In this review we will be having a closer look at the Kaleidos Makeup Space Age highlighter in Diamond Dasher. At the end of 2020, so many people were raving about these highlighters and so I thought: why not try them. I placed an order and by now I have tried them enough to be able to give you my full review. First up: Diamond Dasher. This sparkly number is not for the faint of heart!
Review: Kaleidos Makeup Space Age highlighter Diamond Dasher
In case you have never heard of this brand, Kaleidos is an American brand, but that produces their line in China. So when you place your order, please note that while the website is in English and all prices are listed in dollars, the products will ship from China. Depending on where you live, this may make it slower or faster for you to get your product. The shipping is reasonable at $8 per order and I have yet to be hit with additional customs whenever I have ordered from the brand. The Diamond Dasher highlighter retails for $14 individually, but I bought mine as part of a set that included 5 other highlighters (including the multichrome Prophecy one that is much more expensive) and a set of 2 of their makeup sponges. I paid $84 for the full set including shipping. The brand does not seem to offer this deal at the moment.
What does this highlighter have to offer?
Like yourself, I wasn’t acutely aware of this line of highlighters and what they do. I mainly decided to buy these as so many people listed them as their favorite highlighters of 2020 and so I felt I had to try them. Mostly people rave about the shades of these highlighters and how unique they are compared to other highlighters on the market. The Space Age highlighters come in an array of 10 different shades. Some shades are more neutral/ wearable/ everyday appropriate, whereas others are more unique and different and therefore more perfect if you are a bit of a makeup aficionado like myself. Diamond Dasher is one that shade wise falls into the ‘more wearable’ category, but texture wise it does not!
What is the highlighter like?
What I really appreciated was that the website made it super easy to compare and know what each shade was like. Diamond Dasher is described as a combination of cobalt, gold and fuchsia shimmer and a diamond like sparkle. You can say that much. Of all the Kaleidos highlighters I tried, this is definitely a bit of a glitter bomb, so if you don’t like actual sparkle in your highlighters, you may not enjoy this shade. It seems to have a peachy base, which makes it more wearable and when you apply this and the light catches you can see the little specks of something different. Unique but still wearable. It’s not as if this looks like you’ve turned yourself into a discoball when you wear this.
What does this highlighter swatch like?
One thing that Kaleidos highlighters have going for them is their pigmentation. These are insanely pigmented and a little goes a long way. In a finger swatch it is almost too intense to we wearable as a highlighter. You also notice less of the sparkle: when you apply this with a brush however, those sparkles do appear. Another aspect I appreciate about this shade in particular is how it features a very easy to chuck on shade. I don’t have to worry about this not going with the rest of my look as the shade is quite neutral and I think it can work for many different skin tones. Once applied with a brush the base is much more sheer and not as noticeable as it is in this picture.
What does this highlighter looks like on?
As intense as this looks in a swatch, on the cheeks, and applied with a brush this very nicely sheers out and you get more of a sparkly effect. I decided to put this one in my shop my stash instantly as I knew it would go with many different looks. While it is sparkly and that may seem offputting, I found it wears well and is easily combined with many different blush shades. However, this highlighter probably works best with a more peach toned blush as that allows the peachy base to really do its work and makes the sparkle stand out even more. That said, you can still put this with more pinky and neutral blushes as well as that will make other aspects of the highlighter stand out. To me, it is a true multitasker that can go with nearly everything you do.
My final thoughts
At first glance, the Kaleidos Space Age highlighter in Diamond Dasher looked to be quite intimidating, but now that I have used it on the daily I have become an instant fan. The formula is smooth yet sparkly and this is just a very fun product to use. My only gripe: the bulky packaging. The pan inside is quite small and the packaging takes up about 10x the amount of space compared to the actual product. However, if a fun but wearable highlighter is still on your to try list, then this is worth looking into. I would however wait for a deal as getting just one highlighter may be a bit expensive.
Would I recommend the Kaleidos Diamond Dasher highlighter?
Most certainly I would! This highlighter is not necessarily my favorite from the line as it isn’t the most unique and therefore not something that I feel is necessarily worth it to go out of your way to buy it. Of the ones I tried, Diamond Dasher is the safest option as it is still quite wearable. The noticeable sparkle I thought could be a hit or a miss and now that I have used it, for me it’s a definite hit. Sparkly, fun and still wearable!