Frequently Asked Questions
Where should you apply highlighter on the face?
Focus your highlighter on the high points of the face. “Apply a cream or powder highlighter to the brow bone right under the eyebrow, inner corners of the eyes, the top of the cheekbone, down the center of the nose, and the Cupid’s Bow above the lips,” Dorn says. When applying your cream, powder, or liquid formula, “you can use a brush, your fingers, or a damp Beautyblender sprayed with setting spray,” she explains. The addition of setting spray helps boost longevity and melts makeup into skin for a blended, airbrush-like effect.
For a little extra radiance, consider adding “a touch of highlight to the collarbone for a beautiful, cohesive glow,” Dorn adds.
What type of highlighter is best?
One type of highlighter isn’t inherently better than the others—it’s more about your skin type and what results you’re looking for. Cream and liquid highlighters work especially well on drier skin types, while powder highlighters can be used on top of them to set; powder highlighters alone can be a little patchy on dry skin. However, “for oily skin, it is better to use a powder so as to not add more cream products,” says Dorn. She also recommends using a little bit less highlighter on oily skin, focusing “only in very specific areas since oil is produced so easily and you do not want an all-over shiny look,” she says. “For more dry skin, I always use a cream or liquid highlighter to add more moisture.”
Rather than focusing on which one is best, you can actually play with multiple formulas. “I use [a combination of] cream and powder depending on the skin and the look I’m going for,” says Dorn. There are also so many highlighters out there: For example, “some deliver soft, ambient light and others have glitter and are more shiny,” Dorn adds. “I typically use a very natural glow highlighter and then if someone wants a more dramatic look then I will add a more intense highlight.”
How to make highlighter look natural
A common qualm when it comes to highlighter is that it looks unnatural and just sits atop the skin. To combat this, “you can dip your brush or Beautyblender into the highlighter, and then dab a bit on your hand to remove any excess product,” recommends Dorn. Then, “very lightly build the highlight in the exact area that you want it,” she says. The extra step of removing excess product helps make highlighter look more seamless.
What is the best highlighter for mature skin?
When applying makeup to mature skin, make sure to start with a well-hydrated base. Opt for a moisturizer, rich eye cream, and a hydrating face sunscreen before applying foundation (ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter are safe bets). Then, when it comes to highlighter, Dorn usually reaches for a cream or liquid formula. “Sometimes I even mix in a touch of highlighter with foundation to give an all-over glow,” she says. This helps deliver a more radiant look if your mature skin is on the drier side. Then, at the end of your makeup routine, “go on the high points of the face to add a touch more highlight,” Dorn recommends.
Meet the expert
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best highlighters, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team of in-house writers and editors, as well as contributors, along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more about our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from are folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
