Highlighter Round Up! Pinks & Purples feat. Becca Cosmetics "Prismatic Amethyst" & "Rose Quartz", Kat Von D "Alchemist Palette", & Colourpop!

KVD Alchemist, Becca Rose Quartz & Prismatic Amethyst, Colourpop

I received my Becca Cosmetics Prismatic Amethyst Highlighter in the mail the other day and after reading reviews on Sephora.com, I decided to do a full "colored" highlighter review of my pink and purple highlighters. There are subtle yet vast differences between the pinks and purples in my collection, and judging by the reviews of the Prismatic Amethyst highlighter, this might help you make a decision if you're looking for something specific.

Becca Cosmetics, Colourpop & Kat Von D Pink & Purple Highlighters

The Prismatic Amethyst was on my list of potential "to buy" products. I wanted it but was unsure if it was something I would actually wear and love. We all know this feeling--you WANT to buy the product, it's calling for you, but you don't want to buy the product and have it just sit on a shelf, or in a drawer and never get used. The reason I was hesitant about this particular highlighter is because I'm not that into purple highlighters to begin with. Probably weird, considering I did buy this Becca one and have a few others, but this one in particular I was worried wouldn't work for me. I was preparing to be let down, or at least, somewhat lukewarm about it. I figured it would look muddy, or ashy, or whatever on me. My cheeks have a red tint to them and as purple blush is more often than not a miss with me, I figured purple highlight would be no different.

Kat Von D Alchemist Palette

Turns out, this highlighter is actually not as purple as I thought it would be. I find this Amethyst one to be somewhat of a mix between the "Alchemist Palette" pink shade ("Pink Opal") and an icy, cool toned highlighter, like Colourpop's "Hippo" which is an icy, cool toned, pearlized, light purple highlighter. "Prismatic Amethyst" looks like that to me; a pale, cool-toned lavender but with just enough of a pale pink to keep it from having that "icy" appearance.

Becca Cosmetics, Colourpop & Kat Von D Pink & Purple Highlighters

Swatches from Left - Right: Colourpop "Hippo", Becca "Prismatic Amethyst", KVD Alchemist Palette "Ultra-Violet Amethyst", Colourpop "Over the Moon", Colourpop "Monster", KVD Alchemist Palette "Pink Opal", Becca "Rose Quartz" 

If you are avoiding this one because it's labeled as "Amethyst" (ie a purple shade), I would suggest you swatch it in person if you can. If you are expecting a "BOOM PURPLE!" highlighter, this isn't for you. Instead, check out Colourpop's "Over the Moon" or get the Kat Von D "Alchemist Palette". These will provide you with that unicorn, magic goodness you are looking for. "Over the Moon" in particular, I don't know what it is about this shade but I always get compliments. It's glittery, more glittery than a Becca highlighter but I wouldn't label it as chunky, but it IS magical goodness of pink and purple sparkle. The Prismatic Amethyst is more sparkly than other highlighters by Becca. It does "pop", but not as much as their other highlighters. It's more subtle, yet more sparkly.

Colourpop's "Monster" is one of my favorite pink highlighters. If you're even remotely into slightly unicorn-ish highlighters that aren't "too out there" (think green and blue shades), this is one you should consider. It's a nice blend of pale white-gold with actual pink blended in, so it's definitely not a "natural" looking highlighter but it only partly passes that line. It's fun and workable for (in my opinion) any skin tone. The Kat Von D "Alchemist Palette" offers a nice pink too and like "Monster", will give you that pink "pop" that Becca's "Rose Quartz" doesn't offer.

Kat Von D "Alchemist Palette"

 The KVD "Ultra-Violet Amethyst" shade is almost a blueish-purple (like ultra-violet, go figure!). I think it stands out as being the most different of the bunch. "Hippo" is basically an icy white with a hint of lavender. It's my least favorite and I rarely use it. If you want a white highlighter, just go with Becca's "Pearl" imo. It works for both warm and cool skin tones (I think) whereas "Hippo" is super cool and quite sparkly.

The "Alchemist Palette" formula is very fine, almost as if a loose powder was very softly pressed; it's that buttery and smooth. This makes it great to add to your lips whereas the Becca highlighters are a bit more heavy. I wouldn't use Colourpop highlighters on your lips though; they smell like chemicals. If you aren't familiar with CP's formula (aside from their newly released Pressed Shadows, they are "wet". Their highlighter formula is the same so if you're curious, check out a CP review I wrote of some of their Super Shock eyeshadows to give you an idea of their formula.

Swatching highlighters can be super annoying because white-based formulas don't like to show up great on camera phones. Check out this swatch video on my Instagram, it offers a better idea of what each shade looks like, then multiply each swatch by like, 12, as pics and vids don't do them justice.

Swatches in the video from Bottom - Top: Colourpop "Hippo", Becca "Prismatic Amethyst", KVD Alchemist Palette "Ultra-Violet Amethyst", Colourpop "Over the Moon", Colourpop "Monster", KVD Alchemist Palette "Pink Opal", Becca "Rose Quartz" 

Kat Von D Alchemist Palette

Looks Using These Products

Becca "Prismatic Amethyst"

Colourpop "Monster"

Colourpop "Over the Moon"