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13 Best Drugstore Highlighters: Your Buyer’s Guide

Best Drugstore Highlighter

By now, you know what makeup is you know that a quality highlighter should be in your collection. Luckily for us they’ve had a few years of the trend to get it right and now the best drugstore highlighter can go toe-to-toe with more luxury brands.

What Are the Best Drugstore Highlighters?

Iridescent palette of makeup Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Four colors
  • Works as eyeshadow
  • Highly pigmented
Price: $23.09 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Stick highlighter Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Non-comedogenic
  • Glitter-free
  • Easy to use stick
Price: $19.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Pink highlighting stick Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Easy to carry stick
  • Catches light well
  • Blendable
Price: $18.50 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Pot of gold powder Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Warm and cool tones
  • Lots of product
  • Doubles as eyeshadow
Price: $18.13 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Metallic tub of liquid gold makeup Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Unique gel formula
  • Colors to choose from
  • Fragrance-free
Price: $3.75 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Brown stick of burt's bees strobing stick Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Perfect for dry skin
  • All natural
  • Trusted brand
Price: $9.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Three palettes of tan makeup Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Colors to choose from
  • Gluten-free
  • Pigmented
Price: $9.89 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Silver tube of highlighting liquid Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Dewy
  • Cheap
  • Great for all-over brightening
Price: $11.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Stick of strobing makeup Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Contains SPF
  • Lightweight
  • Easy to carry stick
Price: $19.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Two palettes of four shades of makeup Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Cool and warm tones
  • Four shades per palette
  • Duo-chrome
Price: $6.18 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
White tube of iridescent makeup Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Noncomedogenic
  • Plumps skin with hyaluronic acid
  • Works with all skin tones
Price: $16.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Light tan tune of Rimmel product Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Fun metallic sheen
  • Easy to blend
  • Works with variety of skin tones
Price: $11.47 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Bronze and black tube of Nyx Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Great for face and body
  • Lightweight
  • Nice on more melanated skin
Price: $7.79 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Our Unbiased Reviews
  1. 1. Best Iridescent Palette: Wet n Wild’s Megaglo Highlighting Palette

    Pros:
    • Four highlighting colors
    • Super pigmented
    • Will last you a long time
    • Great for a wide range of skin tones
    • Easy to control
    • Multi-tasks as eyeshadow
    Cons:
    • Too frosty or glittery for some
    • No mirror in the palette
    • Not super subtle

    For your money, this is one of the best drugstore highlighter palettes out there.

    You get four different colors with slightly different finishes to play around with. Each one is so intensely pigmented and concentrated that a tiny bit goes a long way so you can get a lot of use out of it.

    These are fun, frosty shimmers that work perfectly for fair skin tones but the bright undertones mean that people of color also look amazing in these as you can see in the demo video below.

    It comes with an iridescent peach, shimmering purple-blue, metallic yellow-green gold, and a more subtle pink tone with a sparkle. The first two are much bolder while the gold and pink have a more natural finish.

    The consistency of the product is amazing, especially considering it’s a drugstore brand. The powder blends well and melts right onto your skin to stay in place.

    It’s a limited edition vegan palette so grab one before they get scarce.

  2. 2. Best Stick Highlighter: Maybelline’s Master Strobing Stick

    Pros:
    • Cream to powder
    • Non-comedogenic
    • Glitter-free natural shimmer
    • Buildable
    • Travel-friendly stick
    Cons:
    • Only two shades and nothing for darker skin
    • Not a ton of product
    • Too subtle for fun

    I like stick highlighters because there’s nothing easier than just drawing it on your face and blending The Master Strobing Stick from Maybelline goes on smooth and creamy and blends to a powder finish.

    This one has a much more natural look to it so you get that glow without looking like you’re part unicorn (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It’s buildable as well so if you first apply it and it’s too subtle for you, you can add another layer to pump up the shimmer.

    For those of us with sensitive skin, cream makeup can make us wary, but this one is non-comedogenic, meaning it’s formulated to not clog your pores and trigger acne issues.

    The one misleading thing is that it looks like you get a whole long tube of product, but the actual highlighter stick is much smaller than the tube it comes in.

    This one comes in Light Iridescent and Medium Nude Glow.

  3. 3. Most Brightening: NYX’s Bright Idea Illuminating Stick

    Pros:
    • Wide range of colors
    • Very blendable
    • Catches the light
    • Travel-friendly tube
    Cons:
    • Not a ton of product
    • Not for oily skin
    • Too pigmented for some

    A lot of highlighters nail that shimmering glow, but this one is downright reflective.

    When left full force you get an extreme bounce of light. At the same time it’s easy to soften it up so that the sheen stays but is muted to a gorgeous glow that brightens your whole look.

    They are super easy to work with and blend seamlessly with very little effort. The sticks go on creamy enough that you can use them over powder without any issues but won’t leave you feeling heavy.

    The Nyx Bright Idea Illuminating Stick comes in over 10 colors. Four of those are dedicated highlighters, four are blushes, and four are bronzers. They all have a very luminescent glow when the light hits them just right so I think depending on your skin tone you could work with any of these as a highlight.

    The highlighters are Pink Pearl Lace, Lavender Lust, Pinkie Dust, and Chardonnay Shimmer

  4. 4. Best Loose Highlighter: L’Oreal’s Lumi Shimmerista

    Pros:
    • Intense glowing shimmer
    • Two shades in cool and warm
    • Your jar will last you basically forever
    • Can go subtle or bold
    • Could double as eyeshadow
    Cons:
    • Not as long-lasting
    • Too much can looks fake
    • Spillable

    Not everyone likes working with loose powders but they are more pigmented and versatile than creams.

    The Lumi Shimmerista does not disappoint here. There are two shades in the collection, Sunlight and Moonlight, which are formulated to universally work on all skin tones and, surprisingly, that seems to bear out.

    Sunlight is a warm, golden glow and Moonlight is a cooler, opalescent shade.

    If you’re looking to make an entrance, this highlighter can really wow you. Just the tiniest bit of powder is all you need for an illuminating glow. It blends down easily to a more natural, everyday makeup glow but this highlighter really shines (get it) when you’re looking for something more dramatic.

    You can see what a soft, blended version of the Lumi Shimmerista would look like on you by uploading a photo of yourself on L’Oreal’s website.

  5. 5. Best Gel: Almay Make Them Jelly Hi-Lite

    Pros:
    • Gel formula
    • Eay to apply
    • Colors to choose from
    • Fragrance free
    • Iridescent shimmer
    • Buildable
    Cons:
    • You definitely have to want glitter
    • Contains PEGs and parabens
    • Gel rubs on clear

    For a unique take on highlight check out Almay’s Make Them Jelly collection of gel highlighters. 

    The gel consistency is easy to control and simple to apply. It gets its iridescent shimmer from tiny flecks of micro-glitter. In the jar it looks like a tinted cream, but it’s really a clear gel packed with shimmering particles.

    There’s a magical look to highlighting with glitter but it isn’t for everyone so just be aware. You can also tone down the glitter by adding a little of the gel to your foundation for an all-over brightening look.

    It comes in 24k Dreams (gold) and Unicorn Light (pink).

  6. 6. Most Natural: Burt’s Bees All Aglow Highlighter Stick

    Pros:
    • 100 percent natural
    • Trusted brand
    • Hydrating for dry skin
    • Nourishing botanical extracts
    • Free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum products, and SLS’s
    Cons:
    • Not vegan (beeswax)
    • Too oily for some
    • Only one shade
    • Too subtle for some

    With 100 percent natural ingredients, it’s a product you can trust to put on your skin.

    I’ve seen minimal press on Burt’s Bees’ line of makeup, but this new highlighter deserves to be talked about. Brand new this month (August 2018) the All Aglow Highlighter Stick is an ultra-hydrating stick with a pearly finish.

    It’s packed with deep moisturizing oils like jojoba, coconut, beeswax, and cupuaçu butter which makes this one great for dry skin but it could be too thick for those of us with oily or sensitive skin. Extracts of rosemary and daikon radish seed help to balance that out.

    It’s a subtle highlighter so if you love that blinding strobe effect, this isn’t for you. There’s only one color option and it’s a translucent opal color that is easy to blend out. It’s buildable to get a little bit more drama out of it, but it’s really meant for a very natural, dewy finish. This highlighter is sheer enough that it could work on a wide range of skin tones.

  7. 7. Best for Combination Skin: Physicians Formula’s Butter Highlighter

    Pros:
    • Highly pigmented
    • Nice for all skin tones
    • Cream to powder
    • Minimal shimmer
    • Four colors to choose from
    • Buildable
    • Free of gluten and parabens
    • Cruelty-free
    Cons:
    • Scented
    • Not for very sensitive skin
    • Too subtle for some

    The Butter Highlighter from Physicians Formula is a cream to powder formula full of hydrating butters like murumuru, shea, cupuaçu, and tucuma. It’s lightweight and won’t leave you feeling greasy, but it still might not be the best formula for someone with extremely oily or sensitive skin.

    If that’s you, I would point you toward their oil-free highlighter.

    The line comes in four different colors: Pearl, Champagne, Pink, and Rose Gold. The last two will be too dark for fair-skinned folks, but the product is blendable enough that all of the colors could work for people with more melanated skin. It goes on smoothly with just your fingers or a blending sponge.

    Pink does edge over into blush territory but Pearl and Champagne are undeniably highlighters. There is a shimmer of tiny glitter in this one but it’s much more visible in the pot than when it’s applied. The highlighters are coconut-scented so it can smell a little artificial but that’s really only an issue if you’re sniffing the container.

  8. 8. Best Liquid Highlighter: E.L.F.’s Beautifully Bare Liquid Highlighting Dewy Drops

    Pros:
    • Affordable
    • Easy to blend
    • Dewy finish
    • Liquid perfect for adding to foundation
    • Vegan and cruelty-free
    Cons:
    • Too oily for some
    • Only one shade
    • Needs to be shaken

    The product name Dewy Drops describes this liquid highlighter perfectly. It has a shiny, dewy finish that is very natural.

    It is super important that you shake this tube before you use it though. It’s an oil-based highlighter so if you don’t shake it up, you can end up getting some of naturally separated oils instead of the pigment. Not ideal.

    This one is an oil-based product and if feels like an oil-based product. If you have dry skin, this will feel amazing and give you that luminous glow that you’re looking for. But if you have oily skin, this probably isn’t the best drugstore highlighter for you.

    Dewy Drops only comes in one color which is a champagne gold glow that works for a wide range of skin tones. I love that according to the E.L.F. site that this is vegan and cruelty-free.

  9. 9. Most Blendable: L’Oreal Paris’ Infallible Highlighter Stick

    Pros:
    • Creamy and blendable
    • Lightweight
    • Two shades
    • Convenient stick
    Cons:
    • Too subtle for some
    • Not for oily skin
    • Easy to apply too thickly

    If you’re looking for that creamy stick highlighter that goes on buttery but feels incredibly light, this might be for you. Like the entire Infallible Longwear line, these highlighters are super smooth and easy to blend.

    There are two shades: Slay in Rose, which is an icy pink iridescent, and Gold is Cold which is an odd name since it’s the warmer shade of the two.

    Neither is too highly pigmented which makes for a natural, glowing finish. They have decent staying power, but they’re not going to last 24 hours like they’re claiming.

    They don’t dry to a powder finish but they also don’t stay sticky. It’s a true cream so you’ll want to set this.

    If you have oily skin, this creamy finish can end up looking too greasy by the end of the day, so this is better for normal to dry skin.

  10. 10. Most Shades: Revlon PhotoReady Highlighting Palettes

    Pros:
    • Cool and warm palettes
    • Sheer and buildable
    • Four colors in each
    • Flaw hiding duo-chrome shift
    Cons:
    • Too shimmery for some
    • Not as good for those with darker skin tones
    • Harder to travel with

    Finally, we have these two palettes from Revlon’s PhotoReady line which is one of my favorite drugstore collections to pick up for myself.

    The first palette, Galaxy Dream, has four frosty iridescent shades in peach, green, pinky-lavender, and icy blue. The first three have a strong duo-chrome shift with their iridescent so the color slightly changes depending on the angle of the light. This creates a sort of blurring glow that softens your features like a filter.

    These are good colors for everyone. People with darker skin will want to use a lighter hand with these to keep it looking natural. Fair-skinned folks can use one layer for a natural look or build it up to a blinding glare.

    The second palette is Sunlit Dream, a set of four warmer shades including golden peach, warm beige, rose gold, and warm bronze. Some of these will be too dark to work as a highlight for fair-skinned people, but they are perfect for people of color.

    The warm shades create that flawless golden goddess look. These don’t have the same iridescence as the Galaxy palette and instead have a slight glittery shimmer to them.

    Both palettes have a nice texture and the powder just melts into your skin and is easy to blend out.

  11. 11. Most Hydrating: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Illuminator

    Pros:
    • Oil free and noncomedogenic
    • Blends really well
    • Works with all skin tones
    • Plumps skin with hyaluronic acid
    Cons:
    • Contains silicone and paraffin
    • Not subtle in its shimmer
    • Can be hard to find

    If you have acne-prone skin that is also prone to drying out, this might be the one for you.

    It can be tough to find makeup that won’t make your skin look flaky but also won’t upset your skin’s overload your skin with oils. This oil-free cream from Neutrogena in noncomedogenic meaning it is less likely to trigger acne. It contains hyaluronic acid which holds onto moisture, plumping up the skin and giving it a firmer appearance while keeping skin hydrated without oils.

    The highlighter blends smoothly and easily, both with blending sponges and just your fingers. It has a bit of sparkle to it to give you that inner glow, but if you’re looking for a very subtle, natural-looking highlighter this probably won’t fit the bill.

  12. 12. Most Metallic: Rimmel Insta Strobing Highlighter

    Pros:
    • Intense strobing contrast
    • Great to mix into foundation
    • Easy to blend out
    • Fun metallic sheen for summer
    Cons:
    • Too metallic for some
    • A lot of unpronounceable ingredients
    • Too bright for some

    If you love chrome and gold sheen looks, then you’ll love this Insta Strobing by Rimmel. 

    It has that metallic look to it without sliding into glittery which is a hard line to walk. The effect is a warm, bronzy illumination when added to your foundation and a striking warm contour when used to strobe.

    The formula is closer to a liquid than a cream and is very easy to spread and blend. 

  13. 13. Best For All-Over: NYX Born to Glow

    Pros:
    • Great choice for people of color
    • Works to brighten up both face and body
    • Feels light
    • A little goes a long way
    • Colors to choose from
    Cons:
    • Not great for those with lighter skin
    • Dries quickly which can hinder blending
    • Not as dramatic as some would like

    This highlighter best compliments more melanated skin, giving a warm luminescence without being overwhelming.

    A lot of highlighter work for darker skin tones, but we need more highlighters like this that work perfectly with to bring out the glow of more melanated folks. It’s not an overwhelming shimmer, but Born to Glow brightens and blurs making it nice for contouring, strobing, and mixing into your foundation for subtle luminescence.

    It’s also great for adding to your body lotion, making it look like you’ve always got that just-left-the-beach glow. 

    For those with lighter skin tones, this highlighter will work for many of us but chances are it will be too light or too dark. There are so many other highlighters more suited to us so go for one of those.

  • What is the right highlighter for your skin tone?

    We've all bought a beautiful palette and got home and thought, "What have I done?" Picking the best drugstore highlighter for your skin is the same deal. Not all highlighters will work for all people.

    Fair folks tend to look best with cool-tone highlighters. Think icy, pearlescent shades or ones that are marketed as iridescent. This generally gives people who are pale a lot of options for underlying tones like blue or green to balance out your color.

    Medium or olive skinned folks have some leeway here. The consensus is that champagne toned highlighters are most flattering, but depending on your complexion you can play around with the more iridescent shades.

    More melanated skin tone folks will want to stick to gold, rose gold, and bronzes. You may want to avoid icy, silver shades unless they are highly pigmented with a base color. If you're going for a dramatic look, pigmented cool shades really pop.

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