Highlighter Collection

Although highlighters are usually very hit or miss for me, they're one of my favorite makeup items to buy. I have dry skin so anything that helps me glow is a must! I've recently purchased some new highlighters, gave away the 'misses' in my collection, and reorganized my stash so I'm ready for a highlighter collection post. Lets talk formulas, shades, pros, cons, and most importantly, glow-factor!

Becca Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfectors $38 each
I find that the formula of Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors vary from shade to shade, but they are all beautiful, pigmented, and buttery. I have four shades: Moonstone, Opal, Champagne Pop and Prosecco Pop. Opal I have only in a travel size while Champagne Pop and Prosecco Pop are both in my Champagne Pop face palette. Moonstone, a pearly champagne, is my favorite. It's incredibly soft and smooth. It's more versatile than the other shades, in my opinion, because it can be toned down or intensified while the others are brighter.

I've been loving Champagne Pop, a peachy golden champagne, quite a lot for the autumn. It's a very intense highlight and it's not as smooth as Opal or Moonstone, but it's incredibly flattering and gives the most beautiful shine!

Opal, a silvery beige, and Prosecco Pop, a true warm gold, don't get as much use from me. I find they're a little too dark for my fair skin. They do make lovely eyeshadows and I like to mix them with blushes sometimes, or use them when I've been tanning a lot.

Becca Liquid Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal $19
A concealer-sized tube of liquid Opal came with my travel-size pressed powder Opal, but I don't think the colors are that similar considering they're supposed to be the same shade. Opal's liquid version is a bit warmer and more metallic and I can actually use it as a highlight year round. This is super easy to blend and I'd like to get more shades! I can't imagine how stunning a liquid Moonstone would be.

Swatches from left to right: Champagne Pop, Prosecco Pop, Moonstone, Opal, Liquid Opal (unblended), Liquid Opal (blended)

Gerard Cosmetics Star Powder in Audrey $36
I did a full review on this here so I won't go too in-depth. The Star Powders are beautiful, creamy highlighters inspired by famous actresses like Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Lauren and Grace Kelly. I have Audrey, inspired by one of my favorite actresses, Audrey Hepburn. It's an intense pale gold shade. The texture of this almost feels like a cream to powder formula, but you can pick it up on a brush unlike cream products so it's easy to work with. If you're looking for a subtle glow, this is not for you!

Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls in Beige Pearl $8.39
I bought this ages ago, before I even knew what highlighting was. This is probably my most subtle highlight and I actually used to apply this all over the face as a setting powder...yikes. Now I use it for no-makeup makeup days.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer $24
This is my most recent highlighter purchase and I'm obsessed with it. It's a light golden color, slightly warmer than Moonstone but just as soft and finely milled. In the pan it doesn't look like much, but once swatched or applied it is stunning. I can see why this is a holy grail for so many!

Colourpop Super Shock Highlighter in Lunch Money $8
When placing my most recent Colourpop order I was happy to learn that they had released a line of highlighters in all sorts of different shades. I quickly searched through swatches and decided on Lunch Money, a pearly champagne (as if I didn't have enough of these shades already!). The texture is very unique and similar to Colourpop's eyeshadows; it's creamy, bouncy, and mousse-like. I use my fingers to apply it and then blend it in with a brush. As Colourpop says, it's worth spending your lunch money on!

From left to right: Audrey, Beige Pearl, Mary-Lou Manizer, Lunch Money

Flower Glisten Up Highlighter Chubby in Pearl Shimmer
I really love cream highlighters for looking extra dewy. They're easier to blend than most liquid formulas and you don't lose any pigment when you apply them like a powder. This chubby stick is especially handy as you can swipe it on your cheekbones, blend out the edges, and have a glow for days! For a truly blinding highlight I like to use this pale gold as a base and then layer a powder on top.

Trestique Mini Highlight Stick in Maldives Luminescent--full size $34 
I received this convenient little highlighting stick in an Ipsy bag a few months ago. It's very similar to the Flower highlighter chubby, but this has a narrower end that is better for traveling or getting a precise line. Again, I love cream products for layering but this looks gorgeous on it's own, too. When it runs out (I've already flattened the originally rounded tip) I will definitely consider buying the full size!

Benefit High Beam $26
This is one of the first highlighters I ever bought and it's a pretty, opalescent pink shade. It comes in a bottle that reminds me of nail polish and you can dot it on the high points of the face using a polish-like brush. This dries quickly so you have to work fast with it, but it gives off the prettiest sheen once it's blended. The pale pink is good for fair skin but may be too light for medium or darker complexions. Luckily Benefit has a few other shades that may be more suitable!

Elf Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal $1
I cannot believe that this is only a dollar. I saw this in one of ReadySetGlamour's videos and I was amazed at the beautiful highlight that she created! There are a few other shades available of this but this pale pink is most suited for my skin tone. You get a fairly good amount as you only need to use the tiniest dots on the cheekbones, and it comes out of a little squeeze tube so you can get a precise amount. This cream has so glitter in it, just pure metallic sheen. My only gripe with it is that it's a little difficult to blend, but for this price you can't go wrong!

From left to right: Pearl Shimmer, Maldives Luminescent, High Beam unblended, High Beam blended, Lilac Petal unblended, Lilac Petal blended

While I wouldn't say my collection is complete, I'm pretty happy with it at the moment! I like the variety of shades and finishes, although I wouldn't say no to some new ones, either. Next up I want to try Anastasia's highlighters, and there are some Elf and Wet n' Wild ones that have caught my eye. I'd also like to get a white highlighter like Becca's Pearl! Any recommendations would be lovely.

Do we have any highlighters in common?
Xx Katie