The best highlighters for all skin tones and types

From high-beam powders to glassy liquids, these are the next-gen illuminators to try now

BY ROBERTA SCHROEDER

 21 JUL 2022

HARPER’S BAZAAR

Highlighters have long been the show-offs of the make-up world. Sparkly and shimmery, wrapped up in gilded packaging, these illuminating powders and creams are designed with magpies in mind. But a great highlighter shouldn’t be reserved solely for festivals and nightclubs – in fact, this season’s best new launches are destined to become a key component in your everyday line-up. The trick is simply to choose the right one.

Sure, there’s a time and a place for disco-ball shimmer, but to really trick the light, a softer stance is better, as Glossier’s European make-up artist Celia Burton explains. “Balms and creams have a texture that’s much closer to the skin’s natural form – we don’t tend to look powdery naturally. So to use highlighters (or blushes) with this consistency keeps the skin looking human.”

HOW TO APPLY HIGHLIGHTER

The joy of balm and cream highlighters is that you can simply dab them on with your finger – but if you prefer a brush, a small synthetic foundation or concealer brush works just as well. However, be aware that buffing with a brush is likely to shift any base products you’ve applied beneath. “If you have a heavy-ish base on, use a finger. If not so much, use a brush,” adds Burton.

While creams and balms can deliver believable gleam like no other, nothing rivals a powder when it comes to impact and staying power. “A powder is good for a more ‘make-up-y’ finish, which isn’t a bad thing,” says Burton. Using a fluffy brush, swirl yours over a base of foundation and setting powder to ensure an even, airbrushed effect.

WHERE TO PLACE HIGHLIGHTER

When faking a glow, It’s not just the texture you should consider – positioning is crucial too. “Highlighter should be placed where light naturally hits the face – the cheek, top of the cheek bone, brow bone, Cupid’s bow and chin,” says Burton.

THE FINISHING TOUCH

Really, an iridescent highlighter atop a foundation is all you need for a year-round glow, but a pop of blush can take things into even brighter territory. “Try applying the highlight after your blush: layering the two together helps to take down any metallic frostiness and keeps it looking really natural,” says Burton. “Again, I like to use something nice and creamy like Glossier’s  for blush: it’s lightweight, buffs out beautifully and has the best shade range.”

Here, see the best face highlighters to call on for a grown-up glow, day or night.

The 15 best highlighters to try this season

BEST POWDER HIGHLIGHTER

DIORfeelunique.com

Forever Luminizer

FEELUNIQUE

£41.00

Dior’s powder highlighter comes in a collection of warm, almost pinkish shades that are more flattering than a yellow-gold. The finish is fine and easily buildable: think candlelight, not disco-ball.

BEST TWO-TONE HIGHLIGHTER

Tom Fordfeelunique.com

Sheer Highlighting Duo

FEELUNIQUE

£64.00

Shimmer is always sophisticated when done by Tom Ford. An in-demand piece from the annual Soleil collection, this highlighting palette features two sheer, tonal shades, both of which deliver tan-enhancing colour alongside satiny shine, rather than chunky flecks of glitter. They look spectacular worn as eyeshadow, too.

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW

BEST STICK HIGHLIGHTER

Victoria Beckham Beautyvictoriabeckhambeauty.com £36

Reflect Highlighter Stick

VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY

SHOP NOW

Balmy without being greasy, Victoria Beckham’s first highlighter delivers a light-reflecting gleam that always looks flattering. It contains tiny pearlescent particles that look softer and subtler than glitter, and can be simply swiped on the top of your cheekbones and blended with a finger.

BEST SHIMMERING HIGHLIGHTER

Charlotte Tilburycharlottetilbury.com

Beauty Light Wand

CHARLOTTE TILBURY

£29.00

This is the product behind Phoebe Dynevor’s show-stealing skin at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards. In fact, it’s quite the make-up artist’s secret weapon, thanks to the way it creates creamy, wet-look highlights that balance red-carpet impact with a flattering finish.

The original Spotlight shade is a warm champagne gold, while Pinkgasm delivers a pearly-pink gleam that looks especially beautiful on very pale skin.

BEST NATURAL HIGHLIGHTER

Chanelfeelunique.com

Baume Essentielle

FEELUNIQUE

£35.00

A high-pigment highlighter can look beautiful, but rarely believable. If you’re looking for something to enhance a ‘no make-up’ look, opt instead for one of the new school of clever clear highlighters. This swipe-on stick from Chanel contains a translucent, subtly iridescent balm that looks juicy and luminous all day long. Dab it onto bare skin, or try it over a tinted moisturiser.

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW

BEST LIQUID HIGHLIGHTER

Valentino Beautyselfridges.com

V-Lighter Face Base and Top Coat Primer

SELFRIDGES

£46.00

Valentino Beauty had landed, and this liquid highlighter is perhaps the star of the whole collection. Available in two shades (one pearly, one peachy) and free from give-away glitter, it blends seamlessly onto the skin – or into a drop of foundation – to impart a sublime sheen. The luminosity lasts all day without smudging or settling into lines: no easy feat.

BEST DEWY HIGHLIGHTER

Westman Atelier

Lit Up Highlight Stick

FARFETCH

£44.00

As you’d likely expect from make-up artist Gucci Westman, this balmy highlighter leads to incredible-looking skin. The melting 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. A must-try.

BEST MULTI-USE HIGHLIGHTER

Milk Makeup

Bionic Glow

CULT BEAUTY

£26.00

This one looks a little intimidating squeezed straight from the tube, but melts into skin to deliver a sheer shine. Blend it into your foundation for all-over radiance, dab it strategically over cheekbones, or simply wear it on fresh, moisturised skin for an ultra-flattering result.

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW

Chanelboots.com

Le Blanc De Chanel Multi Use Illuminating Base

BOOTS

£41.00

Chanel’s classic illuminating liquid can be used in multiple ways: wear it as a primer for a soft hint of radiance, blend it into your liquid foundation to sheer out the coverage, or use it as the final step in your routine to pick out the peaks of your cheekbones. The pearly hue suits all skin tones.

BEST BRONZE HIGHLIGHTER

Pai Skincarecultbeauty.co.uk

The Impossible Glow

CULT BEAUTY

£29.00

If you prefer all-over luminosity to spotlit cheekbones, Pai’s new launch could be perfect. The natural oil blend looks worryingly pigmented in the bottle, but a single drop, blended into your moisturiser or foundation, equates to a sheer glow that works on all tones. Boosted with algae and hyaluronic acid, it comes with good-for-skin credentials, too.

BEST GEL HIGHLIGHTER

Kevyn Aucoinfeelunique.com

Glass Glow Face

FEELUNIQUE

£26.00

Kevyn Aucoin has long been known for creating sophisticated, glow-enhancing face products. Quite unlike any other highlighter, Glass Glow is a non-tacky gel infused with light-reflecting particles. Don’t try to blend it – it looks its wet-look best when simply dabbed over the highest points of your face. Darker skin tones, take note: there are some especially flattering, unique shades to be found here.

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW

BEST HIGHLIGHTER FOR BRIDES

HourglassSpace NK

Ambient Lighting Powder

SPACE NK

£45.00

This perfecting powder is a firm favourite with brides, thanks to the soft-focus radiance it imparts in all lighting conditions (even in the harsh flash of a camera). The pearlescent pigments are more finely milled than most, allowing for the smoothest results, and the shades are all soft, natural and flattering.

BEST ALL-OVER HIGHLIGHTER

MAClookfantastic.com

Strobe Cream

LOOKFANTASTIC

£28.00

Powders can look patchy on dry skin, so a hydrating liquid will always be your best bet. MAC’s Strobe Cream is a long-loved classic, now available in five light-reflecting shades. The secret to its popularity lies in its versatility: blend into your moisturiser or foundation, apply it on top, or sweep it over eyelids.

BEST CLEAR HIGHLIGHTER

GUCCIselfridges.com

Eclat De Beauté Effet Lumière

SELFRIDGES

£18.00

This one will not be for everyone – true to Gucci’s standard-skewing aesthetic, it offers an out-of-the-box way to light up skin.Simple yet strikingly effective, the clear jelly brings reflective shine to cheekbones and eyelids, making skin look mega-hydrated without even a pinch of pigment.

BEST BLUSH / HIGHLIGHTER HYBRID

Chantecaillelibertylondon.com

Liquid Lumire Highlighter

LIBERTY

£37.00

This blush/highlight hybrid is the perfect choice for anyone who also wants a touch of face-brightening colour. A truly elegant formula, the silky cream can be blended over cheekbones with a brush or finger, and is easily buildable for extra intensity.