How To Choose the Best Highlighter Makeup for Your Routine
Whether you like a gentle shine or a bright, bold look, Highlighter Makeup there’s a makeup choice just right for you.
Highlighter makeup is a popular item in many people’s makeup kits because it can make your skin look bright, shiny, and natural. But it can be hard to pick the best one for you because there are so many types and finishes to choose from.
Do you want a soft, shiny look or a bright, glowing face to make your cheekbones stand out? Picking the right highlighter is important to get the look you want. Don’t worry, we’re here to help! We’ll explain the different types of highlighters, give tips on choosing the best one for you, and share some of our favorite highlighters to try. Get ready to shine!
What Is Highlighter Makeup?
Highlighter is a makeup product for your face that makes your skin look shiny and bright by reflecting light. It can give a soft, gentle glow or a strong, shiny effect, depending on the product. Some highlighters make your skin look naturally radiant, while others create a bold, shiny look for special occasions.
What does highlighter do?
Highlighter is a makeup product that makes your skin look bright and shiny. You put it on the parts of your face where the light hits normally, like your cheekbones, around your eyes, and along your nose. This makes your face look healthy and glowing. Depending on how you use it, highlighter can also make your bones look more defined, make your eyes seem bigger, or give your skin a fresh, dewy look.
Types of Highlighter Makeup
Highlighters come in different kinds like liquids, creams, powders, and sticks—each one has special advantages. Here’s a quick explanation of each type.
Liquid highlighter
Liquid highlighter makeup is a liquid that makes your skin shiny and glowing. It’s easy to put on more or less of it and to blend it in, so it’s good for people who like to change their makeup from simple to fancy looks.
If you want a shiny liquid highlighter to make your skin look bright and pretty, you can try the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer. It has ingredients like glycerin and shea butter that make your skin feel soft and moist without being heavy.
You can use it in many ways: dab it on the high parts of your face to make your cheekbones stand out, mix a little with your foundation to add a glowing finish, or wear it by itself like a light, shiny moisturizer. You can also use it as a bronzer—pick a shade a little darker than your skin and put it where you usually put bronzer to look like you’ve been in the sun.

Cream highlighter
Cream highlighters usually come as a stick, like a contour stick. They are soft and blend easily into the skin, giving a shiny, natural look. Cream highlighters are especially good for people with dry or older skin because they melt into the skin and don’t settle into tiny lines.
Our favorite in this group is the Highlighter Stick. It’s light and easy to use, and it comes in six colors—three shiny and three fresh-looking. You can put it straight onto your skin where you want a little glow. Because it’s a stick, it’s easy to carry and use whenever you need a quick touch-up.

Powder highlighter
If you want your skin to look really shiny and bright, using a powder highlighter is a good choice. These highlighters come in a small, flat container like blush and have tiny shiny particles that make your skin glow. Unlike liquid or cream highlighters, which you can put on with your fingers, powder highlighters need a brush or sponge to apply.
If you want a new powder highlighter, you might like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible highlighter powder. It stays on for a long time and has tiny shiny bits that make your skin look bright and glowing. You can make your glow more or less strong, depending on what you like. It’s also water-resistant, so it won’t smudge or rub off easily and can stay on for up to 24 hours, meaning you won’t need to fix it often.

How To Choose the Right Highlighter Makeup for Your Needs
When choosing the best highlighter makeup, think about three things: your skin type, the kind of glow you want, and the color that looks best with your skin.
Consider your skin type
Some highlighter makeup works better for different skin types. Powder highlighters are good for people with oily skin because they add shine without making the skin look greasy. If your skin is dry or older, powders might make your skin look rougher. Instead, try a liquid or cream highlighter, which have moisture and go on smoothly to make your skin look nice and even.
Determine your desired finish
Your makeup style can help you choose the right highlighter. If you like shiny, bright looks for special nights, pick a highlighter that is very sparkly and shiny. If you want a more natural look, choose a highlighter with less sparkle to make your skin look nice without being too shiny. Glass Highlighter Stick has a glassy shine that is perfect for a natural, no-makeup look.
Pick the right shade for your skin tone
Most highlighters have a subtle color, and choosing the right shade for your skin tone is essential for a natural, even look. Here are our top recommendations for fair, medium, and dark skin tones: 31 Simple Beauty Makeup Tips and Tricks to Enhance Your Natural Beauty
- Fair skin: Those with lighter complexions will typically find that pale pink or icy silver highlighters complement their skin best. For a natural-looking radiance, try the
- Medium skin: If you have medium skin, your complexion may look slightly tanned—even in the dead of winter. Enhance that natural warmth with a mid-toned golden or rose gold highlighter, such as the
- Deep skin: Those with deeper complexions will want to take care to avoid any highlighters with a white or silvery base, as these can make your skin appear ashy rather than glowy.
How To Use Highlighter Makeup
Choosing the right makeup and the right color for your skin is only part of the job—it’s also very important to know where to put your highlighter to get the glow you want. We explain everything in our article “Where To Apply Highlighter for a Glowy Look,” but here is a quick summary of some places you might want to put your highlighter:.
- The tops of your cheekbones: Apply your highlighter just above your blush to lift and define your face.
- Brow bone: A small amount under the arch of your brow brightens and open the eyes.
- Inner corners of the eyes: Tap highlighter onto your inner corners to help brighten your eyes and make them appear more awake.
- Bridge of the nose: A touch of highlighter along the bridge of the nose helps create a glowy, sun-lit look.
- Cupid’s bow: Applying highlighter to your cupid’s bow accentuates the lips and can help make them appear fuller.
How To Apply Highlighter Makeup
Putting on highlighter is easy once you discover the best way for you. Here’s what you should do.
Apply your base makeup
Usually, you should put on your highlighter after you finish your foundation, blush, and bronzer so everything looks nice and coordinated. First, put on your basic makeup and blend it all smoothly. If you want to put highlighter on your eyebrow area or inside your eyes, it’s a good idea to do your eye makeup first before adding the highlighter.
Layer on highlighter
Next, use your highlighter to glow on the highest parts of your face. If you have a stick highlighter, swipe it directly onto your skin and gently blend with your fingers or a sponge. For liquid highlighters, use your fingertips to put it on the right spots. If you have a powder highlighter makeup , use a brush—like a fan brush for your cheeks and a smaller brush for tiny areas like your inner eyes, brow bones, and Cupid’s bow.
Seal in your look with setting spray
After you like how you look, spray a little mist on your face to keep everything in place. Try the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist because it’s light and easy to spray without making a mess. Just spray it for three seconds, and it will help your makeup stay nice for up to 36 hours, making your skin look natural and healthy.