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Ranking The Best High-End Highlighters At Sephora

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter.

High-end highlighters from Sephora go viral on TikTok all of the time. They can be expensive and you may ask — is it really worth the hype? Should I stick to my drugstore highlighters that do the same job? Today I am going to discuss some of the best highlighters that are, in my opinion, 100% worth the money you spend. Whether you want a supernatural glow or an immediate blinding glow that you can spot from miles away, these highlighters will do the trick.

1. Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter 

One of my favorite highlighters has to be the Rare Beauty Positive Light. This highlighter retails for $25 at Sephora, which is a pretty reasonable price considering it is high-end. This highlighter is smooth, silky, and extremely blinding if you want to go for that bright, luminous look. It comes in four beautiful shades: champagne gold, cool white champagne, true gold, as well as a pretty pink rose gold. Not to mention this powder highlight won an Allure Beauty Award in 2023 and is also a vegan product that is suitable for all skin types and skin tones. 

2. Saie Super Gel Lightweight dewy highlighter 

This highlighter is seriously amazing. You can blend it in with your moisturizer and it will give you the most natural glow. If you’re looking for just a touch of gleam to your skin, it sits well under foundation and any other makeup products you decide to lay over it. This has to be one of the best natural highlighter products because it is clean, vegan, and contains ingredients that are good for your skin such as vitamin C, which helps brighten your skin, and rose-hip seed oil, which moisturizes your skin. So, you’re not only buying a lightweight, natural dewy highlighter but also you’re buying a product that is going to help your skin look more youthful and brightened. This highlighter has one shade which is Starglow. It is a universal champagne shade, in addition to Sunglow which is a warm bronzy shade that can be mixed into your favorite moisturizer. Both shades are available at sephora.com and the mini is sold for $16 and the full size costs $28.

3. Benefit Tickle powder highlighter

This Benefit highlighter retails for $35 and is the most gorgeous shimmery highlighter that is both pink and gold. Yes, pink and gold. This highlighter glides on pink but is gold once it sets on the skin. You get the best of both worlds with this highlighter. It is also a beautiful blush topper in addition to giving you that beautiful sun-kissed golden glow. This highlighter enhances your cheekbones and gives them a nice touch of pink and gold sparkle.

4. Charlotte Tilbury Glow Glide highlighter 

Charlotte Tilbury’s Glow Glide highlighter is also a well-loved highlighter. This highlight looks super natural and soft on the skin but can also be built up. It is great if you want a natural-looking highlighter that also has the ability to be just a little bit more shimmery but not too blinding. This highlighter retails for $48 but considering it is one of the high-end options, in my opinion, it is definitely worth it because they have many stunning shades that look great on all different types of skin. Aside from that, it comes in beautiful gold star Hollywood packaging, that also comes with a compact mirror. You glow darling!

5. Dior BACKSTAGE Glow Face Palette 001 Universal 

I have to say that this one definitely lives up to the hype it gets. With this Dior face palette, you get four stunning shades. There is one cool champagne, a pink, a gold, and a bronzy shade which all glisten on the skin, giving you such a stunning look to top off your makeup. Another great aspect of this product is that it’s not just for your cheekbones. You can use this as eyeshadow as well. This highlighter palette is pigmented, varies in different shades, and gives you an alluring look. What else could you want in a face palette? This product retails for $48.

After numerous Sephora shopping trips, I can now tell you which high-end highlights have worked the best for me and are worth the splurge. All of these highlighters have benefits, so you can’t go wrong with any one of them. Happy highlighter shopping!

Alyssa Naioti is a rising sophomore at the University of Connecticut. She is from Purchase, New York and plans to major in journalism with a minor in communications. Alyssa has a love for writing, including things such as makeup, wellness, pop culture, and entertainment. In the 2024 academic year, Alyssa Naioti was honored as the winning 'All Things Beauty Expert' by Her Campus UConn chapter, showcasing her passion and dedication to the beauty industry.