If there’s one makeup category I will always have room for in my collection, it’s highlighter. And when it comes to Dior Backstage Glow Maximizer, I have two palettes that I find myself reaching for in very different ways: 001 Universal Glow and 004 Rose Gold Glow.

Both give that beautiful Dior glow, but on my skin, they don’t look quite the same. And between the two, Rose Gold Glow is definitely the one I reach for more.

Top 4 shades near the wrist- 001 and lower 4 shades 004

Dior Backstage Glow Maximizer 001 Universal Glow

001 Universal Glow is the more classic highlighting palette for me. It gives that unmistakable high-shine effect and has shades that can be mixed and matched depending on the look I’m going for.

What I notice most, though, is the shimmer.

On me, the shimmer particles feel a little more noticeable and chunky compared with 004 Rose Gold Glow. I can get a beautiful glow from it, but I find that using 001 takes a little more effort because I have to be more mindful about application. The more noticeable shimmer can emphasize skin texture, so I tend to be more selective about where and how much I apply.

The palette also has a brown shade that, personally, doesn’t work as well for me on the cheeks. It can look a little muddy once applied, so instead of using it as a bronzer or cheek color, I mostly use that particular shade on my eyelids.

And honestly, I love it there.

It adds a soft, luminous dimension to the eyes and gives me another way to use the palette without forcing the shade to work as a cheek product.

Generally a nice palette but can emphasize skin texture. More like the usual readily available highlighters in stores.

Dior Backstage Glow Maximizer 004 Rose Gold Glow

Now, 004 Rose Gold Glow is where my personal preference really comes in.

The glow from this palette looks different on my skin. Instead of giving me a very obvious shimmer, it gives what I would describe as a hydrated or almost moist-looking glow.

Not oily. Not greasy.

Just that beautiful radiant finish that makes the skin look naturally fresh and well cared for.

The shimmer particles also feel finer to me, and I find that they don’t emphasize my skin texture as much as the shimmer in 001 does.

That’s probably the biggest reason I reach for 004 more often. I can apply it more freely without having to think too much about whether the shimmer is going to emphasize texture.

I feel like the shimmer is just finer and doesn't emphasize my skin texture as much.

One of my favorite ways to use 004 Rose Gold Glow is to swirl my brush over all the shades in the palette, picking up a little bit of everything, and then sweep it over my blush.

But unlike how I normally apply highlighter just to the highest points of my cheeks, with 004 I like to take it across my whole cheekbone area.

I don’t just concentrate it on one small spot. I sweep it over the entire cheekbone, allowing the glow to blend into the blush.

I love what this does to the finished look.

Instead of simply adding highlighter on top, it creates this subtle color-shifting effect, almost like the blush catches the light and shifts into a soft pinkish glow.

Because I’m covering more of the cheekbone, the radiance looks much more seamless. It gives that fresh, polished, almost “I spend a lot of money on facials and beauty treatments” kind of glow.

You know that skin that just looks incredibly radiant and well cared for?

That’s the effect I’m after.

It’s especially pretty when the light hits the cheeks because you get that rosy luminosity without the finish looking overly sparkly.

How I Use Them

With 001 Universal Glow, I tend to be more selective with placement because of the more noticeable shimmer. I usually keep it to the high points of my cheeks, and the brown shade has become more of an eyeshadow for me because I find it looks muddy on my cheeks.

Honestly, I rarely use 001 these days simply because I enjoy 004 so much more.

With 004, I don’t have to think about it as much. I can swirl all the shades together and sweep them across my blush and entire cheekbone area, and the finish still looks soft, radiant, and seamless to me.

My Personal Favorite

Rose Gold Glow is the one I reach for most often.

I simply enjoy using 004 more. The finer particles, softer rose-gold radiance, and more forgiving application make it easier for me to get the finish I want.

I love that I can sweep it across my cheekbones and get that ethereal, fresh-skin effect without having to be overly precise with placement.

It’s the kind of glow that makes the skin look so radiant and well cared for that you might think, “She must spend a lot on facials and beauty treatments.”

And really, that’s exactly the effect I want from my highlighter.

If I had to pick just one for my own collection, I’d pick 004 Rose Gold Glow.

Thanks for dropping by, and may the glam be with you always!

Let’s get one thing straight: Glamour doesn’t have an age limit, a dress size, or a required number of Instagram followers. It’s not reserved for 22-year-olds with contour skills that could sculpt a statue. Glamour is an attitude, not a pant size. So if you’re over 40, rocking a soft stomach, a few gray hairs, and a wardrobe that includes both Spanx and sequins--congratulations, darling. You’re exactly who this blog is for.

Glamour Is a State of Mind (and Sometimes a Red Lip)

Glamour isn’t about fitting in. It’s about standing out and not giving a single rhinestoned damn about what anyone thinks. It’s walking into a room like you own the building, even if you just waddled in because your knees are mad at you for wearing heels again (I remember attending a movie premier and I swear I was close to crying from the pain. Heels. I hate them!). It’s pairing your pajama pants with chandelier earrings because why not? It’s being fabulous on purpose and unapologetically so.

And yes, you can be glamorous with a muffin top. Muffins are delicious but I digress. Your Body Didn’t Expire at 39. Neither Did Your Sparkle.

Somewhere along the line, society decided that women over 40 are supposed to fade into beige and only wear sensible shoes. Um, excuse me? We just got interesting. We’ve got stories. We’ve survived bad haircuts, worse relationships, and low-rise jeans. We deserve to shine. And not just from hot flashes (yes, I am perimenopausal). I actually got told to expect the hot flashes, if I haven't been having them already by my gynecologist.

Glamour over 40 is about breaking rules, not bending to them. Wear that bold print. Dye your hair pink. Get glittery on a Tuesday. You don’t need to wait for permission or a special occasion. You are the occasion.

Big Bodies, Big Energy

Let’s be real: being fat and fabulous is not a contradiction. It’s a power move. Rolls, curves, jiggles, and all... We’re still worthy of turning heads. Glamour doesn’t ask your weight before it shows up. If you want to rock a bodycon dress, do it. If you feel like draping yourself in velvet and pretending you’re a retired cabaret singer, do it.

Confidence looks good on every body. And spoiler alert: No one’s checking your BMI before they’re blinded by your shimmer.

It’s Not About Perfection. It’s About Personality

You don’t need a full beat face or a designer wardrobe to be glamorous. Glamour is in the way you throw on a scarf and suddenly look like a mysterious art dealer. It’s the drama of pausing before you sip your coffee. It’s wearing sunglasses indoors just because you’re feeling a little extra. Just ask Anna Wintour.

It’s also laughing loudly, cackling even, and not trying to shrink yourself... physically or emotionally for anyone’s comfort.

Own It, Darling

You are not “too old,” “too big,” “too loud,” or “too late.” You are just right. In fact, you might be the most glamorous you’ve ever been. You’ve got experience, sass, style, and the wisdom to know that Spanx is optional but self-worth is mandatory.

So the next time someone implies you should tone it down, just smile, toss your glittery shawl over your shoulder, and say: “Honey, I am the moment.”

Glamour is not about how you look. It’s about how you feel about how you look. And if you feel fabulous, you are fabulous. Over 40? Fat? Fantastic. The world better get used to it.

May the glam be with you always, baby!

Yesterday was Mom’s death anniversary.

You’d think that after all these years, grief would feel different. And in some ways, it does. Time has softened its sharpest edges, but it hasn’t taken away the longing. There’s still a feeling that a part of me is gone forever.

We went out for dinner at Yellowfin, one of Mom’s many favorite restaurants. It was also the first restaurant I ever treated her to.

I remember that day so clearly. I had a little extra money and asked her where she wanted to eat. Without hesitation, she said, “Yellowfin!” Then, a little tentatively, she asked if it was going to be my treat. It was.

She was so happy. Of course, she ordered all her favorites that day. It’s such a simple memory, but it’s one I treasure deeply now.

Every year, we usually make an effort to tell stories about her and share memories of her with my kids. I want them to know their grandmother through the stories we tell, the things she loved, the little habits we remember, and all the pieces of her that are still woven into our lives.

But yesterday, I was just sad.

I didn’t really want to say much. I just wanted to be allowed to miss my mom while we ate. There were still a few stories shared, but mostly, I sat quietly in the moment, simply being a daughter who misses her mother.

Grief is strange. As the years pass, everything connected to her seems to become more precious--even the most trivial things.

Mom once gave me a discontinued Corelle bowl. One day, someone in the house accidentally broke it. It sounds insignificant, but I remember sitting in a room and weeping inconsolably over it.

It wasn’t really about the bowl.

It was about the fact that it was hers-- something she had chosen and given to me. It belonged to a time when she was still here. When it broke, it felt as though I were losing another tiny piece of her.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m constantly grasping at snippets of her, trying to hold on to anything I can: a story, a photograph, something she gave me, a favorite restaurant, a familiar expression, or a memory that suddenly returns out of nowhere.

Anything that makes me feel as though I’m not losing more of her.

Maybe that’s what grief becomes over the years. You learn how to carry it. You learn how to live your life around the empty space. You laugh again, make new memories, celebrate milestones, and keep moving forward.

But there will always be certain days when you just want to stop and be the daughter who misses her mom.

Time makes the pain less sharp, but it doesn’t make the hole disappear.

There will always be a mom-shaped hole in my heart for my bff.

Perhaps the greatest comfort I have is knowing that God has taken her home. I believe this separation is not forever. One day, when my own journey here is done, He will take me home too, and I’ll get to see her again.

Until then, I’ll keep holding on to every little piece of her I have.

I miss you, Ma.

Always.