This highlighter provides medium-level coverage and a shimmery finish. It is also sold in five colors.
This pressed powder highlighter helps you achieve a luscious glow.
This highlighter has a unique bouncy texture that melts into your skin for the creamiest, most gorgeous highlighted finish. It is available in the colors champagne and pearl.
This highlighter makeup is great for strobing and sculpting with contour, and can be worn alone or over foundation.
This is a great product for beginner makeup users, given its ease of application and multiple functions. This product also comes in a wide range of products so you can find the one that looks best on your skin tone.
These dual-function highlighter sticks feature a creamy, blendable highlight on one side and a contour on the other side, making sculpted makeup look easy.
This highlighter makeup is designed to help light naturally hit your face and achieve seamless coverage without being overly dramatic or thick.
This kit includes four color choices for you to choose from, allowing you to create the perfect all-over glow
This highlighter recently won Allure’s Best of Beauty Award. It is made to leave a reflective finish for brilliantly glowing skin. It is also sold in four colors.
This highlighter makeup features a blend of illuminating pearl pigments and metallic chrome sheen, helping you achieve a brighter complexion on your face.
This highlighter features a rich payoff along with a smooth, blended application. It comes in three different shades.
This highlighter looks great on all skin tones and provides a radiant look for all who use it.
So what do we actually mean when we talk about highlighter makeup? Well, as the name implies, highlight makeup aims to highlight certain areas of the face or body. It works by reflecting light and is often used as part of contouring, creating contrasting areas of light and shadow around certain parts of the face.
There are various forms of highlighter makeup, including powders, creams, liquids and sticks. These tools are popular in the world of cinema, used by professional makeup artists and actors to get the best look and draw attention to facial features like cheekbones and jawlines. For a long time, professionals were the only ones using a highlighter, but it has since become more widely spread.
The first thing to consider when purchasing highlighter makeup is what color you want. This probably has to do in large part with the color of your skin. You’ll want to have an idea of what tone your skin is as you begin shopping. If you have skin that is more fair or light, you’ll want to shop for a highlighter makeup that pairs well with that particular skin tone. If your skin is darker, there are likely other choices available that will be a better fit for you. You’ll also want to think about what sort of color you want on your face, and many highlighter makeups will have multiple options for you to choose from.
Another factor that sets them apart from each other is their finish. Common finishes for highlighter makeups include matte, which has less glow and lighter reflective policies, and dewy, which tends to reflect more light and sits lighter on your skin. Dewy-finished highlighter makeups will have major glowing properties, while matte will provide less glow or shine. There isn’t a right or wrong answer here – it all has to do with what sort of look and feel you prefer.
You likely want a highlighter makeup that feels as good as it looks, so you’ll want to pay attention to how each option applies and feels once it is on your face. Most highlighters are powder-based, and the best ones are made to dissolve softly and effectively into your face. You’ll want to make sure when you’re applying that you don’t leave behind any rough edges. This can be done by taking time to properly spread and smooth the highlighter onto your face.
The last thing that may be of interest to you is whether or not your highlighter makeup is vegan. Not only does purchasing vegan makeup help protect the safety of animals and the sustainability of the environment, but it can also be more nourishing and less harsh on your face. The packing is also often more environmentally friendly, along with the product inside. We have a couple of options on this list for vegan highlighter makeups, along with several more options that are cruelty-free (meaning they were not tested on animals).
Not sure where to apply your highlighter makeup for the best effects? Here are some of the top spots to use it:
One of the best ways to use highlighter is to apply it along the tops of the cheekbones. This will draw attention to your cheekbones and give your face a more defined, structured look.
It’s also possible to use highlighter makeup to bring definition and shape to your brow. To do this, apply the highlighter just below the brow bone.
You can even use highlighter makeup around your lips to make them look fuller and thicker. Apply a little of the makeup into the Cupid’s bow area (between the nose and the top lip).
Try adding a little highlighter makeup to the inner corners of your eyes. This helps to draw attention to your eyes and increases the dramatic effect of other eye makeup, like eyeliner and eye shadow.
If you don’t have much experience with highlighter makeup or have never used it before, you might find it tricky to start off with. Here are some tips and tricks to use to make applying highlighter makeup much easier.
It’s vital to choose a shade of highlighter makeup that works for you. Pick one that is just a little lighter than your own skin tone for the most natural results.
Location is everything when it comes to highlighter makeup. Make sure you use it in the right areas around the face, in spots that catch the light like the cheekbones, temples, brows and upper lip.
You can use other makeup products with highlighter makeup, like blush, bronzer and foundation. But for best results, opt for matte products to prevent your face from becoming too shiny or bright.
You’ll need to use some sort of application tool (or clean fingers) to rub highlighter makeup into your skin and blend it well. Commonly-used tools include fan brushes and small, damp sponges.
Do not put highlighter makeup all over your face. This is a big no-no. It will cause your face to look overall bright and shiny, giving you a totally unnatural glow.
A: All highlighter makeups are evaluated and tested before sale or production to ensure that they are safe for use on your skin. However, there may still be some products that are irritating for users with allergies or sensitive skin. If this is a concern to you, it’s best to look for products that are made to be especially sensitive and not known to elicit rashes or reactions. We’ll try to point out the best options for you as we go.
A: Typically, it’s fine to wear makeup throughout the day as long as it’s not irritating your skin. If you’re sweating while wearing your highlighter makeup, or if your skin is especially oily, you may need to reapply during the day for the best possible look and coverage. On the shelf or in your makeup bag, highlighter makeup will usually last somewhere between one and two years before it expires.
