A touch of highlighter instantly elevates any makeup look.
Transforming a minimalist day application into super-watt evening-ready glam, a strategic dusting of the glow-giving makeup provides depth, dimension and luminosity when light catches the high points of the face.
Blend across the top of the cheekbones and up to the outer corner of the temple, swipe across the bridge of the nose and cupid bow and set in the corner of the eyes for an easy illuminating win that amplifies the structure of your face with a glimmery sheen.
Highlighter comes in liquid, cream or powder form, and each has its benefits. We reached out to Heather Jackson, Education Manager and UK Artistic Lead at Too Faced to find out why a powdered highlighter deserves a place in your cosmetics collection.
What are the benefits of a powdered highlighter texture?
“A powder highlighter is going to glow up your glam!”, Jackson explains. “Light reflects off highlight, bringing forward and accentuating your chosen features, hello cheekbones! The benefit of using a powder is you can take your glow from coffee to cocktails. Highlighter on the high points of the face will give a soft lit from within glow, you can then build up and layer for a more intense full glam”.
Pro tip: She suggests “taking a little Moon Crush Highlighter onto your brush and spritz with Hangover 3 in 1 Replenishing Spray before applying to achieve more of an intense wet look shine”.
It is important to consider the texture of the base products that you are layering under your highlighter for easy blending and a seamless finish. Generally speaking, creams and liquids look their dewiest best with foundations of the same consistency. Powder sits better on powder and this offers better lasting power too.
How to apply highlighter powder
“Always use highlighter on the high points of the face, use a small fluffy brush and in soft circular motions sweep over where the light would naturally hit”, Jackon says. “Think tops of cheekbones, temples, arch of the brow, the centre of the bridge of the nose, cupids bow and the inner corners of the eyes to brighten”.
How to find the right shade of highlighter
To ensure a natural look, “Make sure you use the right glow for your skin tone”, stresses the makeup pro. “If you are fair to medium, go with a champagne shade. Too Faced Moon Crush in Shooting Star is perfect for that second-skin glossy glow. Yet, “If you’re medium to deep, go with Summer Moon, a gorgeous, bronzed gold to give you moonlit luminescence that’s out of this world”.
Shop the best powder highlighter below
Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Lighting Palettes Unlocked
Hourglass is one of those brands that die-hard beauty fans know but might be unfamiliar to most folks. The beloved compacts - that are used by pro makeup artists like Daniel Martin - include finishing powder, bronzer and highlighter nestled in amongst the blush, allowing you to create a stunning base all in one stunning palette. Streamline your makeup bag and forgo all other products with this multitasker.
Buy now £83.00, Cult Beauty
Illamasqua Beyond Powder - OMG
Illamasqua’s Beyond Powder has stood the test of time in the arsenal of those looking for high shine in their makeup look. It’s a bestseller for a reason and it all comes down to the finely milled pigments that give a natural sheen. The payoff is instant and striking but the power is in your hands to build it up gradually - just a swipe will do for everyday or layer up for a dramatic evening look.
The formula is lightweight and you may just find that it works double duty as an eyeshadow too, offering a subtle strobing glow.
Buy now £23.80, Illamasqua
Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil How Many Carats?!
For an immediate mega-watt, lit-from-within glow, look no further than Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb which lives up to its name. The glittering texture provides instant sparkles, whether you apply to the contours of the face or all over the body.
The highlighter has an interesting jelly-powder texture that glides onto the skin and blends easily, locking into place for the rest of the night. Cue the compliments.
Buy now £32.00, Sephora
ICONIC London Lit and Luminous Baked Highlighter
ICONIC London has made a name for itself with its glow-giving heroes. The brand is synonymous with a high-shine look, whether you shop the brand’s beloved Prep-Set-Glow setting spray or this highlighter. The punchy powder pigment will bring a statement shimmer to your makeup look.
It comes in one universal shade that brightens every complexion with a natural finish. The latter is ensured with the inclusion of nourishing jojoba seed oil that not only allows the glitter to apply beautifully but encourages it to be longer lasting too.
Buy now £25.00, ICONIC London
r.e.m beauty interstellar highlighter topper
This is perhaps the product where the cosmic, futuristic feels best shine through. We tried the Miss Neptune shade, an iridescent lavender that adds a cool tint to the complexion. The colour and finish took us back to our 90s childhood with its glittery and blue tones - this is designed for a tweenage audience in mind.
The pigment though, was great and it really glides onto skin, giving a luminous, glowy look with very little product needed.
Buy now £20.00, Sephora
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighter
Each new launch from Charlotte Tilbury is an internet-breaking, game-changing moment but this new highlighter has had a particularly profound effect, becoming an instant social media sensation.
The brand is known for imparting that flawless filter glow and this product will help you take this to the next level with all its highlighting, smoothing, blurring and lifting. There are seven shades with a rich powder pigment that leaves a soft-focus 3D finish.
Buy now £38.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Too Faced Moon Crush Highlighter
Too Faced has two shades of its transformative highlighter; Summer Moon for a bronzed shade and Shooting Star for a champagne hue. Each provides a glistening glow in just one swipe of its powder texture and leaves a dewy finish behind - so much so that you will think that you’ve applied a liquid product yet with improved staying power.
Apply to the contours of the face to provide dimension and bring radiance to your features - and most uniquely of all, it is scented like fresh apples.
Buy now £34.00, Cult Beauty
Laura Mercier Addiction Face Illuminator
This well and truly brings multidimensional light to your face and won’t budge all day. Using different brushes you can create the look you want. For example, a fan brush will give a lighter wash of pigment, but a more densely packed brush will give a full-glam level of colour when you’re heading out-out. Although this is a powder consistency, it magically transforms into a cream instantly when applied to the skin. Illumination would be an understatement with this one.
Buy now £41.00, John Lewis
Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette
By far the best powder highlighter I’ve found to date, these quads double up as eyeshadow too, and never fails to light up features. I sometimes dab a bit of the pink from 002 in the centre of my lipstick to add dimension.
Buy now £43.00, Dior
