Staff Picks: Even more of our favorite highlighters
So, I just recently realized that the Lunasol Pressed Face Color I included in our Staff Picks last time is actually an illuminating powder. Yep, such a fail, I know! For those of you who like me did not know the difference, a highlighter is generally applied on a concentrated area to emphasize certain features such as the cheekbones, nose bridge, and bow of the lips. On the other hand, an illuminator is used to create a lit-from-within look so it's usually applied to a larger area or even the whole face.
It gets kinda confusing because brands can use the two terms interchangeably, so you'll mostly have to determine it for yourself based on how the product performs and the best way to apply it. In my case, I'd been wondering why I couldn't build up the pigmentation to create a really pronounced highlight but it worked fabulously when I applied it all over my face. Now I know! At any rate, we're revisiting the topic with a new batch of highlighter favorites!
Tellie: My fave highlighter is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powder in Moonstone. I only got it recently, but all my other highlighters have been underwhelming and this just blows my mind! It can be buffed out or built up to your taste, and the shade is perfect for my medium-warm skin tone!
Gett: Lately I've taken to liquid highlighters because they look so natural! I'm loving Revlon Skinlights in Bare Lights because it gives a natural sheen on the tops of cheekbones. It looks shimmery up close but looks subtle when blended out.
Nina: Not gonna lie, I freakin’ love getting compliments about my highlight. I live for those “damn girl, that highlight tho!” comments. There are even times where the baristas in Starbucks tell me that they love my highlight! My secret? Anastasia Beverly Hills’s Sun Dipped Glow Kit. I got it at Bretman Rock’s workshop here in the Philippines last year and it is definitely a staple in all of my FOTDs. The shade I use the most is Tourmaline because I think that it flatters my skin tone the most. The formula is crazy pigmented and long-wearing – what else would you need in a highlight?!
Angeli: My favorite highlighter is Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Prosecco Pop. I never would have picked this up because of its strong golden undertone but when applied lightly to the cheeks, it actually looks very flattering on my yellow-olive complexion. It also looks very natural and does not sit on top of my skin. Becca has the best formulation when it comes to highlighters - so universally flattering and long-wearing. Good thing Prosecco Pop is now a permanent shade so I can snag a new one when this goes empty!
Frankie: As an oily-skinned girl, I never understood the need for highlighting before, since my skin sort of produces(?) its own highlight. I've tried a few products, found them all lovely (some casual faves are Benefit's Girl With a Pearl and BYS Highlighting Trio, which are both great for quick touch-ups), but I didn't completely get the hype until I discovered the Ellana Multipurpose Loose Pure Pigments. I'd been using them as eyeshadows before but one day decided to try them on my cheeks. From that first swipe of Halo, I became a convert to the cult of glow.
My personal favorites are Halo (an iridescent white), Romance (a rose gold that can double down as a luminous blush), Beam (a pale gold with a touch of pink, perfect for a subtle sunkissed hue), and Loyalty (a deep rose flush that I use on my eyes and cheeks for a glowing "drunk blush"). All of these shades lean towards "glow" instead of "blinding," which I love because they look almost-subtle, but the overall effect is sculpted radiance that makes me feel like a goddess, as evidenced by my excessive amount of selfies.
Crystal: I like my highlighters to be light and barely there because my skintone is on the lighter side, plus I already have oily skin that produces "highlights" already. Hourglass Incandescent Strobe Light (left palette, upper middle pan) and Becca Moonstone (right palette, leftmost pan) fit the bill. Incandescent Strobe Light is a shimmery light rose when swatched but on my skin you could really hardly tell that it's there. Becca Moonstone, is a light, warm highlighter than is just so buttery soft and applies like a dream!
Katsy: I have a lot of favorite highlighters at the moment but this one has got to be my absolute fave - Watch Me from NARS Unfiltered I palette. It gives me that GLOW that you just can't help but notice, which is how I like my highlighters. It can also produce a subtle sheen if I choose to apply just a small amount. I rarely do this but it's nice to know I have that option. Longevity wise, it lasts an entire day out for me which is typically around 6 to 8 hours. It's also supposedly a 90% dupe for Becca Moonstone, according to Temptalia!
So, is your fave way to glow with a illuminator or a highlighter? I'd love to hear your recos so please do share in the comments below!