THE 14 BEST HIGHLIGHTERS FOR A GORGEOUS GLOW
Liquids. Creams. Powders. Palettes. Some that give a subtle glow and others that give traffic-stopping brightness. Applied over the cheekbones, above the cupid's bow, down the bridge of your nose or under your brows. The options – and possibilities – are endless.
Done right, a highlighter can add luminosity to your skin with just one swipe!
The {Cult Concierge} team has brought its collection of expert brains together and rounded up 14 of the best highlighters on the market. No matter your skin tone, your skin concern, or your preferred texture, GLOW forth and get ready to discover your new gleam-granting staple.
BEST HIGHLIGHTER STICK
1.
116
£19.00
15
23
£23.00
24
£45.00
Available in three flattering shades, the {Lit Up Highlight Stick} is a new-generation highlighter that looks just like skin, but with an un-beatably healthy glow (sans shimmer). Think: revitalised, post-facial radiance, all imparted by one, easy-to-use, quick-to-apply stick.
It’s super-blendable and buildable, it doesn’t drag when used on top of other formulas, and it’s packed full of skin-loving ingredients to overhaul dull and thirsty complexions.
BEST LIQUID HIGHLIGHTER
2.
159
£32.00
From Jeffree Star to Jourdan Dunn, this is the must-have illuminator that's gracing some of the world's most sought-after cheekbones. Each precious drop of this concentrated liquid shimmer will take your highlighting to undreamed heights, granting an extremely reflective, intense glow that can be sheered out easily for a more natural finish.
Available in five perfectly pearlescent shades, this multitasking formula can be used on its own or mixed with your foundation, primer, moisturiser or blushers for an all-round, customisable glow!
BEST POWDER HIGHLIGHTER
3.
30
This super-pigmented powder highlighter will upgrade your glow from subtle to sensational with its blend of finely milled chroma crystals and crushed pearls – that doesn’t emphasise texture.
Available in three shades, it can be used for an everyday look just as much as for a full glam! Granting a gorgeous, glass-like strobe effect, this will quickly become one of your go-to highlights.
BEST CREAM HIGHLIGHTER
4.
44
£24.00
Inspired by flickering candlelight and the phenomenal Aurora Borealis, this creamy glow-giver blends flawlessly, creating an ethereal finish that is natural but extraordinary! The seven stunning shades fluctuate as the pigments catch the light, kissing your complexion with iridescence.
Sheer and dewy without any tell-tale shimmer, this mesmerising formula seamlessly accentuates your favourite features for an enviable finish that’ll leave them all starstruck!
BEST HIGHLIGHTER DROPS
5.
12
For a glow so beaming it can almost be seen from space, try a few drops of this ultra-reflective highlighting fluid, available in three head-turning shades.
Ultra-pigmented and gorgeous in every way, these drops are light in weight but heavy in luminosity. The formulation is effortlessly buildable and blends seamlessly whether layered over your base or applied to bare skin.
BEST HIGHLIGHTER PALETTE
6.
16
Boost your luminosity and achieve an effortless, radiant complexion with Huda Beauty’s trio of highlighter palettes. Each palette is tailored to a different skin tone and features four flattering shades, giving you the power to blush, lowlight and highlight your way to a natural, golden hour glow around the clock.
These fuss-free palettes are super usable and packed with ultra-fine pearls for a silky, non-powdery finish and maximum shine. Plus, they’re infused with vitamin E for healthy-looking skin!
BEST HIGHLIGHTER WITH SHIMMER
7.
116
£19.00
Hip hip JOUER! For skin that looks strobe-lit, highlighter doesn’t come brighter than Jouer’s intense powder formula. Velvety textured and so finely milled it diffuses with ease for a ‘soft focus’ finish, this shimmering pan of light-scattering pearls and crushed, luminous pigments ensures an ethereal sheen.
Choose from four flattering shades and apply it sparingly for subtle skin enhancement or layer it up to achieve a stunning strobed effect.
BEST HIGHLIGHTER FOR FAIR SKIN
8.
9
Your search for the perfect highlighter for your pale complexion has now ended with this Pat McGrath highlighter in shade Lunar Allur. This high-intensity highlighting powder melts into the skin and builds easily – from lit-from-within to a don’t-gaze-to-long-on-it sheen that is blindingly brilliant!
Infused with botanical oils that ensure a smooth texture, this formula walks the carefully balanced line between {skin care} and {make up} for skin that feels as good as it looks.
BEST HIGHLIGHTER FOR OLIVE SKIN
9.
28
£30.00
Hey, Honey! We’ve found your Holy Grail highlighter! This golden pigmented highlighter stick is the perfect pick-me-up, with a sheer coverage that can be built up and blended with the built-in blending brush or your fingers.
It can be used on the tops of the cheeks, on the eyes and on the lips too! This stick is your one-stop shop for fresh-faced beauty.
BEST HIGHLIGHTER FOR DARK SKIN
10.
24
Dial up the brightness with this radiance-giving stick from {Milk Makeup}. Flash is the most incredible golden bronze shade that looks stunning on deep skin tones and adds a lit-from-within sheen to just about anywhere on your face and body.
It’s packed with skin loving ingredients (hello coconut oil, mango butter, and avocado oil) that offer all-day hydration while contributing to a dazzling dewiness.
BEST HIGHLIGHTER FOR MATURE SKIN
11.
8
£19.00
Moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid and sea kelp make these little drops of sunshine perfect for mature skin, ensuring your skin looks smooth, firm and radiant while granting a beautifully luminous glow wherever they land.
Mix the drops into serum or cream for a gradual glow or use them straight from the bottle for an instant ethereal gleam! Pick from three shades to find your closest shimmering fit.
BEST HIGHLIGHTER FOR OILY SKIN
12.
10
Oily-skinned beauties, you deserve to shine (for all the right reasons) too! And this perfect powder deserves pride of place in your make up collection. It adds a beautiful gleam to the skin, rather than a glow or glitter, so it’s the ideal pick for oily skin.
Whether you want a subtle dew or an all-out, blinding dazzle, this formula can do it all thanks to its buildability. It looks effortless and applies just as effortlessly – pick your favourite of the five shades, get creative and have fun!
BEST HIGHLIGHTER FOR DRY SKIN
13.
39
£26.50
Packed full of nourishing ingredients, this balmy highlighter works to hydrate dry skin, and even brings dry, cakey make up back from the brink!
Perfect for all skin tones, this clear formula bestows your face with a natural, fresh-looking, dewy glow.
BEST VEGAN HIGHLIGHTER
14.
10
The ultimate vegan highlighter for those who prefer a radiance that’s more glowy than dewy, LYS’s powder highlighter gives your skin a seamless boost of radiance without any school-disco-esque glitter.
Available in three glow-giving tones and laced with a medley of skin-loving vegan ingredients, the weightless, velvety pan enriches the skin as it illuminates, and it sits beautifully on the skin without accentuating uneven texture or visible pores
HOW TO APPLY HIGHLIGHTER
Here are some of our favourite ways to apply highlighter for an utterly gorgeous glow:
- Sweep highlighter across the high points of your face, like your cheekbones, temples, brow bone, cupid's bow and the bridge of your nose.
- You can also apply highlighter to your collarbones, shoulders and décolletage.
- Apply powder highlighter with a medium-sized fluffy brush, using light application and building it up slowly to create a diffused glow.
- Apply liquid and cream highlighters using clean fingertips. The warmth of your fingertips will help bake the product into your skin. Alternatively, try a make up sponge or concealer brush.
- Try mixing your liquid highlighter with liquid blush for a shimmery blush.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to applying highlighter. Have fun, experiment and see what works for you!
SHOULD HIGHLIGHTER BE APPLIED BEFORE FOUNDATION?
This depends on the formula you’re using and the look you want to achieve. Liquid highlighter can be applied before {foundation} to create a luminous base, or after foundation to highlight specific areas. You can even mix it into your foundation for a lit-from-within glow.
Powder and cream highlighters don’t mix as well, so they’re best applied after your foundation, once the rest of your base has set.
CAN YOU WEAR HIGHLIGHTER WITHOUT FOUNDATION?
Absolutely! If you prefer to go bare-faced, there’s nothing stopping you from going straight in with a highlighter. Try mixing liquid highlighter with your moisturiser, or use your fingertips or a make up brush to apply highlighter to specific areas of your face.
Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...
