Best Highlighters

Review & Comparison, Last Update January 28, 2024
Not to look blank and pale after applying foundation, you need to add some shape and color to your face with blush, bronzer, and, ...Read more
PROS

Thanks to the finely ground texture, this highlighter easily sticks onto the brush and smoothly applies on any type of skin. All shades are soft and distinguished by a delicate shimmer to seamlessly suit any skin tone.

CONS

It might crumble when mishandled. 

OUR VERDICT

theBalm Manizer Highlighter is very popular among professionals worldwide. Created to help ladies look and feel gorgeous, this product comes in several shades to meet different needs and diffuses softly to achieve a maximum natural-looking finish. The Manizer highlighters are really as good as they promise to be.

detailed parameters
TYPE

Powder

SHADES

Mary-Lou, also available:
Betty-Lou
Cindy-Lou

FORMULA

Dewy and enhancing formula

SAFETY

Free from harsh additives

VOLUME

0.3 oz

PROS

Ultrafine multidimensional pearls reflect the light to give your skin the most natural shine without making it look too glittery. Hence, you'll achieve a healthy and beautiful complexion.

CONS

It comes in a single shade.

OUR VERDICT

The Becca Shimmering Highlighter has a creamy powder texture that will lay on your skin as a thin weightless veil. The finish it lends is long-lasting, smudge-proof, and falls out for the whole day. The product comes in a compact and durable case for you to always have it at hand for quick touch-ups. 

detailed parameters
TYPE

Creamy powder

SHADES

Champagne Pop

FORMULA

Ultra-creamy formula with ultrafine multidimensional pearls, Blends seamlessly, Buildable

SAFETY

Paraben-free 

VOLUME

0.28 oz

PROS

This highlighter palette includes 4 gentle shades that will help you create a variety of beautiful makeup looks. You can use the colors separately or mix them together to find a perfect match.

CONS

The product is rather glittery. 

OUR VERDICT

The Wet n wild MegaGlo highlighting palette with micro-fine pearl pigments will make your skin look glowy and fresh. The products in the palette are multi-tasking and can be applied to different facial areas like cheeks, under brow areas, inner corners of the eyes, nose bridge, and so on to set up the desired accents.

detailed parameters
TYPE

Baked powder

SHADES

Sweet Peony 
Wild Cosmos 
Diamond Lily 
Blushing Azalea

FORMULA

Creamy formula is infused with nylon, Ultra-reflective and micro-fine pearl pigments

SAFETY

Cruelty-free, Vegan

VOLUME

0.8 oz

PROS

The illuminator has an amazing metallic effect, which is a top seasonal trend. Its chrome micro-pigments softly reflect the light to enhance the beauty of your skin and glow it from within.  

CONS

The rose gold color is lighter and pinker than in the photo.

OUR VERDICT

The Maybelline Master Chrome is meant to create a soft sophisticated radiance on the skin. It doesn't clog pores and allows your skin to breathe. Meanwhile, it applies easily, diffuses softly, and blends in smoothly to set up a finish you'll feel comfortable with all day long.  

detailed parameters
TYPE

Powder

SHADES

Molten Gold, also available:
Molten Peach
Molten Topaz
Molten Rose Gold

FORMULA

Reflective pigments with eye-catching chrome effect

SAFETY

Free from harsh additives

VOLUME

0.24 oz,
0.19 oz available

PROS

This product is infused with fatty acids that soften, nourish, and hydrate the skin not only to make it look healthier and softer to the touch but also to improve its condition from within.

CONS

It might make some skin imperfections more visible.

OUR VERDICT

If you are a fan of delicate makeup products that melt on our skin and get easily absorbed, buttery highlighter from Physicians Formula is for you. Enriched with tropical butter and distinguished by great nourishing properties, it won't smudge even on a hot or rainy day. Besides, the product is hypoallergenic and is safe even for sensitive skin.

detailed parameters
TYPE

Butter

SHADES

Pearl, also available:
Champagne
Copper
Deep Mauve
Iridescence
Rose Gold

FORMULA

Long-wearing, finely-pressed, cream-to-powder formula, Infused with ultra-refined pearls and soft-focus pigments, Murumuru butter, Cupuacu butter, and Tucuma butter

SAFETY

Hypoallergenic, Paraben-free, Gluten-free, Dermatologist tested, Clinically tested, Cruelty-free

VOLUME

0.17 oz

For Any Skin Type And Color

If you are a professional makeup artist and you seek a good highlighter for yourself and your clients, we suggest trying theBalm Manizer. This illuminator is a type of product that will suit various users.

First of all, its formula contains very finely ground particles, which makes the product texture super comfortable to work with. You can apply it on any skin type (including problematic uneven skin) and it will blend easily and diffuse perfectly without bringing much attention to the imperfections. Plus, this highlighter is free from harsh chemicals, so, you can safely use it for different skin types without the risk of causing irritations.

Secondly, the product is available in a few popular shades that look beautiful on every skin color. You can purchase this product in bronze, rose gold, and champagne tones that will enhance the natural skin beauty. You can apply it in a single stroke or duster over dark and tan skin or add layers for pale skin to make the product more visible and achieve the desired accentuating effect.

We also want to add a few words about packaging. The highlighter comes in a beautiful vintage box with a nice little mirror for on-the-go touch-ups.

All in all, theBalm Manizer is by far the best highlighter for professional makeup. It naturally emphasizes the beauty of the skin and can turn you or your client into a glowing goddess.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $23.45
Stock In stock
ASIN B0065I8MC4

Enjoy a Subtle And Healthy Glow

Becca Cosmetics has a line of quality makeup products including powder and liquid highlighters. The Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed highlighter is one of those products that can satisfy the needs of all the glow addicts.

This highlighter has a creamy formula with ultrafine multidimensional pearls that beautifully reflect the light and give your skin a subtle healthy glow. The formula doesn't contain bigger shimmer particles and will give your makeup a natural look without too much glitter to it. Despite the creamy consistency, the product is buildable and can be layered up to achieve the desired effect. It blends in easily and smoothly, so, there will be no harsh lines on the face.

The product is available in a single champagne pop color. Thanks to a soft gold shimmer with a pink undertone, it will work well on every skin tone. Yet, it will look especially great on light and neutral skin.

This highlighter also boasts amazing pigmentation that creates a long-lasting finish on every skin type. It doesn’t smudge or move even under high humidity conditions. So, you can be sure you will look perfect all day long.

To sum it up, the Becca Cosmetics Skin Perfector is a long-lasting highlighter rich in pigments that will provide a nice illuminating effect. It comes in a durable case, so, you can always carry it with you.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $35.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B01F9A8ULG

A Multi-tasking Palette

All professional makeup artists and those who love experimenting with their looks should definitely check out the wet n wild MegaGlo highlighting palette. This makeup product boasts a very decent quality and comes at a reasonable price.

What you'll get for your money is a palette of four highlighter shades including sweet peony, wild cosmos, diamond lily, blushing azalea (pink, lavender, gold, and peachy shades accordingly). You can either use them independently or mix them together to get the desired color. As such, the product is not only a real find for different skin tones but is also suitable for application on different face areas like cheekbones, cupid’s bow, nose bridge, brow bone, inner corner of the eye near the eyeshadow, and others. Thus, you can use it both for accentuating your traits and for contouring techniques.

As for the formula, these creamy highlighters are infused with micro-pearl pigments. So, a little will go a long way and just a tiny bit of this highlighter will instantly make your face look fresh. However, take note that this product contains pretty visible glitter, so it will be more suitable for bright makeup looks.

Last but not least, we like that this makeup product wasn’t tested on animals and consists of only vegan components.

Wrapping things up, if you seek a high-end highlighter palette that will allow you to create catchy and shiny looks for various occasions, we recommend the wet n wild MegaGlo. With this product on, you will surely turn heads.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $14.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B076639Q2B

Gorgeous Chrome Effect

Those who are tired of sparkly and glittery highlighters and are looking for something new should try using the Maybelline New York Metallic Highlighter Powder. This illuminator will make you look stunning and trendy without going overboard with glitter.

This powder highlighter is formulated with reflective pigments that lend an eye-catching chrome effect. Small particles reflect the light and make your face look fresh and radiant. Just lightly dust it over your face to achieve a mild close-to-natural sheen or apply it in layers to create a stunning party makeup.

Yet another benefit of this face illuminator is that it comes in a number of shades including molten gold, molten peach, molten topaz, and molten rose gold to help you find a perfect match for your skin. But note that the rose gold color is a bit lighter and pinker in real life, so, it's best used on fair skin.

In terms of wearability, this highlighter also shows pretty decent results. It blends in evenly on the skin and leaves no harsh traces behind. You can add as many layers as you want and it will still feel comfortable on the face giving no heaviness or tightness to the finish. Plus, owing to its light texture, the highlighter doesn’t clog pores even if you wear it for the whole day. It might be especially important for people with problematic and sensitive skin.

In conclusion, the pigmented highlighter from Maybelline New York is a long-wearable deco product that will help you set proper makeup accents to refine the shape of your face and improve complexion.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $7.49
Stock In stock
ASIN B06XF2YKPP

Nourishing Buttery Formula

Every makeup manufacturer tries to come up with the best formula for their products, but the Physicians Formula is, no doubt, ahead of the game. Their butter highlighter is one of the best facial products so far due to its one-of-a-kind formula.

What makes this product unique is that it comes infused with different types of tropical butter (including murumuru, cupuacu, and tucuma) and enriched with fatty acids. Altogether, these components are meant to nourish and hydrate your skin as well as make the product application much softer and smoother to the touch. So, it will be a good choice for people with dry and problem-prone skin.

What is more, this illuminator is completely safe to apply on sensitive skin. It was clinically tested and proved to be hypoallergenic and paraben-free. Besides containing no gluten traces, it suits users with gluten intolerance.

As for the color selection, this buttery highlighter is available in as many as six different shades to satisfy the needs of various users. Each tone boasts good pigmentation and long-lasting wearability to stays in place and produce no streaks, even if you sweat during a hot day.

To put it in a nutshell, the butter highlighter from Physicians Formula is more than a makeup product. It successfully combines a decorative effect with an efficient skin treatment to make your skin look amazing and feel healthy.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $10.95
Stock In stock
ASIN B075K784FK

What Is a Highlighter?

To get a perfect complexion with the help of makeup products, there are a few essential steps you need to follow:

  • Even out your skin with foundation or BB cream;
  • Hide small imperfections with a concealer;
  • Lock those basic layers in place with a setting powder;
  • Add color to your cheeks and cheekbones with blush or bronzer;
  • And last but not least, highlight your face.

Professional makeup artists recommend highlighting a few areas on your face to make it look glowy and healthy as well as set proper accents. You can put this product on your cheeks, cupid’s bow, nose, under brows, and in the corners of your eyes. Pretty much as any other products, a highlighter can be layered on the face for achieving a soft natural glow or setting up bright intense shine appropriate for evening affairs.

The highlighters are available in different forms to make the application in various areas easier. Liquid and creamy highlighters, for example, are the most comfortable to put on your cheeks and lips since they can be easily blended with other products using a brush or a beauty blender. Powder products, in turn, will best suit for emphasizing the tip of your nose as well as eyes and brows. The key to spectacular makeup is learning how to use it! This isn't rocket science though, so with a little bit of practice, you'll be able to apply it like a pro.

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