Highlighter catches light where light would naturally land. The right one looks like healthy skin; the wrong one looks like glitter.
By Sawyer V. · Published September 10, 2026 · Last updated September 10, 2026
The short answer
Choose a liquid highlighter for a dewy, skin-like glow, a cream stick for easy dabbing, and a powder for shimmer that lasts on oily skin. Rare Beauty Positive Light and e.l.f.'s Halo Glow wand are dewy liquids, Clinique's Chubby Stick is an oil-free cream, and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish is a baked powder. Apply only where light hits.
Disclosure: Glow & Gild earns a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which product we recommend, and no brand pays for placement here. Read the full disclosure.
How We Picked
We chose highlighters across formats and finishes and took each one's format, finish and shade range from the brand or a major retailer. We have not tested any of these, and shades vary by skin tone.
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty of these. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we did instead: compiled the published concentrations and ingredient lists, checked each claim against what the formula can actually support, and wrote down who each product is wrong for. The full method is published so you can check it.
Liquid, Cream or Powder?
Format
Finish
Best for
On this page
Liquid
Dewy and buildable
Dry and normal skin; mixing into foundation
Rare Beauty, e.l.f.
Cream stick or cream-to-powder
Luminous, easy to tap on
Quick application with fingers
Clinique, Physicians Formula
Baked powder
Shimmer, or metallic with a damp brush
Oily skin and long wear
MAC
The simple rule is liquid and cream under or with your base, powder on top of set makeup. Putting a liquid over powder tends to lift and patch it, and powder over wet cream can go blotchy. If your skin is oily, a powder highlighter usually outlasts a liquid.
Where Highlighter Goes
The tops of the cheekbones, blended up toward the temples.
The brow bone, just under the arch.
The bridge of the nose and the Cupid's bow, lightly.
Not on texture: shimmer draws attention to bumps and large pores, so keep it away from them.
Highlighter pairs with bronzer and cream blush: warmth where the sun would hit, color on the cheeks, and light on the high points.
No product photoNo product photograph available for Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer
1 — A dewy liquid
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer
What’s in it
Liquid, dewy and buildable
Sold in ten shades
15 ml
A buildable liquid in a wide shade range, which makes a natural, skin-like glow easier to get right.
A strong, glittery highlighter looks dramatic in the pan and in photos, so it is tempting to go bold. On skin with texture, bumps or visible pores, large shimmer particles catch on every one of them and make them look bigger. For a glow that reads as skin, choose a finer liquid or cream, use a small amount on the high points only, and keep it off anywhere with texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Liquid gives a more skin-like glow and suits dry skin; powder lasts longer on oily skin.
The tops of the cheekbones, the brow bone, the bridge of the nose and the Cupid's bow.
Liquid and cream highlighters go with or just after foundation; powder goes on top of set makeup.
Yes, but choose a powder, use it sparingly, and keep it off the T-zone.
Pearl and champagne suit fair to light skin; gold and bronze tones suit medium to deep skin.
By Sawyer V.. An enthusiast who’s genuinely into this: I read the manufacturer documentation, compile the published percentages, and do the arithmetic. No lab coat.
What I don’t do: test products, accept free product, or accept payment for placement. I hold no clinical credential and don’t claim one. How we pick.
Published September 10, 2026 · Last updated September 10, 2026
