When it comes to glowing skin, sometimes you have to fake it until you can finally commit to drinking eight glasses of water daily. And that is where the highlighter comes in. A good highlighter will not only revive dull or tired complexions but also add youthfulness to the skin. A good highlighter should melt into your prepped or bare skin seamlessly, and a buildable one is even better for dialling up the glow on the go. With so many face highlighters currently on the market, we’ve narrowed things down to only the highest performers. From highlighter sticks and creams to glosses and gel-meets-powder formulas, these are the best highlighters of 2021.
Best Everyday Highlighters
Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow Highlighter – Cosmic Rose, £27
Elevated Glow by Lisa Eldridge is the perfect highlighter with buildable coverage ideal for subtle and glam makeup looks! Its unique liquid formula contains multicoloured shimmering pearl pigments in a sheer, lightly tinted and skin adaptive base. Use it to add an amplified luminous glow to the high points of the face whilst simultaneously delivering skin benefits such as subtle lifting, tightening and smoothing effects. This unique highlighter/skincare hybrid hydrates and moisturizes the skin thanks to Glycerin, Tamarind Indica Seed and Oatmeal Kernel extracts.
Best Dewy Highlighters
Saie Dew Balm – Bronze Nectar, £16
When it comes to radiance-enhancing highlighters, Saie’s Dew Balm is a real game-changer. This non-glittery highlighter is more dewy than strobelike and gives skin the most gorgeous, alluring sheen. With its cushiony texture, Dew Balm plumps, hydrates and smooths the skin with feel-good moisturizers and dewy illuminators (Hyaluronic Acid and Marshmallow Root). Warm a small amount between your fingers and tap into the skin for the perfect daytime glow or build it up for increased luminosity.
Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick – Brûlée, £44
As you’d likely expect from clean beauty brand Westman Atelier, this luxuriously silky highlighter leads to incredible-looking skin. The balmy texture creates a wet-look gleam on the high points of the face, with just the right amount of pigment to bounce the light from cheekbones. Flattering, light-catching undertones and skin firming ingredients leave a dewy, glass-like finish. A quick and hydrating way to perk up dull skin. Dab over cheeks, the bridge of the nose, cupid’s bow, lips and lids.
Give your skin an instant dewy glow as though you’ve just stepped off a tropical beach with REFY’s Gloss Highlighter. The non-stick, universal formula can be applied over makeup or as a primer base, giving you the perfect glass-like glow. Ingredients include natural oils and minerals to add moisture and blend seamlessly, leaving your skin feeling smooth and silky.
Best Iridescent Highlighters
Bobbi Brown Face Highlighter – Pink Glow, £30
Bobbi Brown’s Face Highlighter contains just enough iridescent pigment to bring skin to life without looking overdone. The liquid formula shifts slightly pink when the light hits it and settles into the skin to avoid slipping and sliding. Weightless, blendable, and effortless to apply, Face Highlighter layers seamlessly under foundation or can be mixed into it for an all-over dewy glow.
Jouer Cosmetics Powder Highlighter – Citrine, £19
The Powder Highlighter from Jouer Cosmetics is made from ultra-fine pearls and luminescent pigments to illuminate the skin creating a lit-from-within glow. The Powder Highlighter can be worn alone or layered over any complexion product without drying out the skin or settling into fine lines. Use a soft powder brush or fingertips to apply it. Available in eight beautiful shades, we’ve chosen Citrine for its shimmering golden lustre, perfect for summer tans.
Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Ultra Glow Highlighter, £47
The Skin Fetish Ultra Glow Highlighter from Pat McGrath Labs imbues skin with a dewy, wet-look glow. This futuristic gel-meets-powder highlighter contains high-purity crystalline pigments to deliver its luminous wet look effect. A combination of iridescent and pearlescent pigments provides skin with a luxurious dewy glow suitable for the eyes and face. For ideal radiance, McGrath recommends applying it to the high points of the face using fingertips.
4 Must-Have Highlighter Applicators
Wet n Wild Fan Brush, £4.99
Sigma Beauty Tapered Highlighter Brush – F35-1, £20.40
Beautyblender – Original Makeup Applicator Sponge, £17
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