These 11 Highlighters Are Beauty Experts' Secret for Achieving a Believable Glow

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(Image credit: @Sasha.Mei)

Admittedly, I was late to the party when highlighters spiked in popularity. High school–aged Maya was still struggling to perfect the right base using my holy trinity of products (foundation, powder, and a swipe of concealer where needed) before commencing my makeup drawer glow-up. By college, dewy and glowy skin became a look I gravitated toward, so eventually, I began taking stock of the products in my limited collection.

That process, of course, brought me to the sudden conclusion, like so many makeup lovers before me, that highlighter would be my hero product for years to come. Now, fast-forward to today. I'm a beauty editor who dedicates hours of my day to understanding what makes my industry tick, taking note of the products that exceed my personal standards and make me reconsider what I need the most from my makeup.

What Beauty Editors Look for in the Best Liquid Highlighters

For a beauty editor, nothing is harder than coming up with a list of the products we swear never to be parted from. (You'd have to pry our empties out of our hands after we scrape and squeeze the remaining product from their packaging.) When met with the challenge of deciding which liquid highlighters will always make my list, I turned to my fellow beauty editors for their knowledge backed by years of experience. Between the three of us, we settled on the 11 highlighters that immediately come to mind when considering the best ones on the market.

The determining factors were simple: We favor highlighters that offered high-impact finish with effective formulas, justifiable price points, and general ease of application. Of course, all products come with caveats, so we settled on each of their most notable pros and cons through the time-consuming (but definitely worth it) study of customer reviews. Ready to take a look? Read on to see which ones made our list and why they're absolute stars in our book.

Best Overall Liquid Highlighter: L'Oréal True Match Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer

2. Saie Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Highlighter

3. Chantecaille Liquid Lumière Anti-Aging Face Illuminator

4. Beauty Pie Luminizing Highlighter Wand

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(Image credit: @champagnemani)

5. Kosas Glow I.V. Vitamin-Infused Illuminating Enhancer

6. Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight

7. SheGlam Glow Bloom Liquid Highlighter

8. Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter

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(Image credit: @mexicanbutjapanese)

9. Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Soft Light Liquid Highlighter

10. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand

11. Milk Makeup Bionic Glow Illuminating Liquid Highlighter

Next up, You're Welcome: Here's Every Underrated Fragrance WWW Editors Are Gatekeeping

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Maya Thomas
Assistant Beauty Editor

Maya Thomas is Who What Wear's assistant beauty editor based in New York City. Her strong love for all things beauty and fashion stems from a strong childhood interest in the fine arts. During a gap year spent in Paris studying the history of French fashion, she shifted her focus to English literature and journalism as a student at Loyola Marymount University with the goal of one day pursuing a career in fashion. After graduating in May 2021, Maya began freelancing for Parade.com as a contributing commerce writer while also building a following on her lifestyle blog, Itsmayalala.com. When she's not writing, Maya spends her free time catching up on reading, perusing art galleries, and enjoying a night out at the ballet every now and then.