Until a couple of weeks ago, I was a one-highlighter woman. I love the glowing cheeks look you get with a wash of highlight, but I thought that all highlighters would pretty much give me the same glow. I was wrong.
Now, I’m not suggesting that the everyday makeup wearer needs dozens of highlighters. “Beauty gurus” on social media have drawers crammed with PR samples and every iteration of a highlighter on the planet — this is overkill. But, having 3 or 4 different highlighters can really change-up your look!
I splurged and bought 6 new highlighters, primarily for the purpose of reviewing them for you. I now have a great collection and rotate my highlighter daily for a different look and finish. No need to spend a fortune on high end highlighters, there are great options at the drugstore.
So, here are the highlighters in my collection, and what I think of them!
The O.G. highlighter – Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light 884
It was 2015 or 16 when I decided that I needed to contour. I bought this Sleek Contour Kit (pictured at the end of this post) and quickly realised that contouring isn’t for me. I still use it occasionally, but I prefer to use bronzer. The kit also came with a highlighter, which is a peachy tint with a subtle sheen. It’s very buttery in texture but also powdery. This highlighter has served me well and I’ll continue to use it! I also use it as an eyeshadow [£6.99 at Boots].
Technic Prism Rainbow Highlighter
I ordered this one off Amazon because I thought it would be fun to try out… who doesn’t love rainbows?! It isn’t practical for work because when you swirl it you get a purple finish [mermaid in the Academic Office is a bit OTT]. But, you can carefully select individual colours, resulting in 5 different options, plus swirled looks (such good value!). I’d say this one is great for parties and festivals. It’s fairly intense and has a tiny flecks of glitter.
P.S. I paid £2.09 but I’ve seen it go on sale for 10p!
Technic Get Gorgeous Highlighting Powder
Another purchase from Amazon [£2.90]. This has a pretty, swirled design, and I’m fairly sure it’s a baked highlighter. It’s a pale pink champaign shade and it’s very subtle. It’s not powdery, but consequently it isn’t intense, so you can generously apply and not get too much “pow” — a good option when you’re going for that “inward” glow rather than streaks on your cheeks. I think this is a great option for people with very pale skin.
e.l.f. Baked Highlighter in Apricot Glow (new)
e.l.f. highlighters are said to be some of the best at the drugstore so I jumped at the chance to try this new shade. This is a peachy bronze and because it’s baked, it’s not powdery. I find the finish to be a bit “scratchy” and difficult to build and this means I have a love/hate relationship with this highlighter. The shade and glow are beautiful, but I wish it was more intense. Since it’s so pretty, I want it to be more glowy! Nonetheless, it’s a great everyday/work option, and I think it would suite winter makeup as well. This could be a good option for darker skin tones. I picked mine up from Superdrug for £5.00.
Revolution Pro Illuminate
Another purchase from Superdrug (£4.00) — this highlighter is my favourite! OMG is it buttery soft (like silk) and it’s a beautiful champaign shade with no glitter. It’s slightly powdery but this means that it has a fairly strong application. This gives my cheeks that nice glow (you know the one where you rotate your head looking in the mirror and you get that shine in your reflection), but it’s not too strong or icy.
Sleek Strobing Soufflé in Smoky Quartz
This sounded so good – a soufflé texture and a quartz shade, sign me up. Unfortunately, I really don’t like it. The texture is nice (a mousse) that doesn’t apply patchy. The colour is a bit too orange for me. It’s weird — and I was expecting more of a rose gold. But what I really dislike is the chunky glitter in it [almost like a foil], making it unsuitable for work. I wore it the other day on my eyelids and it was fine, so at least I’ll get some use out of it. All in all, this is a pass [£4.99 on Amazon].
Revolution Liquid Highlighter in Champaign
I really wanted to try different textures of highlighter and decided to take the plunge and try liquid. THIS IS AMAZING. There’s good reason why this is a top seller from Superdrug [£6.00].
This liquid highlight is incredibly pigmented but is very blendable. I tend to dot a few drops on my cheeks and then blend it in with my sponge after I’ve applied my foundation. You can also use this as a primer and it can be mixed into your foundation for an extreme glow. It’s the best option for a “glow from within” look. This also works great in the arch of my eyebrows and the tip of my nose.
I think I’ve got enough highlighters to keep me going for a while. Nevertheless, I’d love to know what your favourite highlighters are, particularly if there’s a high end one that’s really worth the price!
Have a great weekend 🙂
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