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If you think your skin still looks a little tired or dull even after your meticulous beauty routine, a highlighter can help in the makeup department. Whether it comes in the form of a powder compact, a liquid gel, or a creamy stick, a highlighter’s job is to instantly brighten skin by attracting light, creating the illusion of being well rested.
So, you’re looking for the best highlighters?
➼ Our top picks
➼ More tried-and-true options
➼ FAQs
➼ Our experts
Our Top Picks
The Best Natural Glow
Yves Saint Laurent Nu Halo Tint Highlighter with Vitamin E
As someone who prefers a more subtle, could-be-natural glow, the Nu Halo Tint is my go-to for everyday shine. It perfectly captures the light without looking glittery or overly glamorous for daytime. I apply a smaller-than-a-pea-size drop to each of my cheekbones, then swipe the excess along the bridge of my nose and Cupid’s bow and underneath the arches of my brows. The formula seamlessly melts into my base makeup without disrupting it. You can also mix this into your foundation to create a radiant, natural glow.
The Best for Precise Application
Merit Day Glow Highlighting Balm
Not into an all-over glow? Try this balm from Merit that provides a subtle glow and targeted application instead. The stick glides right onto the high points of your face and can easily be blended out with your fingers. And don’t expect a streak of sparkles with this product — the results are dewy and luminous. The Day Glow balm is ideal for those mornings when you need a little extra help looking like you got more sleep than you actually did.
The Most Pigmented Highlighter
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight
One thing about Rare Beauty complexion products? They’re always highly pigmented — and the Positive Light Liquid Luminizer is no exception. The formula will leave your cheekbones beaming, plus it’s blendable and long-wearing. I suggest applying a small amount of product, then building it up depending on what type of makeup look you’re going for and how much glow you want.
More Tried-and-True Options
The Best Liquid Shimmer Highlighter
Iconic London Illuminator Liquid Highlight
A little goes a long way with this bold highlighter. Trust us. The dropper top means you can dot some into your moisturizer or foundation or right onto your skin. Or you can dab this formula onto the high points of your face, like cheek and brow bones. It comes in several shades and looks like molten shine. “This is the ultimate ‘glow to the gods’ highlighter and there’s nothing else like it,” one reviewer wrote. “I dab it on my cheeks, I add it to body moisturizer. I would drown in it if I could!” We love a dramatic review.
The Best Highlighter for Dry Skin
Lilah B Glisten and Glow Skin Illuminator
This product is also in the running for best packaging. It has a certain heft to it that feels like magic in your hands. You simply slide the top over with your thumb and the size makes it convenient to carry on the go. But back to the actual formula! This is a buildable balm that feels soft on your fingers, doesn’t accentuate fine lines, and provides a glow that’s also free of any synthetics like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. A cream is ideal for those with dry skin, and your complexion will look replenished with natural ingredients like black-currant-seed-oil extract and sunflower oil to enhance your radiance, and brown sea algae to improve skin texture.
The Best Multi-Use Highlighter
Saie Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Highlighter
This lightweight gel highlighter from Saie happens to be perfect for nailing the “clean” look that’s been trending lately. Just a few drops leaves you with an all-over subtle and believable glow that makes you look like someone who drinks enough water, gets enough sleep, and skips face makeup altogether because your skin is that good.
The Best SPF Highlighter
Supergoop! Glow Stick SPF 50 PA++++
You’ll want to bring this compact Glow Stick everywhere as the temperatures heat up. It is oil-based (i.e., it may not be the best for those with naturally oily skin) and has a slick texture when applied, but it dries nicely. Most importantly, it has the added bonus of SPF. It melts on your skin and leaves a pretty but nongreasy sheen. The stick applicator has a convenient twist-up feature, so you can easily swipe across your cheekbones or collarbones for a dewy, sun-protected finish.
The Best Highlighter Powder
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
tBrand founder Carisa Janes created this product to mimic the soft glow produced by pink-tinged light bulbs. This palette is a favorite of makeup artists because it functions as a dewy-looking setting powder. Rumsey recommends a powder highlight like this one for those with more oily skin, and says to apply it with a small fluffy brush for precision to give areas like your cheeks and brow bones more radiance. “The texture and color range is spot on, and it has more of a subtle finish,” he says. Emphasis on subtle, so if you want a strong-looking highlighter, many people choose to apply an additional creamy one over top.
The Best Luxury Highlighter
CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ Luminizing Face Enhancer
This jeweled compact is designed by an actual jeweler. With a decent-size mirror and small feathered brush, it’s completely portable. The lavender, mint, and peach highlighting powders contain two types of pearls. It appears shimmery in the case but softly illuminates without leaving the skin sparkly.
The Best Highlighter for Deep Skin Tones
M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish in Gold Deposit
“I’m still drawn to this OG highlighter because it was among the first products that truly complemented my skin tone, and it remains a staple for me today,” says beauty director-at-large Maya Allen. Described by the brand as a “slow-baked” powder, it delicately imparts copper-toned, radiant flecks of gold onto the skin, creating a stunning reflective effect in the light.
The Best Highlighter for Mature Skin
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant
Honestly, the smell of this cream is divisive, but if you want to give it a whirl and find that it doesn’t bother you, Baddour swears by it and calls it an essential in her makeup kit. It gives the “perfect plump to the skin for a natural dew, and you can put it virtually anywhere.” She puts it on eyelids for summer and says the lanolin base soothes and hydrates your skin while highlighting it. If you prefer something that’s a little more skin care than highlighter but still gives you a natural glow, you may want to try this formula. Fun fact: Prince Harry detailed in his memoir, Spare, that his late mother, Princess Diana, used this cream and the smell reminds him of her. (He also wrote that he once used this cream on his frostbitten penis. He loves to overshare.)
The Best for All Skin Tones
Lisa Eldridge Beauty Elevated Glow Highlighter
Rumsey says he’s in “LOVE” with this highlighter. All capital letters. “The color range and the texture are perfection, and it works on all skin tones and textures.” It comes in five shades that complement your unique skin color, and you get all the hydrating benefits of glycerin, tamarin indica seed, and oat-kernel extract.
The Buttery Highlighter
CHANEL Baume Essential Multi-Use Glow Stick
In a stick form with absolutely no shimmer at all, this is one of the easiest highlighters to use. The reviewers, especially those with 50-plus-year aged skin, love that this gives a natural and moisturized not-greasy look to skin that doesn’t settle into pores or lines. This stick is also one of Rumsey’s favorites to use on clients. “The color range is so good, and it really looks correct.”
The Glossier Highlighter
GLOSSIER Haloscope
The Glossier hype might have died down, but the brand’s highlighter is still a favorite. Moonstone is an opalescent shade allegedly infused with rose-quartz crystals and a moisturizing-oil core. It glides onto skin for a dewy sheen with a very slight iridescence. Whereas the other sticks tested here were creamy, this one had a wet quality that felt super-hydrating and produced a serious glow. (If you prefer a highlighter and skin-care hybrid, Baddour also recommends Glossier’s Futuredew, a serum that creates a naturally hydrated glow.)
The Best Highlighter for Glass Skin
Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face Liquid Highlighter
If you want the surface of your skin to resemble a “glazed donut,” this high-shine highlighter will get you that glass skin you desire. Its formula is 50 percent gloss, 50 percent pearlescent sheen, which ensures your skin looks 100 percent reflective. It comes in five shades ranging from Crystal Clear (your go-to if you want to be glazed) to more bronze-y rose-gold options if you want to look more sun kissed or fresh faced and flushed.
The TikTok-Famous Highlighter
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand
There are plenty of viral TikTok beauty products that have not lived up to their promised hype. This is not one of them. After going viral as a way to mimic Bella Hadid’s glow-y jawline, this highlighter became a fan favorite because it’s super-easy to apply and provides a glow that will last all day.
The Rihanna Highlighter
FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line has been praised for its wide range of shades and tones. Of all the products in the range, the Killawatt highlighter is among the most buzzed about. The shades, which come either as a solo or duos, look more intense and shimmery in the packaging than on your face. This one (called Lightening Dust / Fire Crystal) illuminates the skin with a soft pearlescent sheen that can be toned down for day or amped up for night.
The Best Contour-Highlighter Combo
Uoma Beauty Double Take Contour Stick
You get two great things in this one stick. On the one end is a creamy contour stick, the other a highlighter in a complementary shade. It comes in six shades for various skin tones, and it’s a Black-owned businesses created by entrepreneur and activist Sharon Chuter.
The Mix-In Highlighter
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Tan
Most highlighters are very concentrated in pigment and are meant to be used more as an accent. But this liquid one from Charlotte Tilbury is so light and effective it can be used alone or mixed into moisturizer, foundation, or concealer to amp up dewiness. As it comes in several skin-tone shades, it works very well at minimizing redness and concealing. The only con is that, after it went viral on TikTok, it’s always out of stock.
The Highlighter That’s Camera Ready
ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Amrezy Highlighter
Brand founder Anastasia Soare’s highlighters are a longtime favorite of Kim Kardashian West. They come in various shades of soft, melty Champagne designed to feel luxurious and be very visible on-camera.
The Best Goop-y Highlighter
Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick
This highlighter looks expensive with its gilded packaging, and it feels that way too. It glides onto the skin like silk and leaves a soft, dewy look that lasts for hours. If you want something a little more obvious than the Chanel or Glossier and has a creamy formula, this is the one for you. Rumsey is a big fan of this formula, and it’s also a favorite of Gwyneth Paltrow’s.
The Fashion-Editorial Highlighter
Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Highlighter & Balm Duo
Models such as Karlie Kloss are used to hearing fashion’s favorite makeup artist, Pat McGrath, command her team to bring her the “shiny stick!” Her supersecret highlighter is a creamy — not shimmery — formula that adds life and glow to skin. Thanks to its double end, you can choose exactly how shiny you want to be. One side contains a clear balm, while the other has a Champagne pigment. Use both for a true fashion-editorial effect.
The Best for Melanin-Rich Skin
Ami Colé Light-Catching Highlighter Balm
Ami Colé’s ethos is creating products that celebrate melanin-rich skin, and this highlighter balm does just that. With the sheerest amount of gold shimmer, the glossy balm swipes and blends easily into the skin for a subtle, natural glow over your “no makeup” look.
The Best Color Options
Dior BACKSTAGE Glow Face Palette
Featuring four shimmering shades that can be used all over the face, this Dior palette takes away the guesswork when it comes to which color will best suit your skin tone.
The High-Impact Highlighter
LYS Beauty Aim High Multi-Use Liquid Highlighter
When you want something between Fenty Beauty’s Trophy Wife and Chanel’s Baume Essentiel, consider LYS Beauty’s liquid highlighter. Available in three shades, the radiant highlighter has an almost foil-like finish — depending on how much you layer on. Rumsey is obsessed with the rose-gold color “Genuine,” and his tip is to mix the formula with body moisturizer for an all-over shimmer.
The Glossy Highlighter
REFY Gloss Highlighter
This highlighter from Refy truly lives up to its name. The ultra-glossy formula is perfect for a natural but high-shine finish. With just a hint of shimmer, the real star here is the cream formula that dries down to a glasslike finish.
FAQs
Our Experts
