A little highlighter can do a lot for a makeup look. Whether you’re hoping to achieve a natural glow or really want your high points to pop, there’s an illuminator that will give you the perfect iridescent finish before you head out. But which shimmer is right for you? Have no fear, we’ve rounded up the best highlighters around to make your selection process as simple as can be. Scroll on to find the ideal illuminator for you!
1. Best Blendable Highlighter:
FLOSS Highlighter
For us, the key to a great highlighter is how blendable it is without a brush. We often resort to using our fingers to apply an extra bit of glow to our complexion and have found that this is the perfect highlighter to do that with because it blends well with our fingertips, leaving a subtle glow. But more than that, it’s incredibly pigmented. One IPSY member was quick to say that while they aren’t typically fans of sparkly highlighters, they love that “this one does have great pigmentation.” We too enjoy the shimmer it leaves on our cheekbones and browbones for a high-impact makeup look.
2. Best Highlighter for All-Over Glowy Skin:
RARE BEAUTY Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight
Selena Gomez knew what she was doing when she whipped up this liquid highlighter in the RARE BEAUTY labs because it’s more of a multi-hyphenate product than you may suspect. “I actually use it more as a bronzer,” says one IPSY member. Another shares they use it “with liquid or pressed blush to add zing.” We personally love to mix it in with our face moisturizer and body lotion to give our skin the right amount of glow from head to toe.
3. Best Long-Lasting Highlighter:
FENTY BEAUTY Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter
Looking for a highlighter that will last all day and all night? This is the illuminator for you. The FENTY BEAUTY Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter is a cream-to-powder highlighter that provides a versatile glow for every skin tone without streaking or creasing, so it won’t accentuate any fine lines or wrinkles either. Apply it to the high points of your face (a.k.a. cheekbones, browbones, Cupid’s bow, bridge of the nose, and temples) for a glittery payoff that catches the light in all the right places. We’ve even learned that this highlighter can work as an eyeshadow or lipstick, courtesy of some very clever IPSY members. “I use them as eyeshadow and even over chapstick to create a super pigmented lip color (just pat the color on over a generous layer of chapstick your lips won’t dry and it’s kind of a matt shimmer look),” says one. Another does the same and notes how easy it is to apply with only their fingers to their cheekbones, eyelids, browbones, and wherever they want to complete their makeup look.
4. Best Clean Highlighter:
IBY BEAUTY Radiant Glow Highlighter
A highlighter free of skin-irritating ingredients that’s also cruelty-free? Sign us up! This shimmery highlighter is made without talc, mineral oil, and parabens, and instead features nourishing ingredients like rosehip seed oil and vitamin E to give your complexion a healthy glow. Just ask this IPSY member who raves about the product: “It makes you look like you’ve been struck by a magical beam of light and instantly adds the appearance of health to the face!” Who doesn’t want a face that looks like it was struck by a magical beam of light? Add this highlighter to your makeup routine stat.
5. Best Buildable Highlighter:
ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Stick Highlighter
If there’s one thing ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS is going to do, it’s create a beauty product that will have people thinking your face was beat by a makeup artist when you used one product to create a sun-kissed glow. “Its non-sticky formula was easy to blend and layer to create an ultimate glowy finish,” one reviewer raves. “In one swipe, I created a natural glow that blended out effortlessly. Its smudge-proof formula melted into my skin giving me a streak-proof finish that lasted all day!” The cream highlighter stick provides a diamond-like shimmer that can be subtle or as bright as the sun thanks to its buildable formula. And if you ever feel like you have too much on, use the brush on the other end to wipe away whatever you no longer want on your face.
6. Best Highlighter for a Dewy Glow:
BENEFIT COSMETICS High Beam Liquid Highlighter
Even if you’ve never tried a BENEFIT COSMETICS product before, you’ve likely been introduced to the brand’s TikTok viral lip and cheek tint. But we really want to put you on to their High Beam Liquid Highlighter for the all-over glow you’ll get with this product. We like to apply it underneath our concealer to create a shimmery finish that lasts. Sometimes we’ll even apply a dab on top of our blush to add some dewiness to our final makeup look. You really can’t go wrong with this product no matter how you choose to apply it.
7. Best Highlighter for Beginners:
HOURGLASS COSMETICS Vanish™ Flash Highlighting Stick
There is no highlighter easier to apply than this one from HOURGLASS COSMETICS, making it our fave rec for those who are novices to the world of highlighters. It has a unique triangular bullet tip for precise application and the formula is made with hollow microspheres for a weightless finish. What we appreciate is the soft-focus technology that lends itself to leaving behind a near perfect highlight with each swipe. You cannot mess up applying this highlighter.
8. Best Highlighter for a Natural Finish:
CIATÉ LONDON Glow-To Highlighter
Sometimes you want a highlighter that will provide more of a natural finish than one that’s full of shimmer and shine. We could rave endlessly about this one from CIATÉ LONDON, but instead, we’ll let IPSY member Brenna P. sing its praises. “The highlighter is incredibly pigmented, delivering a radiant glow that’s simply stunning. What I love most is its balance—it’s not too intense, avoiding that silvery or gold sheen that some highlighters leave. Instead, it adds the perfect touch of luminosity to my face, enhancing my features in the most natural and flattering way. If you’re looking for a highlighter that’s both beautiful and versatile, this is definitely the one to go for!” We couldn’t agree more, Brenna. Our complexion is always radiant after we use this powder highlighter.
9. Best Blush and Highlighter Duo:
SOPHIA + MABELLE Two Pretty Palette
Blush and highlighter go together like PB&J so why buy two products when you can get them both in one? The SOPHIA + MABELLE Two Pretty Palette features a rose blush and champagne highlighter that IPSY member Zydasia R. notes “go best together [and] they blend super, super well—no patchiness.” Because they are of a creamier consistency, we find that the blush and highlighter are best applied with our fingers to better blend into our cheeks and cheekbones.
10. Best Highlighter Palette:
SHADES BY SHAN Highlighter Palette
Filled with four illuminating highlighters in multi-toned golds and champagne shades, we love the variety in this palette. It’s easy to use the same highlighter over and over and over again, but sometimes we need a little reminder to switch it up. That’s why we reach for this palette on occasion to break us out of our makeup ruts. This palette in particular is great for creating a more natural glow, even when used on your eyelids, according to an IPSY member review. “This stuff is great! Creamy and a beautiful shimmer. Not obnoxious at all. Gives a beautiful glow! I use it on my eyes too to keep it natural when I’m in a hurry,” they say. We like doing the same and because there are so many options in this palette, we can use one highlighter on our high points and another on our eyes to add some dimension to the look.
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