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The Best Highlighters to Dial Up Your Glow
Hands up if you love highlighters. If, like us, you haven’t put them down since 2016, then check out our guide of the very best highlighters to hit the market. From dew-inducing liquid highlighters to glittery-finish glosses, we’re taking you through highlighter wands, cream highlighters, powder blushers, and under-foundation highlighting primers - to showcase the shining scale of highlighter makeup. Whether you like a full-face or more natural finish, we’ve handpicked our favourites to take your complexion routine to the next dimension.
How do you apply highlighter?
If you’re wondering where you can put highlighter, the limit does not exist! You can apply on your collar bones, cheekbones, nose, eyelids, forehead, and all-over as a glowing base. Depending on your fave highlighter formula, you can swipe on with a highlighter brush, sponge, or simply with your fingertips. Focus on areas that the sun would illuminate naturally and you’re golden.
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r.e.m Beauty
Interstellar Highlighter Topper
Best for out-of-this-world shine
Take your highlighter to another dimension with this luminous cheek, face, and body powder. One of the best highlighters for adding some serious shine, it contains vegetable-derived emollients so the formula melts onto your face and blends beautifully. We love the Icy Mint and Iridescent Lavender shades to add an ethereal glow to our makeup. If you’re going for full-face glam, apply some setting spray first for a disco-ball bounce.
Tried and tested: “There is no other highlighter I’d use for a going-out look. I love the bold shades and bright pigment that brings your makeup to life.” - Tassia, Content Assistant at Sephora UK
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REFY
GLOSS HIGHLIGHTER
Best for a glass-like glow
The brow brand we love stole our hearts with their highlighter, too, with this non-stick, liquid highlighter made with natural oils and minerals to effortlessly blend into skin. We love how this leaves our skin looking silky and hydrated, like sunshine in a bottle! Containing no glitter, it’s the ideal formula for those who prefer the barely-there look. Apply liberally all over your body and bask in the natural glow.
Tried and tested: “If you’re looking for the 'wet' skin look, this is exactly what you need!! I’m literally obsessed. Gives the most beautiful wet glow without being shimmery or glittery.” - Customer Review
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Ole Henriksen
Banana Bright Face Primer
Best for pre-makeup prep
Inspired by the bestselling Banana Bright Eye Cream, this is the best highlighter for instantly colour correcting and brightening your complexion. Whether you love to wear it on its own, under makeup, or dabbed on top as a liquid highlighter, it’s a game-changer for glowing skin. One for less-is-more makeup lovers, the subtle sparkle keeps skin looking like skin while highlighting your natural beauty.
Tried and tested: “I really enjoy this primer. I have been looking for a glowy, hydrating primer for a long time and all the others that I have tried fall short. This one looks beautiful on its own, gives your skin an even and dewy appearance.” - Tayana, Customer Review
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Gucci
Eclat de Beaute Effet Lumiere Gel Face Gloss
Best for gel-like texture
The crème de la crème of cream highlighters, this luxe formula from Gucci looks as beautiful on the skin as it does in the jar. For eyes, lips, and cheeks, this innovative gel glides onto the face and is highly reflective, providing the ultimate lit-from-within look. Whether you choose to wear it over or under your makeup, this is *the* best highlighter for dewy, summer skin.
Tried and tested: “I found the Gucci Éclat De Beaute Effet Lumiere balm extremely versatile. I was able to add a glossy dimension to my eye makeup and also use this product as a highlighter and clear lipgloss. I found application was best using a beauty sponge and a small amount of balm goes a long way!” - Alice, Customer Review
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Hourglass
Ambient Lighting Palette
Best for multi-dimensional glow
Create endless highlighter makeup looks with the light, medium, and darker shades in this pearlescent palette. We’re in love with how this pressed-pearl formula reflects the light and creates a soft-focus shimmer on the skin. Our tip? Apply as an iridescent eyeshadow in your inner corners to brighten up the eyes.
Tried and tested: “I absolutely love this palette. Every shade in this palette works for me! The lighter shade is great for under the eye to brighten. The middle shade is fab for all over, and the darker shade is lovely for my cheekbones and the top of my forehead after using a cream bronzer.” - Megan, Customer Review
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ICONIC London
Illuminator Drops
Best for iconic illumination
Beloved by makeup artists, celebs, and us, these drops started our obsession with liquid highlighter and have been must-haves in our makeup bags ever since. A concentrated shimmer formula that melts onto the skin, there’s light-reflecting pigment in every drop so you can build to your desired shine. You can even mix with your favourite foundation for the dewy complexion of dreams.
Tried and tested: “Finally I can achieve that dewy skin look without looking greasy! Love this highlighter and it lasts for such a long time.” - Johanna, Customer Review
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Charlotte Tilbury
Glowgasm Beauty Light Wand
Best for easy application
One of the best highlighters on the market, this wand really does feel like *magic* on the skin. With a soft pad that evenly applies the perfect amount of pigment, simply glide on and glow. The best part? It’s packed with nourishing ingredients like sensorial oil and Lindera Extract to mimic the soft-focus of light and melt into your complexion. If, like us, you can’t pick between the warm, cold, and pink shades, then mix-and-match the colours to catch the full spectrum of shimmer.
Tried and tested: “Luckily it's everything I thought it would be (and more)! I use it as a blush-turned-highlighter on my cheekbones. It's really lightweight, easy to apply, lovely shade, just enough shimmer (but not too much) and blends really nicely.” - Emily, Customer Review
