Give your face a touch of shimmer and glow with our list of the best drugstore highlighters. Highlighters are applied on the highest points of your face to accentuate your features and make it sparkle when the light hits those areas. This product gives your makeup an edge for a stylish and special look. However, professional makeup can be expensive, making it difficult to choose the right products for your makeup kit. Drugstore highlighters can be good alternatives. Pigmented and high-quality products, these highlighters can help define your features the way you want and offer a radiant glow. With multiple shades and features, several products are available to suit your specific requirements. From beginners to professionals, these highlighters are suitable for all. So, explore the various products available to choose the right highlighter for your makeup routine.
15 Best Drugstore Highlighters
1. Best Customizable:Pudaier Lasting Brightening Liquid
Illuminate your face with the ultra-concentrated bronzing drops that give you the glow you need. Available in ten universal shades, the Pudaier Lasting Brightening Liquid includes two illuminators and two matte bronzers. Apply them as per the glow you require to create a strong highlight and an overall strobing effect. One of the best drugstore highlights, these are customizable and can be used with powder or foundation as a part of your makeup routine.
2. Best For Natural Glow:Beauty Junkees Memorable Super Frosted Highlighter Powder
The Memorable Super Frosted Highlighter Powder for pale skin enhances your best features with natural glowing tones. It features various shades that offer different skin tones a natural-looking glow. The highlighter is devoid of harmful chemicals and is free of parabens and gluten. It sculpts and contours your face and imparts a soft amplifying glow. Pros
Highlights and brightens skin Great for using over blush Has a subtle shimmery pink Not too sparkly Cruelty-free
Cons
Some might need to put two layers Size may be a bit too small
3. Best Long-Lasting:Lifus All You Need Is Love Illuminating Kit
Here’s a highlighter palette that gives you the option of four new shades to help bring out the best features of your face. The Lifus All You Need Is Love Illuminating Kit is super soft and long-lasting and has a silky texture that gives you natural, seamless coverage. The glow kit is best suited to carve out those chiseled features on your face, making you achieve the perfect cheekbones, brow bones, lip, and inner corners. The palette is waterproof and smudge-proof and looks great on any skin tone. Pros
Waterproof and smudge-proof Give you a long-lasting shimmer Versatile Has a matte finish Blends well
Cons
May not be ideal for darker skin tones May be slightly too sheer
4. Best Lightweight:Maybelline New York Master Strobing Stick
Sculpt your face and accentuate your best features with the Maybelline New York Master Strobing Stick Illuminating Highlighter. It helps slim your face and add dimension to it while giving you a dewy luminous glow because of its micro-fine pearl features. The highlighter has a lightweight creamy texture and gives you a fine strobe glow. It is suitable for all skin types and is created for light to medium skin tones. Check out this video and find out more about its features. Pros
Long-lasting color and shine Gives a natural glow Not too sparkly Can be applied with your finger or straight from the tube Suitable for sensitive skin
Cons
Some might find it a little dry May be smaller than you expect
5. Best For Fine Lines:TZ Cosmetix Aurora Borealis Highlighter/Glow Kit
Sensationally unique and flattering, this highlighter formula is wet, smooth, soft, and creamy. The TZ Cosmetix Aurora Borealis Highlighter/Glow Kit has six different shades, ranging from a mesmerizing yellow tinge to an enchanting icy green. It works best on mature skin and helps cover fine lines, pores, and wrinkles to give you a beautiful dewy look. Made with high-quality products, you can use a little for a subtle glow or apply more if you want a full-blown blinding glow. Pros
Gives a beautiful shimmer Stunning shades Safe for sensitive skin Reflects well in light Can be used for a natural or dramatic look
Cons
May not be easy to apply May get a little cakey in the palette
6. Best Brilliant Coverage:Miss Rose Shimmer Highlighter
A highlighter powder that works well as a compact too, the Miss Rose Shimmer Highlighter is a must buy. It can also take up the job of a concealer because of its brilliant coverage. If applied with the right technique, this drugstore highlighter can enhance your cheekbones, brow bones, and nose bridge to give you that chiseled glow. It is compact so you can carry around that glow on your face every day.
7. Best Easy-To-Blend:Wet n Wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder
The MegaGlo formula by Wet n Wild helps you achieve that luminous glow you admire! It is formulated with micro-pearls and contains skin-nourishing ingredients such as shea butter, vitamin E, argan oil, and murumuru seed butter. One of many makeup essentials, this versatile highlighter acts as a primer, bronzer, blush, concealer, and powder to give you a wholesome makeup experience. If you want to know more about this product, here’s a video worth watching. Pros
Highly pigmented Leaves a velvety finish on skin Smooth to apply Long-lasting
Cons
Some might find it a little too sparkly May not be great on brown skin
8. essence Cosmetics Pure Nude Highlighter
This drugstore highlighter brings out your natural glow with its nude shades. The essence Pure Nude Highlighter has a baked finish satin formula that blends into your skin easily and gives you a natural-looking glow. The shimmery effect allows you to build up to the glow you require, whether subtle or bold. This PETA-friendly highlighter suits any skin tone. Pros
Light texture Can be layered since it is translucent Color lasts all-day long Pretty shade
Cons
Might be slightly darker than you expect Could be slightly messy to apply
9. Best Transfer-Resistant:Phoera Just Glow Body Luminizer
Who said highlighters are just for your face? With the Phoera Just Glow Body Luminizer, you can now conceal stubborn blemishes, brighten skin and reduce dullness all over your body. One of the best drugstore body highlighters, it can be used from head-to-toe and leaves your skin shining with emollients. It is a gel-based formula that leaves skin feeling soft, supple, and smooth with a glossy finish. This formula blends into the skin easily and is transfer-resistant.
10. Best Versatile:Beauty Creations Angel Glow Highlight Palette Powder
This highlighter palette comes in a powder form. It helps define and add glow to your brow bones, cheekbones, lip, and nose bridge. The highlighter comes in four different shades, including a shimmery shade and a matte. The Beauty Creations Angel Glow Highlight Palette Powder is pretty versatile and can be used as a contour, blush, bronzer, and powder. Pros
Good binding Velvety to the touch Long-lasting A little goes a long way
Cons
May not be great on very fair skin
11. Best For Intense Facelift:Damone Roberts Eyebrow Highlighter (Peach)
Known as the eyebrow king of Hollywood, this highlighter has been used by renowned celebrities such as Rihanna, Oprah, and Madonna. Who said highlighters are just for the face? The Damone Roberts Eyebrow Highlighter lets you master the perfect eyebrows. To get a fresh and intense facelift, apply it directly to your brow bones and watch it accentuate your look. Pros
Long-lasting formula Has multiple uses Soft and creamy texture Spotless application Non-toxic and cruelty-free
Cons
A little creamier and it would have been great
12. Best For Darker Skin Tones:Technic Get Gorgeous Bronze Highlighting Powder
Technic Get Gorgeous Bronze Highlighting Powder is one of its kind. It has a shimmery texture and can be applied as a bronzer or a blush. This drugstore highlighter has a golden yellow shade and can build up to form a bold look. You can pull off the subtle highlights look by using just a little amount of this product. It looks best on darker skin tones because it brings out the features by blending in with dusky skin as it is highly pigmented. Pros
Super gorgeous color Has a buttery smooth feel Not too glittery Great for adding a warm summer glow to face and cheeks
Cons
Might look dark on fairer complexions Some might not like the smell
13. Best Cream-Based:Dirty Little Secret Baked Highlighter
If you’re looking for radiant-looking skin, this is your pick. The Dirty Little Secret Baked Highlighter is of a light-pink shade with specks of gold. The softly baked formula glides on with ease and gives your skin a subtle glow. This pigmented highlighter is shimmery and glows after application. Pros
Smooth texture Available in eight pretty shades Stays on all day Gluten-free formula
Cons
Top round plastic cover could have been sturdier
14. Best For All Skin Tones:Revlon Insta-Fix Skin Lights
Get a glistening contour look with the Revlon Insta-Fix SkinLights highlighter. It comes in two gorgeous colors that suit different skin tones. The Pink Light shade looks best on light to medium skin tones, while the Gold Light shade works best for medium to deep skin tones. Apply the highlighter stick directly on your cheekbones, forehead, and chin to enhance your features. The soft silky texture gives your skin a flattering glow without any glitter. Pros
Helps illuminate and enhance the best features Stick allows for precise application Gives a light glow Perfect size for traveling Free of fragrance and parabens
Cons
May not be very long-lasting Stick could have been better built
15. Best User-Friendly:Neutrogena Hydro Boost Illuminator
The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Illuminator is creamy and weightless and brightens your face. It contains skin-improving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and illuminating pigments that leave you with a radiant glow. This highlighter is non-greasy and has moisturizing properties to give you smooth, hydrated, and refreshed skin. Pros
Blends easily Does not form creases Gives a nice touch to your makeup Moisturizing Hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested
Cons
May not transfer to the skin effectively Tube design may not be user-friendly
How To Choose The Right Drugstore Highlighter?
There are many products to choose from which can become quite a tedious task. Therefore, here are a few things to keep in mind to help you pick the right highlighter for you:
Skin Type: Choosing the right highlighter depending on your skin type will give you radiant-looking skin. If you have oily skin, a powder-based highlighter will best suit your skin by absorbing the excess oil and giving you a luminous look. However, if you have dry skin, it is best to choose a highlighter that is cream-based so that it does not dry out your skin but gives you a hydrated and fresh look. Highlighter sticks tend to have a creamy formula that works well for normal to dry skin. Skin Tone: Highlighters come in a lot of different shades to bring out the best features on your skin. To achieve this, it is important to choose the one that suits your skin tone. For fairer skin, choose highlighters that have a cool icy tone, like silver or pale pink. If you have golden to yellow skin, peach or rose gold tones go best with your skin and if you have deep dark skin, a bronze, copper or deep gold highlighter will bring out your best features. Type Of Foundation: Your highlighter should be compatible with your foundation to get that radiant glow. If you use a powder-based foundation, it is best to use a powder-based highlighter and if your foundation is cream-based, your highlighter should be cream-based too. Different formulas make it difficult to blend which gives you an unnatural look.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Beauty expert Poulami Nag is a passionate skincare and makeup reviewer. With her years of experience in the domain and well-researched online user reviews and feedback on several platforms, she has compiled this buying guide and product list for you. Here are some of the best drugstore highlighters that are easily available, excellent in quality, and simply the best in their category.
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