We Tested Hundreds of Highlighters—These 9 Would Earn a Permanent Spot in Our Makeup Bag

Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market’s most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are truly worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, completely uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that, as beauty editors, we’re obsessed with highlighter. It’s an integral part of our daily makeup routines. But that doesn’t mean we love any highlighter. No, quite the contrary. We’re actually incredibly picky about the formulas and finishes we use.

A highlighter can’t be too subtle. After all, isn’t it kind of the whole point of a highlighter to give us glowing skin? Yet, on the flip side, it can’t be too obvious. Fake-looking, overtly glitzy formulas won’t do it. The highlighters that earn permanent spots in our makeup bags must strike a fine balance and meet, nay, exceed our expectations. And since we’re always looking for those diamond-in-the-rough formulas, we decided to undertake an in-depth research-and-testing process.

Here’s how it went. First, we spent days researching hundreds of highlighters. We organized them all into a color-coded spreadsheet. Then, based on ratings, reviews, and editor experience, we narrowed down the vast number of items to a mere nine. After that, our editors got to testing. After enough time had passed, they combined their individual assessments to crown one as the unequivocal best. Ahead, see which highlighters are worth your time and money.

We recruited six highlighter-obsessed members of the Who What Wear team to test the top highlighters. Each one of us has a unique skin type and tone, so we were able to get a diverse perspective and fair judgment on each one.

Best Overall: Merit Day Glow Dewy Highlighting Balm

Rating: 4.75/5

What We Liked: “This highlighter has the perfect natural-looking finish on the skin. It’s dewy, but it doesn’t display texture. It’s shimmery, but it doesn’t look over the top. It gives the perfect almost wet-look sheen to the skin.” — McLintock

What We Didn’t Like: “I didn’t feel like I could apply it directly to my face without my makeup lifting.” — Morinia

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Best Affordable: E.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand

Rating: 4.75/5

What We Liked: “This is a drugstore gem. I used both the rose-gold and champagne shades to create a cool multichrome look. I did the shimmery rose gold on my eyelids and on the center and high points of my face, and then I went in with the glimmering champagne on the bridge of my nose and cheeks. I love that this highlighter is so intensely pigmented and makes my features pop—and it’s so affordable, too!” — Walsh

What We Didn’t Like: “The applicator is flimsy and can result in quite a mess if not applied with precision and care.” — Nunez

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Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer

Rating: 4.5/5

What We Liked: “Wow, okay, I’m unexpectedly in love with the shade Flaunt—it’s a nude, golden-bronzy shade that gives this lit-from-within radiance. You can use a little if you want a natural look, or you can build it up if you want more of a megawatt glow. I want to try every single shade of these highlighters now. A round of applause for Selena.” — Walsh

What We Didn’t Like: “Since a little bit goes a long way, it was hard for me to control the amount of pigment I wanted.” — Chwatt

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Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick

Rating: 4/5

What We Liked: “The lightweight formula basically melts onto the skin, making blending a breeze. Plus, the radiant sheen looks so subtle and elegant. I could wear this every single day and never get sick of it.” — McLintock

What We Didn’t Like: “It produces a muted sheen, which works better for accentuating smaller parts of the face like the brow bone or Cupid’s bow. The subtle glow might be a bit too subtle for me but achieves the lit-from-within look that most people strive for!” — Nunez

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Dior Backstage Glow Palette

Rating: 3.75/5

What We Liked: “I love the palette format! It’s essentially four highlighters in one: I can use the white shade for a stark highlight on my inner eye corners, the pink for a pop of color on my cheeks and lids, the golden brown for a bronzy finish, etc. Its versatility makes it well worth the price (but also, it doesn’t get chicer than Dior). The payoff is also quite magical, depositing a silky, shimmery finish in just one swipe.” — Schneider

What We Didn’t Like: “My only callout is that the squares are a bit small. I can see myself hitting pan pretty quickly with this, especially because I’m such a highlighter stan.” — Schneider

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Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter

Rating: 3.75/5

What We Liked: “The shine is REAL. I love the pinky-pearly glimmer. It’s a powder formula, but the fine particles are super silky, so it actually smoothed my skin instead of accentuating uneven texture. ” — Schneider

What We Didn’t Like: “Honestly, I’m a fan of subtler everyday highlighters, and I feel like I would only really reach for this before big events. Also, the powder seems to break somewhat easily. Be careful not to drop it!” — McLintock

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Saie Glowy Super Gel Multipurpose Illuminator

Rating: 3.5/5

What We Liked: “I like the pump applicator because (besides being the most hygienic), it helps deposit the right amount of product I need for application. It’s easy to blend, and the dusty rose tint adds a light flush to the complexion.” — Nunez

What We Didn’t Like: “While I mostly really enjoyed this highlighter, I found that my T-zone got oily a little bit quicker throughout the day when wearing this. I’d rather wear this highlighter on light makeup days as opposed to the days when I’m in full glam with powder and other layers of makeup on.” — Morinia

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L’Oréal True Match Lumi Glotion

Rating: 3.5/5

What We Liked: “Liquid highlighters are truly the best multitaskers. I can mix this into my moisturizer or foundation to add a bit more glow, or I can tap it directly onto my cheekbones for a concentrated highlight. The Light Glow shade offers the prettiest golden sheen on my skin tone, and it doesn’t pill, even when I layered it over my setting powder!” — Schneider

What We Didn’t Like: “The glow is a tad subtle—stunningly so, IMO, but it’s something to note if you prefer megawatt shine.” — Schneider

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Rating: 3.25/5

What We Liked: “Okay, hello, 2010s makeup! The Ambient Lighting Powder is one of my long-lost loves. I used the shade Ethereal Light, which added a very light, ethereal glow to my face. I think this range of highlighters would be great for anyone who likes to have a natural radiance.” — Walsh

What We Didn’t Like: “I didn’t feel an instant glow, which I’m always searching for. I felt like I had to really pack it on.” — Morinia

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Our Deep Reviews Research-and-Testing Process

This installment of Deep Reviews, like all others, took weeks to complete. We took our time researching the best highlighters on the market. We started by gathering information on hundreds of products and formulas. Then, we created a master list. From there, we compared and color-coordinated the lists based on ratings and reviews as well as personal editor experience.

After all of this, we had our nine highlighters. All that was left to do was our own rigorous testing. Each editor received the highlighters and was asked to test, rate, and review them. Once we had everyone’s responses, we assembled them into a document and ranked each one according to the in-depth feedback. By the end, we had crowned the unequivocal best.