Full disclosure: These days, it takes a lot to get us excited about (or even slightly intrigued by) a new product launch—even the "buzzy" ones. The beauty industry is booming, and every day I wake up to an overwhelming queue of emails and press releases touting the latest, greatest, never-before-seen hair, makeup, and skincare formulas. As a beauty editor, it's easy to feel a bit like Ariel from The Little Mermaid—we receive gadgets and gizmos aplenty, we've got whozits and whatzits galore, and if you want thingamabobs, well, we probably have 500—not 20—encroaching our desktop. A tough problem to have? Hardly. However, unlike Ariel, our enthusiasm naturally wans.
Call us jaded, but it takes a true treasure to rouse our beauty-obsessed stomach butterflies. Yet somehow, Tata Harper's newest gilded launch manages to do just that. It's a makeup product, it's a limited edition, and it's guaranteed to be the most important addition to your beach and pool kit this summer.
Meet Very Flashy, Tata Harper's new limited-edition, limited produced cream highlighter embodying all of the same high-standard skincare ethos the brand is known for (Organic! Non-toxic!) while gifting skin with a halo-esque orb of glow. It's like that trip to St. Tropez you've been dreaming about, demurely encased in the brand's signature gold and green recyclable glass packaging. Yes, we still recommend booking that vacation, but, honestly, we recommend snapping up this gleaming gem of a highlighter first.
As with all Tata Harper products, potent, high-efficacy raw ingredients are at Very Flashy's forefront. The highlighter (whose name, fun fact, came from a customer vote) is studded with an impressive roster of ingredients, vitamins, and minerals intended to plump, hydrate, and minimize visible signs of aging. In effect, the highlighter beautifully embodies the idea of skincare meets makeup, and was specifically designed by the brand to deliver a "universal sunbeam effect" for both immediate and long-term luminosity and skin health.
Available exclusively on the Tata Harper website for $39, Very Flashy is the first exclusive of its kind in the brand's cozily sized cosmetics range and an idea from Tata Harper herself. (FYI: Harper is an industry icon whom Forbes casually dubbed "Queen of the Green Skincare Movement" back in 2015 before clean skincare was even considered cool.) Her prerogative? To design a brand-new highlighter that could bring the "sunkissed look of summer" to wearable and breathable life.
WWW HQ was lucky enough to exclusively receive all the exciting product details and a small batch of samples ahead of time so that we could give you the news before anyone else. Yep, you're the first to know, folks! Of course, as amazing as the highlighter sounds, and as much as we love all of Tata Harper's other dreamy offerings, we had to try the highlighter for ourselves to see if it lived up to the buzzy brand-induced hype and could stand alongside (or in front of!) our other fave highlighters. Can a single shade of highlighter really be universally flattering? Can a non-toxic formula really endure L.A.'s summer heat?
Ahead, a few of my fellow WWW colleagues and I are sharing our honest Very Flashy reviews in addition to non-retouched selfies to serve as photographic evidence. Keep scrolling!
Erin Jahns, Associate Beauty Editor
The rating: 4.5/5
The review: Okay. So. I have so many things to say about this highlighter that I don't even know where to start. But let's start here: I'm impressed. I know some people are avidly against highlighters and think they look too obvious and unnatural, but I, for one, am very pro-highlighter. It's by far my most-loved product category, and my makeup feels incomplete most days without at least one (and I've been known to layer up to three) highlighters on my face. That said, since I've tried virtually every formula under the sun, I have high standards. This one exceeded them.
Typically, I'm more of a powder highlighter kind of person, but there are a select few cream formulas I keep in my arsenal. Unless I'm going for a barely-there makeup look, I really like to layer a cream formula underneath a powder. (Like Natalia does—see below.) Not only does this create more impact, but it also promises more durability. However, the creamy and subtle golden sheen of this pot was just so damn pretty, I didn't feel the need to add anything else on top of it. Again, I'm impressed.
I also love that I can truly feel how hydrating this formula is, but unlike other cream (especially natural) highlighters I've tried, it doesn't feel tacky, heavy, or pore-clogging on the skin. It's really like swiping a glowing filter over your face, and to my surprise, it played well with the foundation, concealer, blush, and slight touch of powder I was already wearing. It definitely applies best to bare skin, but I love that I have the option to wear it on top of my other favorite formulas as well.
Although I was initially skeptical when I found out the brand was only launching one shade (which isn't the norm right now within the beauty industry), I found the golden color to be remarkably flattering and pretty on my skin. Even though the product looks a bit pink in the jar, that completely disappears upon application. Unlike most golden highlighters, this one is extremely wearable. Despite my love for all things that glitter, I'm not trying to look like a disco ball—unless it's Friday night and I'm indeed trying to look like a disco ball—and this highlighter is the ultimate compromise. It's flashy, but not too flashy. It essentially just melts into your skin to highlight your natural tone and glow, and shouldn't that be the point of a highlighter anyway?
My one and only fault with this formula is that it does require some touch-ups, but honestly, that's just par for the course with any kind of cream-based makeup product and I found it settled nicely (not streakily) into my skin as the day wore on. There's also the issue of impact and finish. Personally, I found it perfect, but If you're looking for the kind of in-you-face-shimmer Rihanna works on the red carpet, this probably won't be your girl. That said, it does layer really well and really beautifully, so I recommend playing around with it and experimenting! I've been obsessed with wearing it in the inner corners of my eyes, under and over my brow bones, and on top of my cupid's bow and cheekbones. I'll also tap a little on my cheekbones after my SPF and before my foundation. A trick of the trade! Oh, and if you want to look seriously ethereal, apply some lotion or oil on your decolletage, and then blend some of this right around your breastbone and clavicles. You won't be disappointed.
Kia Topps, People Culture Coordinator
The rating: 5/5
The review: I normally don't wear any kind of makeup on my face unless I'm going out or have some sort of special occasion. That said, I would definitely wear this highlighter daily. The formula is super easy to apply. It felt so lightweight on top of my face and it managed to stay put through the entire day—I felt like a dewy queen!
I absolutely love the color; it's not too glittery or flashy—despite the name—and it's perfect for my complexion. Unlike most highlighters that I've tried in the past that were extremely unnatural-looking, Tata Harper's gave me an extra glow and spark of confidence while also allowing me to keep my more minimal and natural daily look.
Natalia Chavez, Graphic Designer
The rating: 4/5 stars
The review: I am all about that no-makeup makeup look—I really just want to look like I naturally came out the womb glowing! My everyday makeup routine usually consists of some under-eye concealer, translucent powder, a touch of bronzer, an eyebrow pencil to define my uneven brows, and of course—to have that natural glow—highlighter that I usually apply to my cheekbones, cupids bow, the tip of my nose, and on the inner corner of my eyes. When I want to go all out on my makeup, I’ll use a cream formula, plus a dusting of highlighting powder on top.
The Tata Harper Very Flashy highlighter definitely delivers for what I look for in a highlighter. I have a handful of highlighters in my rotation, and this one has definitely made its way into my regular lineup. It gives a very natural warm glow that melts right into the skin, and I don’t have to worry about it looking streaky, or like I’ve applied too much as can be the case with other formulas I've tried. It somehow manages to look completely natural, no matter how much you build or layer it. (I tried it both underneath and on top of my powder makeup and had zero issues!)
This highlighter is perfect for when I don’t wear any makeup and just want to have a glow that looks like I’m the healthiest person in L.A. My only con would be the staying power. However, when I say that, it doesn’t mean it disappears within minutes; it lasts for at least a solid four hours. Plus, with its compact (and cute!) size, it’s the perfect highlighter to keep in your purse.
More editor picks from the brand:
One of the brand's best sellers, this beloved BHA-exfoliating cleanser buffs and polishes away buildup to reveal a fresh, clean, and glowing complexion. Plus, it's gentle enough to use every day.
If you're more oil- and acne-prone, or if you want an extra line of defense for a greasy, sweaty summer, this Clarifying Cleanser is everything. The gentle foaming gel formula targets impurities to help clear and de-clog pores and other blemish-inducing debris.
Infused with strategic clarifying acids from AHA-charge superfruits, this bright green mask (so fun!) banishes blemishes and encourages a clear complexion thanks to other non-drying skin saviors like exfoliating quartz micro-crystals, superseeds, and raw honey.
When it comes to both self- and complexion-care, it doesn't get any more lovely than this BHA and enzyme-spiked face mask. With strategic organic ingredient sources like willow bark and pomegranate, it's the glow-giving formula a dull or lackluster face craves all year long.
Think of this top-selling elixir as prevention at its finest and most luxurious. This unique anti-wrinkle solution brims with 41 high-performance ingredients and specifically pinpoints telltale signs of aging like loss of elasticity, moisture, and volume in addition to fine lines and wrinkle.
Still a new kid on the Tata Harper product block, this ultra-hydrating moisturizer is already a best seller. It's the perfect all-year antidote for achieving dewy hydration and radiance thanks to MVP ingredients like hyaluronic acid and mango seed butter.
If you've been lamenting a dull, uneven texture or skin tone (pigmentation and scarring our the bane of our existence), this potent brightening serum can help with that.
If you love face oils, consider this pick your new holy grail. The name doesn't lie—nutritiously packed with antioxidants and vitamin B rich camelia oil, this is the face oil to end all face oils.
Need a mesmerizing blush to compliment your Very Flashy Highlighter? Tata's array is one of the best within the natural and non-toxic bracket and produces a pop of long-lasting, super-flattering color on your apples and cheekbones. (Oh, and you can also pat it on your lips if you only have two seconds to get ready!)
Meet the one and only tinted lip balm I've ever truly loved. (Seriously, I panic if I ever begin to run low!) This balm presents a true "your lips but better" makeup moment for those times when you want a little something-something without committing to a full face (or lip!) of makeup. It's so satisfyingly hydrating and plumping and is truly a life changer within your product repertoire.
Up next: People Can't Stop Buying These 14 Makeup Products—and They're 100% Non-Toxic
