Just the Highlights: A Few Highlighters Worth Mentioning

Good evening, everyone!

Tonight I want to talk about highlighters! Highlighting is one of my favorite parts of a makeup look but there are so many things to consider when selecting a good highlighter for your particular skin tone or to create the effect you are wanting to create. Just like any other cosmetics, some product forms (powder, liquid, stick) are just look better than others on different skin tones, then one must think about the different brands and colors, varying degrees of pigmentation, sparkle versus sheen. My personal collection of highlighters is quite large because I have tried SO MANY different ones in my quest to find my favorites. I did not put these in any particular order because they are all very good. I wanted to provide a wide variety of options so at least one is going to work for you.

1. tarte – Twinkle Stick Highlighter in Spotlight ($30)

I love tarte’s Twinkle Stick because it has a very creamy formula that goes on very easily. I use either my finger or a beauty blender to blend it into my cheek color and create a really beautiful shimmer. The shade Spotlight is a champagne, and it is also available in Skylight, a pearl shade. You can find Twinkle Stick highlighters at Sephora or from the tarte website here: https://tartecosmetics.com/en_US/makeup/cheeks/contour-highlight/twinkle-stick-highlighter/967.html?cgid=contour-highlight&dwvar_967_color=skylight%20%28pearl%29#start=11.

2. Too Faced – Unicorn Horn Highlighting Stick in shade Unicorn Dreams ($28)

Too Faced is the proud owner of another really creamy highlighting stick, the Unicorn Horn Highlighting Stick, launched with their Life’s a Festival collection. I personally own this highlighter in the pink shade, called Unicorn Dreams, which as you can tell from the picture above, gives my light complexion a pink tint while providing lots of shimmer.  This stick features rainbow pigmentation that makes it perfect for any look. The Unicorn Horn Highlighting Stick also comes in a blue shade called Unicorn Tears that is also worth checking out. These are available at both Ulta and Sephora as well as through Too Faced’s website at: https://www.toofaced.com/shop/face/highlighters/unicorn-horn-highlighting-stic/Unicorn+Horn+Highlighting+Stic.html?cgid=highlighters#start=1.

3. Anastasia Beverly Hills x Amrezy – Amrezy Highlighter ($28)

I can’t give this highlighter enough praise! It’s one of my absolute favorites and I’ve never seen another one like it. The Amrezy highlighter doesn’t glitter like most highlighters, it creates a soft, golden sheen. Also, a little goes a long way. ABH made this highlighter extremely pigmented and it doesn’t take much product on the brush to create a radiant glow. Unfortunately it is no longer available at Sephora or Ulta. It was still available on the Anastasia Beverly Hills website until just a few days ago; I don’t know if they will be bringing it back.

4. Lime Crime – Hi-Lite Glitter-n-Glow Mermaids highlighter palette in Pearl ($38)

I hear a lot of negative feedback about this company, but I can’t help but like them. Especially their collection of powder highlighters. Lime Crime currently has 6 Hi-Lite highlighter palettes, each featuring three unique highlight shades. This collection is called Mermaids and has a lavender (Seashell), an ivory (Pearl), and a seafoam blue-green (Mermaid). All of the shades are beautiful, but I chose to swatch the Pearl shade since it’s my current favorite. I find that I need to put on quite a bit to get the desired effect, but the end result is worth it. The formula is very pigmented and the color options are gorgeous. These highlighter palettes are available at Ulta and directly from Lime Crime here: https://www.limecrime.com/face-makeup/hi-lite-opalescent-powder-highlighter/mermaids-sparkling-lavenger-ivory-green-blue-highlighter.

5. Smashbox x Vlada – Petal Metal Highlighter in Gilded Rose ($39)

The final highlighter I want to…highlight…is a newer release that I am currently loving. I am OBSESSED with rose gold so of course I am a fan of the entire Smashbox collaboration with Vlada Haggerty. The gel-powder formula is soft and smooth and goes on beautifully. I chose to get this in the shade Gilded Rose, which is gold with pink and gold pearl, because I didn’t have another highlighter in that color. On my light neutral skin tone, it looks almost bronze (FYI for you lighter-skinned readers). Petal Metal is also available in a soft rust with gold pearl, called Rosemantic. The Petal Metal Highlighter is available at both Ulta and Sephora, as well as directly from Smashbox here: https://www.smashbox.com/product/6032/57314/face/petal-metal-highlighter?gclid=COmcsOWYyNsCFR2JxQIdVIAJZA&gclsrc=ds&dclid=CJLjv-WYyNsCFQfcwAodlzQPGg#/shade/Rosemantic.

So now you know a few of my favorite highlighters. What do you think of my selections? Do you have a killer highlighter that I am completely missing out on? Drop a comment below and let me know what you think!

Until next time, Stay Beautiful!

Steph