It's easy to feel like there's nothing new in beauty anymore. We've seen it all, haven't we? Rainbow highlighters, eyeliner on wheels, brows that stamp on. If you can think it up, it's probably already been created. With all of the new products coming out faster than ever, it's almost like no new formula could possibly be thought up, that all of the ideas have been done. But you'd be wrong — there is always something new to be discovered, formulated, and sold. More and more lately, we're seeing an onslaught of products that claim to be jelly. Not cream, not liquid, not gel — but jelly. I know, gross. But also, jelly in a makeup routine? How even? Wouldn't that ruin the rest of your makeup? How would it dry? Would it dry? Wouldn't it be sticky?
As you can see, there are a lot of questions to be asked. So, instead of stressing out about the hows and the whys of this jelly situation, I decided to just round them all up, put them all on my face, and tell you what's good, what works, and why. I don't think you're ready for this j— (Oh my god, I'm kidding, I would never do that to you.) Anyway let's start with arguably the biggest jelly product of them all:
Farsali Jelly Beam Illuminator
Full disclosure, this is one of my favorite beauty products from last year. It came with a lot of hype, and it lives up to it all. As the name indicates, it's a jelly highlighter — a literal jelly. The component is short and wide, and the product itself sits in a shallow pot, which really emphasizes the jiggly, jelly effect. It's as cool as it is off-putting.
But the product itself is why we're here and the product itself is good. You only need a fingertip's worth of the highlighter to highlight both of your cheekbones, nose, cupid's bow, and anywhere else. You can use more (and I do) but I never even dip my finger into the jelly itself, I just tap in onto the underside of the lid and use what's clinging to it, and it's all I need.
The original formula in the shade Glazed is a fluid champagne sheen, no flecks of glitter or sparkle. It can be pressed and tapped into the skin for a natural finish or built up for a full-on Instagram highlight that will blow out your lens. There are two newer shades as well. Rose Goals, which is similar to Glazed with a warmer, more rosy glow, and Glow Up, a slightly more sheer glow with pink microglitters. I'm not usually a glitter highlight guy at all but I love Glow Up, and I'm glad the brand is experimenting with the formula and finish. You really can't beat Glazed though.
OK, but what sets this highlighter apart, truly, is how versatile and easy it is to use. It dries down for an immovable glow, which is fantastic. A lot of what turns people off to liquid and cream highlighters is the fact that they feel like they never really dry down. They seem to sit on your foundation and remain tacky and kind of slide around. Even when you set them with a powder, they never really seem to stay in place. Jelly Beam dries down and won't budge, and it does so quickly. You can use it under foundation for a more strobed effect, or over foundation for a more impactful glow. I do both, often.
Why, yes, I am feeling myself in this photo but wouldn't you be too? It's a dream to use. It's easy to travel with. It applies best with fingers, so you don't need any extra tools. The component is pretty, it's heavy, and it feels luxurious. And you can get so much mileage out of the product that it will last you forever. I don't know, dude. It really is that good.
OK, phew, let me move on.
ColourPop Jelly Much Shadow
ColourPop is out here with all of the solutions to the problems people have had with beauty for years. The brand is constantly giving us high quality products at an affordable price point in a range of shades and finishes, and it still finds the time to drop innovative products like the newest members of the ColourPop family, the Jelly Much Shadows. A jelly eye shadow? Yes, girl.
What sets these guys apart is the fact they give you full coverage pigmentation, a metallic, high shine finish, eye-catching dimension, and all day wear. The dry down is similar to Jelly Beam in that it's pretty quick, and once they dry they're not going anywhere. In terms of texture, it has a little more body than Jelly Beam; it's not so jiggly, rather, it's almost a hybrid of a jelly and a frosting. The color and shine payoff is basically what your eye shadow brush hopes to achieve when you wet it down. But the truth is? It can't come close.
Here I'm wearing Ventura, a holographic shade that goes from sheer to shine when the light hits it. I just tapped it all over the lid and buffed it out with my fingers. Easy.
You can use them any way you'd like. You'll get the best coverage with your finger, but you can buff them into your crease with a brush, or use a stiff angled brush for a more detailed look, like I did with this double wing situation below. Why? Because I love drama.
I swatched a few for you just so you can see just how serious these guys are.
I know. I know.
Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss
Butter London's Glazen Eye Gloss has actually been around longer than either of the former two products (and have won a Best of Beauty award). In terms of formula, it's on the more fluffy side of the spectrum. One layer and they'll give you a semi-sheer wash of color, and you have just a bit more playtime with them before they set if you want to move them around or buff out an edge. Two layers will give you more color and dimension. These are an extremely easy way to get a quick smoky eye in just seconds, using only your fingers.
Also, like Jelly Beam, there seem to be two different types of these eye glosses: one being a more fluid sheen seen in the copper and rose gold shades, and the second being a sheer, darker base packed with a different shade of micro-glitter for a duochrome effect. The truth is, they're both gorgeous. Personally, I think the duochromes are the real stars of the show.
They're a quick and easy way to wear a glitter shadow without all the trouble that usually comes with a glitter shadow. Just tap it on and go. I swatched some similar shades next to each other for reference. ColourPop shades are on the left, Butter London on the right. In terms of color payoff and shine, the ColourPop joints will give you more impact and dimension, but Butter London gives you a more glitter.
Butter London Glazen Highlighting Gel
The Butter London Glazen Highlighting Gel isn't exactly a jelly like the rest of these are, but the texture isn't quite that of a gel, either.
Let me put it like this. It has less body than the eye shadows, so if the pot were to tip over, this would spill out much, much faster than the others. It's less viscous — that's it. Let's go with that.
So, truthfully, there's not a whole ton to say about these highlighters other than that they're really nice, they look natural, and they're easy to apply. They don't have quite the reflect that you'd get from Jelly Beam, but they take to skin beautifully for a buildable glow that almost looks like it's coming from your skin, instead of sitting on top of it — you know what I mean? I don't know that they're quite as versatile as the other jelly highlighter in this roundup, but it's just as easy to apply. Even if these aren't technically jellies, they're certainly a close relative and should be invited to the party.
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