Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last year, you’ve probably heard of highlighting your face. It’s been a trend for a while in the contouring world, but has really come out to shine within the last year. Highlighting is my favorite makeup trend, and if it’s not already, it’ll be yours too. I thought it would be best to see what the highlighters looked like in real life, so my friends and I modeled them! Here are the top 10 highlighters to use this spring, tested and approved by the Summer Harvey Squad. Note: I love all of these highlighters equally, so order of rank on this list doesn’t really mean anything.
1. NYX Away We Glow in Moon Glow White Pearl for $7
This is my all time, number one favorite highlighter. A great thing about it is that it can look natural intense with different blending techniques.
My Tip: After you apply, blend it into your skin right away. It dries quickly, which makes it hard to blend.
2. Wet n Wild Color Icon Rainbow Highlighter in Unicorn Glow for $6
I got this last week and I love it! This is based off of the “Bitter Lace Beauty” product that was released last spring and almost immediately sold out. Luckily, Wet n Wild made a great dupe!
My Tip: Don’t over blend this product. The colors can easily mix together and look muddy.
3. Milk Holographic Stick for $28
This highlight rocks. I don’t own it yet, but I’ve worn my friend’s Holo Stick before and I love it! This is my friend Matt modeling the product, which is creamy and glides onto your face easily.
My Tip: The Holo Stick is very pigmented, so multiple layers looks great on darker skin, but lighter skin tones may want to be light handed in application.
Watt’s Up! is a cult classic, and is rated pretty highly on any “Best Highlighters” website. I don’t own this either, but Simone, modeling below, does and I love to borrow it! In the stick, it looks more bronzy, but when applied, I think it takes on a lighter tone. I personally like both looks!
My Tip: Make sure to blend the edges after application. Without blending this product, it looks like you ran a shiny crayon over your face.
5. Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder in Bronze Glow for $48
I’ve never worn this product, but because it’s way too dark for my skin. I was talking to my friend Paula Marie, who is in the picture, and she says that this is her favorite highlighter. It also comes in some lighter shades, and is part of the Bobbi Brown Nude Glow collection.
Tip from Bobbi Brown Makeup Artist, Kai Vinson: Less is more. Over applying this product can make your face look too shimmery. (Personally, I don’t believe you can every look too shimmery.)
6. BECCA Liquid Skin Perfector in Moonstone for $41
[FYI: I’ve covered a lot of liquid highlighters here, because that’s what I like. But, if you’re more of a fan of creams or powders, this highlighter is great for you too! All of the shades in the liquid line also come in cream and pressed powder compact versions as well. ] I like this liquid highlighter a lot for natural looks, because it has a very thin consistency that blends well into skin for a barely there shimmer. In fact, I think one of the best ways to use it is to mix it with a tinted moisturizer or foundation for an all over dewy look. Every beauty blogger has a BECCA highlighter, and for good reason. This product is high quality, has a classy look, and can match with almost any makeup trend. If I didn’t actually have a tip on technique, my tip would be to buy this immediately!!
My Tip: If you have dry skin, the liquid version will be great for you. But, if you have oilier skin, I would go with one of the powder versions so it doesn’t slide off of your face.
I haven’t worn this product since 9th grade when I was given it as a gift, but I do remember loving it. My friend Melissa, who is modeling in the picture, loves High Beam and says it’s a staple in her makeup bag! It’s very light, but gives your face a nice natural glow. A good way to transition High Beam from spring to summer is to pair it with its sister product, Benefit Sun Beam.
My Tip: Like most liquid highlighters, blend quickly before it dries. Luckily, this blends pretty easily, and comes with an applicator that does most of the job for you.
8. NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam for $7.50
Can you tell I love NXY? Born to Glow is one of my favorites. It applies as smoothly as a BB Cream, and is super blendable. That being said, it doesn’t slide off of your face like you might expect something soft and “BB Cream” like to do! It has great staying power, and can last from morning to your night out. It’ll be great for spring and summer because it won’t melt off your face, even in notorious Charlottesville humidity. Sunbeam is a mix between a pearl and a light peach, but on the skin, it develops some shiny silvery tones, as you can see in my *headshot*. It looks great on all skin tones, and I want to get a new bottle sometime very soon. (BONUS: Some beauty bloggers have even called this a dupe of “High Beam,” but 3x cheaper!)
My Tip: Unless you want an intense shimmer, you’ll need to blend this out for a more natural look.
9. Lancome Glow Subtil Silky Creme Highlighter in Glowing Lights for $30
My friend let me borrow this highlighter, and I love it. The product seamlessly blends into your skin with both a Beauty Blender or a brush. The warm, gold color gives your cheeks a natural glow that makes you look like you went to Mexico over Spring Break (even if you went home and slept for seven days like I did). The cream turns into a powder consistency once applied to your face, and is pretty much smudge proof. I would recommend this product to anyone; it’s completely worth the splurge.
My Tip: For a beach babe look, forgo the blush and just let the bronzy shimmer do its thing.
10. NYX Glitter Brilliants in Ice for $6
This is my RA, Jess, modeling NYX Glitter Brilliants in Ice. While this isn’t actually labeled as a “highlighter,” it’s a super fun and creative way to bring attention to those cheekbones. If you’re worried, like I was, about the glitter irritating your skin, that isn’t a concern at all! It doesn’t irritate me, and it comes off pretty easily. I think this glitter is great because it comes in tons of shades, it’s cheap, and you can use it a million different ways for different looks.
My Tip: Use this with some sort of base, whether it be primer, foundation, or a cream/liquid highlight. The glitter will need something to stick to for it to be long lasting. Now *glow* out into the world with your shimmer this spring.