. The highlighters come in this beautiful glass bottles which actually made me intrigued by the product but I already have lots of body highlights which I hardly ever use.

The highlight is gorgeous and it is quite different to the other body glitters I have as this is a literal liquid highlight rather than a glitter. The highlight is smooth and not chunky at all which is something I've never found in a body highlight. Ignite is a warm golden shade that has hints of a pink shimmer running through it.

When you apply it to your body it starts out a bit like a cream but as you begin to rub it in it feels more like a dry body oil, it really is quite an odd texture. Thankfully as it has that dry body oil feel it melts into your skin and gives your skin an amazing glow without feeling sticky or weird. It does look soft-focus and makes your skin look great. If you are careful you could even apply this as a highlight on the tops of your cheeks if you want a bold highlight but be warned a little goes a long way.

The only downside of this product is the scent, I am not a fan of the weird powdery floral mixed with a deep, spicy woody note. I actually think the scent is gross. They say it is coconut and pineapple and in a way it does have that holiday smell but I can't get past the spicy aspect of the scent. If you are a fan of body shimmers I do think this is worth a try. It has a similar effect to the Fenty Body Lava but it doesn't have the disgusting tacky feeling that the Fenty product has.

Currently you can buy the full size bottles on Cult Beauty for £24 as they are in the Summer sale, here is a link: Cult Beauty - Becca Liquified Highlight.

This set is a bargain and I truly recommend picking up a set if you want to try some products from Becca before the brand disappears. If you are lucky you might even be able to pick this up from Boots whilst they have 20% off, they had 20% off at the end of March which made this set £31, the highlight is £30 alone and you basically get the 3 products for that price and a cute little sample.

I cannot express how disappointed I am that Becca will no longer be around from September, I do think the brand gives customers an option for amazing base products that isn't Charlotte Tilbury. Other than Charlotte Tilbury, not many brands specialise in glowy, natural looking base products that work. Without Becca I feel like we are truly going to be missing a brand whose products work and the loss of their Shimmering Skin Perfectors is truly devastating.

Becca is owned by Estee Lauder who have made the decision to shut the brand down. This potentially means that the incredible formulas from Becca will not be lost and in all likelihood they will show up within one of the many makeup brands they own, I could definitely see all of these products finding a home at MAC Cosmetics. In a way I hope this happens as I don't know how to cope with the Shimmering Skin Perfectors but at the same time, I think it is so sad for Becca who worked so hard to give us these incredible products.

I would be interested to know your thoughts on the shut down of Becca and whether you are hoping that some of the formulas pop up within Estee Lauder brands. Let me know in the comments.

Here is a link to the set on Boots - Becca - Light Up The Party