13 Best Highlighters for Glowing Skin, According to Glamour Editors

Glamour editors love Milk Makeup, and their cream highlighter stick is certainly no exception. “This is my most-used cream highlighter, which I love for how convenient and easy it is,” says Glamour beauty contributor Sarah Y. Wu. “You just twist it up and swipe it on wherever you want, and the small size makes it easy to apply directly to your face. Lit is my shade of choice—it gives a nice, slightly warm champagne glow that makes my skin look healthier. It's also impossible to overdo because it's so blendable. Prettiest brow bone and nose highlight ever!"

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Former makeup artist and model Chyna Stevens has worn the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Seeker Champagne Gold Powder Highlighter for as long as she can remember. According to Stevens, if you’re looking for a lot of shine, this should be your go-to. It’s been hers for everything from red-carpet events and photo shoots to casual days at the office.

And, apparently, reviewers agree with her acclaim. “This highlighter is wonderful because it’s very buildable and it blends into the skin gorgeously,” writes one. “The color is also beautiful as it isn’t white and patchy, it’s more of a light gold color giving a more natural look while also still shining. I would definitely recommend because I can use it everyday or full glam looks.”

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Charlotte Tilbury’s best-selling Beauty Highlighter Wand is as popular as it is for a reason. In fact, both Glamour senior West Coast editor Jessica Radloff and Glamour commerce editor Malia Griggs swear by and depend on it for an easy-to-apply, gorgeous glow.

According to Radloff, the wand’s subtle yet glimmering pigmented finish makes it look as though she’s “just spent hours on a sunset cruise.” Also of note? It’s also super long-lasting, which is important for liquid-based products: “Others have a tendency to disappear into my skin within an hour,” Radloff explains. “My skin looks brighter, more glowy, and honestly, happier,” she says.

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Diana Mouette, who is this writer’s mother, was eager to share that her must-have mature-skin-friendly highlighter is Pai Skincare’s The Impossible Glow. “It doesn’t build up, dries fast and blends quickly,” she says. “The other highlighters I’ve tried can alter makeup, but this one doesn’t.”

If you’re not already convinced, the formula is also packed with robust skin-boosting ingredients like hyaluronic acid, sustainable sea kelp, and vitamin C–rich lemon fruit water. So, really, it’s like wearing nice skin care that just so happens to give you a glimmering glow. We stan a multipurpose product that’s good for you.

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Yes, the Alix Earle–approved Benefit Cookie Highlighter is worth the hype, says Audrey Long, founder of celebrity fashion store Xoxoposhipgirl. “Alix used it in many of her GRWM videos, so I decided to give this highlighter a try. It’s quickly become one of my favorites, and I even wore the highlighter to my graduation,” she says. “It’s the perfect shine for any makeup routine and a great addition to add on top of blush, as it has a touch of a rose gold tint. It never looks or feels like it’s too much.” She’s repurchased it three times and appreciates that the compact has a little mirror, so it’s great for on the go.

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You don’t need to break the bank for an incredible highlighter, and the Glamour Beauty Award–winning ColourPop Highlighter Stix proves it. “The iridescent shimmer this highlighter gives is absolutely stunning—exactly what I’ve been looking for,” Ruhamma Wolle, Glamour senior projects editor, says in her review. “It goes on smooth and creamy like a balm, blends right in, and pops on my darker complexion. What’s truly fantastic is that it’s glowy but still looks natural. I use it as a highlighter, eye shadow, and eye brightener—you can, of course, also apply it on your cheekbones, collarbones, and the high points of your face. The result is a beautiful dewy finish that complements any makeup look perfectly.”

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The Unleashia Mood Shower Face Palette is further proof that something costing more money doesn’t necessarily make it better, because at just $15, Unleashia’s shimmering palette offers five show-stopping shades that Wu can’t get enough of.

“I know these highlighters look more like going-out glitter shadows than anything you’d wear during the day, but trust me when I say they’re so flattering on skin,” she says “I have this highlighter palette in No. 101 Ballerino Shower and genuinely wear every single shade—even the one that looks sky blue in the pan but translates as a luminescent icy blue sheen when you apply it. They go on smooth—not gritty or chunky at all—and leave a wildly pretty pearlescent finish that you can blend out or amp up. These are especially pretty as an inner corner highlight, but you can blend them over blush too. I’m just obsessed.”

“It’s rare to find a powder highlighter that looks as good blended out with a brush as it does pressed on with a finger, but this one gets it done,” Wu says of Clio’s cult-favorite Prism Highlighter. “The texture is so soft and silky smooth, so it never applies crumbly or looks patchy. I use this in the shade 01 Gold Sheer, a ridiculously pretty champagne shimmer. It looks good anywhere you’d typically apply your highlighter (including dusted over collarbones), but my favorite way to use it is to pop a tiny bit on my Cupid’s bow and blend it out with my fingers to make my lips look fuller, even if I’m just wearing lip balm.”

Want to channel your inner sugar plum fairy or achieve wet-looking, dewy skin? Look no further than KimChi Chic Beauty Glam Tears Liquid Highlighter, says Flynn Pyykkonen, makeup artist and founder and CEO of Makeup by Flynn. This bright liquid highlighter is perfect for creating a wet-looking, dewy finish or a celestial, cosmic glam moment. Her advice? “Use it in shade opal to highlight the cheekbones, underneath the brow, the Cupid’s bow, and down the bridge of the nose.”

If you have dull, dry, dehydrated, or mature skin, celebrity makeup artist Natalie Dresher recommends CoverFx Custom Enhancer Drops. “These add a subtle hint of blush without being overbearing, and also a lovely glow to the cheeks, making the person wearing it instantly appear more youthful and vibrant,” she says of the innovative two-in-one product.

Reviewers couldn’t agree more. “A little goes a long way with this liquid highlighter. I get compliments when I wear it, and it lasts a very long time, even with everyday use,” writes one Amazon customer. “I am in love with this highlighter!” writes another. “I have fair skin, so the Moonstone was a perfect color choice. The drops are easy to apply with either a beauty blender or with your finger. The illumination from these drops is insane! It stays put all day and gives a nice beautiful glow! If you’re on the fence, I would definitely buy these again!”

If you’ve ever looked at Lana Del Rey and wondered how her skin looked like it was sprinkled in the world’s most beautiful, lustrous fairy dust, we finally have the answer: It’s the Ortega Ethereal Glow Balm.

Created by Del Rey’s makeup artist, Etienne Ortega, the beauty brand’s already iconic Ethereal Glow Balm is finally available for purchase online. That said, he’s been using it on his clients (like Del Rey and Christina Aguilera) for months, which is why they’ve been looking so lustrous as of late. Now that I’ve finally gotten my hands on it, my cheekbones (and lips, and occasionally even around the eyes) couldn’t be happier—or more illuminated, for that matter. It blends so beautifully and plays well with all of my products—even SPF—giving my complexion the most beautiful and radiant sheen. I love it!