Whether you like your glow subtle and daytime appropriate or whether you like your glow to be seen from the International Space Station then you have come to the right place.  Highlighters are probably the item of makeup that I have tried and tested the most considering it’s the most requested item when working on clients.  Dewy, wet, beaming, luminous, radiant, glowing and gleaming are the words people want to hear when someone is talking about their skin and that’s arguably all down to highlighter.  You might love it or hate it but there is no doubt that adding a little pop of highlight can make all the difference.

Of course, highlighting in the make up industry has been around for decades upon decades and this glow hasn’t only come around in recent years.  However, as everyone is now a mooah all the tricks and tips of the trade have leaked out for anyone and everyone to use.

With so many highlighters available from so many different brands it can be hard to truly find the best one for you.  With that in mind I have compiled a list of my personal Top 5 Highlighters so if you are in highlighter limbo and have no idea which highlighter to go for, or you simply want to add another to your collection then scroll down for more!

1. Mac Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skinfinish £25.50
   More specifically the shade Oh, Darling.  If you are a regular viewer on my Instagram or even on my YouTube channel you might know that this highlighter is probably my most used item, let alone highlighter.  I get carried away and honestly out it everywhere.  The highlighter itself is one of the most stunning sights.  I myself prefer anything warm toned so that’s why I tend to reach for this baby a lot considering the gorgeous, golden glow it leaves on your skin.  If you are after that perfectly wet, sexy sweaty skin then this is the highlighter for you.  I do find that the brush you use is important for this one as it is such a strong colour I find it best using a fan brush like the Make Up For Ever Fan Brush 120 (£21.50) as it doesn’t apply too much product causing the tin man look.

2. Sleek Solstice Palette, £9.99

Before I even begin – this is the BEST highlighter for the price of it.  So if you are someone on a budget and looking a little more bang for your buck I am telling you look no further.  Congratulations, you have found the perfect highlighter.  My jaw hit the floor the very first time I used this palette, I couldn’t believe a highlighter that cost me less than £10 was this good.  Price aside, the highlighter itself is unbelievable.  Now, inside this palette there are 3 powder shades (two baked and one shimmer) and one cream shade.  I’ll be honest when I say that I have never touched the cream one, only by accident when I have been getting ready in a rush but I use the powder shades nearly every day.  It’s an extremely strong palette so it’s not for the faint hearted!  If you only like a light bit of highlighter please do just take a small amount as I have known myself on occasion to go totally overboard.  There are not many drugstore products other than foundations that I repurchase because there are so many out there to try, but I am on my fourth solstice palette.  I also love the packaging – that’s what sold it to me in the first place!

3. Estée Lauder Victoria Beckham Modern Mercury, £55

I may be being biased considering my love for former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and her outstanding line with Estée Lauder but this highlighter certainly had to appear i my Top 5.  The second I got it I ripped through the packaging and I nearly wept and how beautiful it was, I was almost scared to ruin the beauty of it.  I got over myself pretty quickly, grabbed my Illamasqua Highlighter Buffing Brush (£26) and delicately placed this beautiful creamy powder on my cheekbones.  It was love at first sight!  I keep this highlighter for when I don’t want my cheeks to be so wet looking, it’s is perfect for those of you who like to keep it a little more on the ‘natural’ side while still looking gorgeously glowy.  As I wrote this I got so excited about it that I ran upstairs just to check on it, make sure it was safe, swatched it and came back down… obsessed much?

4. Iconic London Illuminator Shine, £30

I used to hate cream or liquid illuminators.  Ladies and Gents, that was before Iconic launched their illuminators.  I’ll be honest, I haven’t quite nailed the application like some of the beauty gurus on Instagram and YouTube – how to they look so attractive dripping it down their face?! – but, I am quite happy throwing it all over my face any way I want.  I love this product for two reasons… it is fantastic as a primer underneath your foundation as it creates a serious glorious shine through your foundation.  Not only that, but it’s beautiful on top of your foundation – even over powder.  It’s the only liquid highlighter I have come across that does not lift or disturb ANY foundation that lies underneath.  There’s nothing worse than spending ages bouncing your foundation in to your skin to then use something that lifts your hard earned work.  It comes in a few shades, I use ‘Original‘ and have ‘Glow‘ if I am using it to darken foundation or use as a bronzer.  When adding on top of your foundation, might I suggest using a beauty blender if you have one as it sits beautifully on the skin.  I use the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Make Up Sponge (£5.99).

5. Make Up For Ever Artist Face Color H102/H106, £18

The thing I like about these highlighters more than anything are their compactibility and ease of use.  The Artist Face Color collection are magnetic and so can be swapped and changed into different pans and carriers, as a Make Up Artist this is extremely handy for heading to and from events, clients, etc.  Not only are they then refillable but the product itself is beautiful!  They have a vast range of highlighters, matte and shimmery to blushers and bronzers and contour shades that can be placed and made into a palette of their own.  Focusing on just the highlighters, they are extremely buttery and so blendable that it doesn’t require a lot of work.  My favourite colour is H106, again a warm golden colour,  and it’s the only highlighter I have that looks like skin.  All the others have that obvious highlighter look but this one in daylight looks like it could really be my skin that’s glowing.  Even the Victoria Beckham highlighter has that hint of glitter that lets slide that it’s a highlighter whereas the Make Up For Ever is so smooth that it looks like skin.

The list could go on however, these are the highlighters that I use on a near daily basis and are worth bringing into your own make up bag.  If you have any other highlighters that you think I might not have tried please send me a message as of course, I would love to try them!  If you have used any of the highlighters I have mentioned send me a message as well and let me know what you think!

Til next time,

Amy xo