The Absolute Best Highlighters for Looking Less Tired (2024)

obsessive tester

By Lauren Adhav and Kendall Becker

Additional reporting done by Bianca Nieves

The Absolute Best Highlighters for Looking Less Tired (1)

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Kendall Becker

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If you think your skin still looks a little tired or dull even after your meticulous beauty routine, a highlighter can help in the makeup department. Whether it comes in the form of a powder compact, a liquid gel, or a creamy stick, a highlighter’s job is to instantly brighten skin by attracting light, creating the illusion of being well rested.

So, you’re looking for the best highlighters?

Our top picks
More tried-and-true options
FAQs
Our experts

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Our Top Picks

The Best Natural Glow

The Absolute Best Highlighters for Looking Less Tired (2)

Photo: Kendall Becker

Photo: Retailer

Type: Liquid | Shades: 3 | Size: 0.5 oz

As someone who prefers a more subtle, could-be-natural glow, the Nu Halo Tint is my go-to for everyday shine. It perfectly captures the light without looking glittery or overly glamorous for daytime. I apply a smaller-than-a-pea-size drop to each of my cheekbones, then swipe the excess along the bridge of my nose and Cupid’s bow and underneath the arches of my brows. The formula seamlessly melts into my base makeup without disrupting it. You can also mix this into your foundation to create a radiant, natural glow.

The Best for Precise Application

The Absolute Best Highlighters for Looking Less Tired (4)

Photo: Kendall Becker

Type: Stick | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.14 oz

Not into an all-over glow? Try this balm from Merit that provides a subtle glow and targeted application instead. The stick glides right onto the high points of your face and can easily be blended out with your fingers. And don’t expect a streak of sparkles with this product — the results are dewy and luminous. The Day Glow balm is ideal for those mornings when you need a little extra help looking like you got more sleep than you actually did.

The Most Pigmented Highlighter

The Absolute Best Highlighters for Looking Less Tired (6)

Photo: Kendall Becker

Photo: Retailer

Type: Liquid | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.5 oz

One thing about Rare Beauty complexion products? They’re always highly pigmented — and the Positive Light Liquid Luminizer is no exception. The formula will leave your cheekbones beaming, plus it’s blendable and long-wearing. I suggest applying a small amount of product, then building it up depending on what type of makeup look you’re going for and how much glow you want.

More Tried-and-True Options

The Best Liquid Shimmer Highlighter

Type: Liquid | Shades: 2 | Size: 0.45 oz

A little goes a long way with this bold highlighter. Trust us. The dropper top means you can dot some into your moisturizer or foundation or right onto your skin. Or you can dab this formula onto the high points of your face, like cheek and brow bones. It comes in several shades and looks like molten shine. “This is the ultimate ‘glow to the gods’ highlighter and there’s nothing else like it,” one reviewer wrote. “I dab it on my cheeks, I add it to body moisturizer. I would drown in it if I could!” We love a dramatic review.

The Buttery Highlighter

Type: Stick | Shades: 7 |

In a stick form with absolutely no shimmer at all, this is one of the easiest highlighters to use. The reviewers, especially those with 50-plus-year aged skin, love that this gives a natural and moisturized not-greasy look to skin that doesn’t settle into pores or lines. This stick is also one of Rumsey’s favorites to use on clients. “The color range is so good, and it really looks correct.”

The Best Multi-Use Highlighter

Type: Gel | Shades: 3 | Size: 1.0 oz

This lightweight gel highlighter from Saie happens to be perfect for nailing the “clean” look that’s been trending lately. Just a few drops leaves you with an all-over subtle and believable glow that makes you look like someone who drinks enough water, gets enough sleep, and skips face makeup altogether because your skin is that good.

The TikTok-Famous Highlighter

Type: Liquid | Shades: 3 | Size: 0.41 oz

There are plenty of viral TikTok beauty products that have not lived up to their promised hype. This is not one of them. After going viral as a way to mimic Bella Hadid’s glow-y jawline, this highlighter became a fan favorite because it’s super-easy to apply and provides a glow that will last all day.

The Best Highlighter for Glass Skin

Type: Liquid | Shades: 1 | Size: 1.0 oz

If you want the surface of your skin to resemble a “glazed donut,” this high-shine highlighter will get you that glass skin you desire. Its formula is 50 percent gloss, 50 percent pearlescent sheen, which ensures your skin looks 100 percent reflective. It comes in five shades ranging from Crystal Clear (your go-to if you want to be glazed) to more bronze-y rose-gold options if you want to look more sun kissed or fresh faced and flushed.

The Best Highlighter Powder

Type: Powder | Shades: 3 |

Brand founder Carisa Janes created this product to mimic the soft glow produced by pink-tinged light bulbs. This palette is a favorite of makeup artists because it functions as a dewy-looking setting powder. Rumsey recommends a powder highlight like this one for those with more oily skin, and says to apply it with a small fluffy brush for precision to give areas like your cheeks and brow bones more radiance. “The texture and color range is spot on, and it has more of a subtle finish,” he says.Emphasis on subtle, so if you want a strong-looking highlighter, many people choose to apply an additional creamy one over top.

The Best Luxury Highlighter

Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor

Type: Powder | Shades: 2 |

This jeweled compact is designed by an actual jeweler. With a decent-size mirror and small feathered brush, it’s completely portable. The lavender, mint, and peach highlighting powders contain two types of pearls. It appears shimmery in the case but softly illuminates without leaving the skin sparkly.

The Best Highlighter for Deep Skin Tones

Type: Liquid | Shades: 5 | Size: 0.35 oz

“I’m still drawn to this OG highlighter because it was among the first products that truly complemented my skin tone, and it remains a staple for me today,” says beauty director-at-large Maya Allen. Described by the brand as a “slow-baked” powder, it delicately imparts copper-toned, radiant flecks of gold onto the skin, creating a stunning reflective effect in the light.

The Best Highlighter for Mature Skin

Type: Cream | Shades: 1 | Size: 1.0 oz

Honestly, the smell of this cream is divisive, but if you want to give it a whirl and find that it doesn’t bother you, Baddour swears by it and calls it an essential in her makeup kit. It gives the “perfect plump to the skin for a natural dew, and you can put it virtually anywhere.”She puts it on eyelids for summer and says the lanolin base soothes and hydrates your skin while highlighting it. If you prefer something that’s a little more skin care than highlighter but still gives you a natural glow, you may want to try this formula. Fun fact: Prince Harry detailed in his memoir, Spare, that his late mother, Princess Diana, used this cream and the smell reminds him of her. (He also wrote that he once used this cream on his frostbitten penis. He loves to overshare.)

The Best for All Skin Tones

Type: Liquid | Shades:5 | Size: 13 mL

Rumsey says he’s in “LOVE” with this highlighter. All capital letters. “The color range and the texture are perfection, and it works on all skin tones and textures.” It comes in five shades that complement your unique skin color, and you get all the hydrating benefits of glycerin, tamarin indica seed, and oat-kernel extract.

The Rihanna Highlighter

Type: Powder| Shades: 7 | Size: 0.12 oz

Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line has been praised for its wide range of shades and tones. Of all the products in the range, the Killawatt highlighter is among the most buzzed about. The shades, which come either as a solo or duos, look more intense and shimmery in the packaging than on your face. This one (called Lightening Dust / Fire Crystal) illuminates the skin with a soft pearlescent sheen that can be toned down for day or amped up for night.

The Highlighter That’s Camera Ready

Type: Powder | Shades: 1 | Size: 0.45 oz

Brand founder Anastasia Soare’s highlighters are a longtime favorite of Kim Kardashian West. They come in various shades of soft, melty Champagne designed to feel luxurious and be very visible on-camera.

The Best Goop-y Highlighter

Type: Stick| Shades: 4 | Size: 0.45 oz

This highlighter looks expensive with its gilded packaging, and it feels that way too. It glides onto the skin like silk and leaves a soft, dewy look that lasts for hours. If you want something a little more obvious than the Chanel or Glossier and has a creamy formula, this is the one for you. Rumsey is a big fan of this formula, and it’s also a favorite of Gwyneth Paltrow’s.

The Fashion-Editorial Highlighter

Type: Balm | Shades: 2 |

Models such as Karlie Kloss are used to hearing fashion’s favorite makeup artist, Pat McGrath, command her team to bring her the “shiny stick!” Her supersecret highlighter is a creamy — not shimmery — formula that adds life and glow to skin. Thanks to its double end, you can choose exactly how shiny you want to be. One side contains a clear balm, while the other has a Champagne pigment. Use both for a true fashion-editorial effect.

The Best for Melanin-Rich Skin

Type: Liquid | Shades: 1 | Size: 0.14 oz

Ami Colé’s ethos is creating products that celebrate melanin-rich skin, and this highlighter balm does just that. With the sheerest amount of gold shimmer, the glossy balm swipes and blends easily into the skin for a subtle, natural glow over your “no makeup” look.

The Glossy Highlighter

Type: Liquid | Shades: 2 | Size: 0.67 oz

This highlighter from Refy truly lives up to its name. The ultra-glossy formula is perfect for a natural but high-shine finish. With just a hint of shimmer, the real star here is the cream formula that dries down to a glasslike finish.

FAQs

What are the skin benefits of a good highlighter?

In addition to the glow it gives, a highlighter can make your skin look plump and hydrated, says makeup artist Shaena Baddour. She prefers products that enhance your skin’s natural shine and don’t have too much shimmer, and makeup artist Robert Rumsey agrees. He gravitates toward formulas that aren’t overly pigmented and explains that you can always build up the product if you want a more striking effect. Texture is another important parameter for Rumsey: “I like a very smooth texture with powders, liquids, and cream highlighters. I find it the most flattering and natural.”

What type of highlighter should I choose?

Skin type can also help narrow down your product search. Baddour says if your skin is on the dry side or more textured, a balm or cream-based highlighter is what she recommends. For dry or normal skin, Rumsey prefers cream or a liquid formula applied with your fingertips. Both agree that oily skin is best for powders since they do double duty by helping set your makeup underneath. You can still use a cream or liquid highlighter sparingly if you have oily skin, but just be warned that the formulas could slide around on your face.

Since everyone loves a good beauty hack, we tested all of the most popular highlighters, taking notes on everything from their blending abilities to their texture (no glitter, please). In the end, we’ve pinpointed the 29 best highlighters for erasing dark shadows around the eyes, accenting high points on your face, and producing a (much-needed) “lit from within” glow.

Where should I add highlighter?

When it comes to highlighter, there are two different schools of thought: (1) Focus on the high points of the face where natural light would typically hit, like the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, brow bones, and Cupid’s bow. (2) Go for an all-over glow by mixing in product to your go-to foundation, resulting in a dewy, sun-kissed look. Neither way outshines the other (pun intended, sorry). Just decide which method is more appropriate for the makeup look you’re creating!

When should I apply highlighter in my routine?

Think of your highlighter as the finishing touch to your makeup look — you should apply the product after you’ve sculpted, contoured, and bronzed to your heart’s desire if you’re focusing on high-points. If you’re looking for an all-over glow, try mixing your highlighter into your liquid foundation before application.

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The Absolute Best Highlighters for Looking Less Tired
The Absolute Best Highlighters for Looking Less Tired (2024)
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