Mashed Potato Highlighter - is it blinging or minging?

You have got to hand it to Asian manufacturers, translating Chinese into English really isn’t their strong point. Sometimes, however, the handicap can work to their advantage. Mashed Potato Highlighter is a prime example. Sounds weird, doesn’t it? So strange, in fact, that it is bound to pique interest. Mine included!

Imagine… A makeup product made from mashed up potatoes. Surely not?

Well, actually, no. This highlighter isn’t, apparently, a by-product of the humble, old spud. It is something altogether more sophisticated - a duochrome. Yep, a shade-shifting cosmetic for the cheeks. A kind of ‘now you see me, now you don’t’ highlighter. Turn one way for a streak of sheen. Turn the other and, puff!, it’s gone!

To achieve a chameleon finish, makeup brands use a reflecting pigment with a base shade. And this is where a manufacturer’s poor grasp of the English language has likely struck gold - inadvertently describing the colour mix as Mashed Potato. 

Well, I just had to buy one!

Duochrome highlighter in… green!

‘Never in a month of Sundays’ springs to mind when I envisage myself using a green pigment on my cheeks. But, thanks to that quirky product listing name, that’s exactly what I have done. In all fairness, Mashed Potato Highlighter is available in a range of shades. I just happened to choose Shade 02 - green - by accident. I honestly was in that much of a rush to try it.

This product cost me £1.99. I ordered it from Temu and it took around 10 days to arrive. 

Packaging - While the highlighter is smaller than I expected, it came beautifully packaged. The outer box, which was shrink-wrapped, has embossed detailing in rose gold that immitates a streak of highlighter. The actual product was inside a second, plain white box.

Slender, measuring less than the width of two (small) fingers, the branding on this rectangular compact is not ‘Mashed Potato’. Aw! Nor is it simply ‘highlighter’ or ‘duochrome’. Instead, it is ‘Girls can do anything’. Another anomaly of the Chinese mindset, but pretty nonetheless.

The click opening mechanism is made super-easy thanks to peg-shape edges. I’ve not seen that before in a makeup product. Inside, the compact has a slim, non-glass mirror. It looks cute but you have to have one eye closed to use it (because two eyes can’t focus on such a narrow space). A makeup protector is also included and, unusually for an inexpensive product, it is branded.

Right, onto the Mashed Potato Highlighter. 

Mashed Potato Highlighter aka 'Girls can do anything' compact

Testing Mashed Potato Highlighter

This product is definitely not minging. And, thankfully, it doesn’t look particularly green on the skin either. If anything, the base has a hint of pink. It does have a duochrome effect but with quite a subtle, albeit glittery, intensity. 

Smooth to the touch, it applies easily with either a brush or dabs of a finger. For a hint of highlight, one light swipe is enough. You will need to build the product if you want something more strobe-like.

This makeup is ideal for use on the eyelids. While not in the same league as duochromes produced by the likes of Beauty Bay, the Mashed Potato Highlighter is a useful product to have in your cosmetics bag. Its tiny dots of sparkle twinkle like stars from a far away galaxy. Great for nights out!

It does contain minuscule specks of glitter and that is something that may put a few people off. I suspect the glitter (which does have a faint green hue to it) has been used with a mildly tinted base as a substitute for a metallic pigment. 

For me, it will most likely be used as a shimmer on the centre of the eyelids. I don't fancy walking around with glitter on my nose!

So, blinging or minging? Actually, neither - as explained in my conclusion further down the page.

Close-up of the duochrome highlighter available from Temu

Applying highlighter tips

Highlighter can be your secret weapon for achieving that coveted dewy, luminous look. It strategically catches light, sculpting your features and adding a touch of radiance to your complexion. 

Is Mashed Potato Highlighter right for you?

Well, highlighters come in a variety of textures and finishes:

• Powder: Most versatile, ideal for beginners. Offers buildable coverage and a natural-looking glow

• Liquid: Dewy and luminous, perfect for dry skin. Can be tricky to blend, so start with a light hand.

• Cream: Creamy and blendable, good for normal to dry skin. Offers a subtle, natural sheen.

Before applying highlighter, think of where light naturally hits your face:

• Cheekbones: The classic placement. Sweep highlighter along the tops, blending upwards towards your temples.

• Cupid's bow: A tiny dab above your upper lip can make it appear fuller.

• Bridge of your nose: A thin line down the centre can make your nose appear slimmer.

• Inner corners of eyes: Brightens and opens up your eyes.

• Brow bone: Adds a subtle lift and definition to your brows.

When applying a highlight product, start with a light hand and build gradually. Use a brush or your fingertips to tap or swipe the highlighter onto your chosen areas. Blend, blend, blend until there are no harsh lines. Remember, you can always add more, but you can't take it away!

Pro tips:

• Match your highlighter to your skin tone: Cool-toned skin looks best with silvery or pearly highlighters, while warm-toned skin flatters with golden or peachy shades - defintely not green!.

• Prep your skin: Moisturise well for a smooth canvas.

• Set your makeup: Use a setting spray to lock everything in place for a flawless finish.

Finger swatch. It took two swipes of the pan to pick up this much product

In conclusion

Mashed Potato Highlighter is in a class of its own. It is not a full-blown duochrome as we know it but neither is it a traditional highlighter. It’s something I haven’t seen before. And this is where the brand behind it can cash in. Mashed Potato is so off-the-wall that it is going to turn heads and get people looking at it.

Maybe, whoever made the initial name mistake - be it the person who listed it on Temu or the manufacturer - should be credited for starting a ‘thing’. If I made this product, I know what I’d do - I’d hastily knock the ‘Girls can do anything’ branding on the head and go all-out on Mashed Potato Highlighter. It’s a goer!

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