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The best highlighters for a gorgeous glow in 2025
These tried and tested highlighters shone brightest in our tests
Tested by Orla BadgerFormer Senior Beauty and Grooming Tester
A highlighter is a makeup bag essential if you want to add an instant glow to your face and body.
And we've found the best highlighters for every need and budget, whether you love a dose of subtle shine in your everyday look or you love to douse yourself in shimmer for a glam night out.
We tested the market leaders in the Good Housekeeping Institute beauty lab – here are our winners at a glance, but read on for our full, no-detail-spared reviews.
The best highlighters
Kit your makeup bag out with some more expert-approved makeup essentials: Best foundations | Best mascara | Best lipstick
What are the different types of highlighters?
You can choose between cream, liquid and powder highlighters to suit your skin type and preferences.
Liquid highlighter offers a more dewy, subtle finish, which is often better suited to those with dry skin. Although highlighter is typically applied after base products, a liquid highlighter can be mixed with your foundation to give an iridescent all-over finish.
As a midway point between liquid and powder, cream highlighters usually come in a palette or stick form, and are easily applied to target specific areas.
A powder highlighter may appeal more to those with oilier skin, as they have a similar texture to setting powder. These are applied after your base products and can also be layered on top of liquid or cream highlighters for an extra bit of shine.
How we test highlighters
The Good Housekeeping Institute tested an array of highlighters with the help of 90 at-home panellists over a two-week period. They were asked to score each highlighter on its longevity, buildability, blendability, and the overall appearance on the skin.
As well as our best in test products, we’ve also added some of our beauty editors’ favourite new releases below.
These are the ones they loved for an instant glow.
Pros
- Can be mixed with foundation for a glowy finish
- Easy to apply
- A little goes a long way
Cons
- Some found it took a while to blend in but it's worth the extra effort
Score: 89/100
This ICONIC London highlighter lived up to its name in our tests. The brand is famous for its glow-giving products, from liquid highlighters to setting sprays – all parcelled up in luxurious rose-gold packaging.
This smooth liquid formula is applied via a pipette, so whether you’re gliding onto cheekbones, or mixing with your base foundation, you can easily control the glow. Our testers were happy with the level of shimmer the highlighter gave, praising its buildability and natural-looking finish.
With four shades to choose from, it’s a tough call on what to go for – the Blush shade offers a subtle pink undertone that’s perfect for cheeks, while the Glow has a more bronzy finish.
Pros
- Layers well with other makeup
- Long-lasting formula
- Cushioned tip allows for easy application
Cons
- Takes a little bit of time to dry
- Can be messy if you forget to lock the applicator after use
Score: 87/100
Move over matte. Charlotte Tilbury’s Light Wand delivers a touch of Hollywood glamour with a high gloss finish. The cushioned dot applicator allows for accurate targeting of those light-hitting spots, which won’t smudge your base underneath. The lockable, small tube packaging also means you can throw it into your bag for glimmer on-the-go – with no risk of spillage.
All our testers found this highlighter easy to blend, and said it layered well with their other makeup, giving them a “just back from holiday” glow.
Pros
- Delivers a light shimmer
- Long lasting
- Quick dry time
Cons
- You can’t clean the sponge tip applicator
- Needs to be blended out quickly due to speedy drying
Score: 87/100
E.L.F. (which stands for eyes, lips, face) has also opted for a cushioned tip for ease of application with this affordable highlighter. Our testers told us it made dispensing the perfect amount a breeze. It also means you can start off with a subtle shine, and gradually build up to a bold glow.
That buildable glow is long lasting too, with one tester saying it stayed put from 11am to 1am, making it the perfect option for those after-work drinks days. There are now six options to choose from including rose quartz, berry and champagne shades.
Pros
- Buildable
- Light shimmer, but not too glittery
Cons
- Slightly messy application due to powder fallout
Score: 84/100
Though liquid highlighters took the top spots in our list, this powder option from MAC shone through. The Skinfinish highlighter offers a low-level of pearlised pigment – ideal for setting foundation and adding dimension to your face. All our testers were happy with the amount of shimmer this option gave, with one describing it as “not too glittery and very buildable.”
With powder options, you will need one of our best makeup brushes to apply. Top tip from our beauty experts: opt for an angled brush to effectively hit those high points.
Max Factor Facefinity Powder Highlighter
Pros
- Easy to blend
- Very pigmented
Cons
- No mirror in compact
- Slight fallout across face on application
Score: 79/100
If you’re looking for a powder highlighter on a budget, then the Facefinity formula from drugstore supernova Max Factor could be your perfect match.
Despite its budget price, this option delivered a pigmented and bright glow. The formula also proved to be long-wearing and didn’t need to be reapplied throughout the day – which again, makes it a great purse-friendly option.
Editors' picks
Hybrid makeup and skincare products are everywhere right now, and these Bio Radiant stick highlighters are designed to hydrate and illuminate simultaneously.
The GHI’s lifestyle writer, Madeleine, can’t put the Glassy Opal shade down. As someone who loves creamy highlighters (and Gaga herself, of course), her makeup look isn’t complete without a swipe of this glow-y balm. “It’s so easy to apply to the high points of my face, and it doesn't wipe off my foundation underneath either,” she says.
Another stick highlighter-skincare hybrid, this is formulated with plant-based oils that hydrate the skin, alongside light-reflecting minerals.
Rather than a high-shine finish for full-face makeup looks, this one resembles more of a natural, dewy glow, which would look great paired with a light tinted moisturiser. It can be applied to a bare face too – perfect for makeup-free beach days this summer. Along with your SPF of course!
You can forget a natural finish or subtle glow with this one – as the name suggests, it’s the ultimate sparkle bomb. Think dazzling décolletages and shimmering thighs, this face and body powder will add a glamorous finish to any evening look. Nothing’s stopping you from bringing a bit of shine to your day-to-day complexion, either.
Where should you use highlighter?
There’s no universal rule when it comes to makeup application, so you can apply highlighter wherever you want some extra shimmer.
However, the general purpose of this product is to enhance the high points of the face or décolletage, where the light already hits naturally. So, think cheekbones, cupid’s bow, brow bones, nose bridge and collar bones.
What colour highlighter is best?
Thankfully, the market is overflowing with options and there are plenty of shades to choose from. Subtle pearlescent finishes may be more suited to the day-to-day, while you can opt for a bolder metallic gold for evening. But nothing's stopping you from bringing a little disco ball drama to your weekly supermarket shop.
The verdict on highlighters
When it comes to creating a gorgeous dewy, highlighted look, the ICONIC London Illuminator is our winner. But if liquid isn’t your thing, then the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powder could be the one for you – a great choice for creating a buildable glow.
Want to brighten on a budget? Then Max Factor’s Facefinity Powder Highlighter is a steal at under £10.
Why should you trust the Good Housekeeping Institute?
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we’ve been testing products for over 100 years – from the best mattress to the best hair dryers and best treadmills – so we know what we’re looking for in a great buy.
Our former beauty tester Orla Badger has a degree in cosmetic science and worked as a formulation chemist in beauty labs. She developed the rigorous protocols we tested each highlighter against and analysed all our panel feedback to award our winners, based on longevity, buildability, blend-ability, and the overall look on skin.
Our writers are also experts in the field. Lifestyle Writer Madeleine Evans has experience writing all things beauty, from skincare to makeup and haircare. As a beauty lover, she also has tried and tested many of the leading highlighters herself (HAUS LABS is her newly found favourite for providing a pigmented glow all day long).
Madeleine is our Lifestyle Writer, specialising in expert-tested reviews and round-ups on the latest beauty Beauty and Health & Wellness products. From skincare to protein powders, Maddie is committed to providing honest and helpful reviews to help guide readers to the best product for them. Maddie has a BA in English Literature and Language, which stemmed from her lifelong interest in reading and writing. She started her post graduate life at Hearst UK within a marketing capacity, which quickly turned into a desire to fulfil a writing career.
When she is not writing about the latest expert reviewed products, you can find her rifling through vintage shops or car boots, reading a print magazine, or capturing portraits on her film camera.
Orla was our Former Senior Beauty and Grooming Tester.
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