These 8 Highlighters Ensure an Ethereal Glow for Dark Skin Tones, Every Time

Pros: Highly pigmented, buildable radiant coverage, utilizes pearl pigments instead of glitter.

Cons: May be too pigmented for some.

Type: Liquid

Shades: 6

"I love to use different shades from the Vision Flush Glow collection. This collection of liquid illuminators was based on the viral, universally flattering shade I created, Tiara. I've extended the collection into six gorgeous shades that include gold, bronze, champagne, and pink—perfect for those with deeper skin tones with various undertones." — Myricks

Customer Review: "These highlighters aren't like any other product I've tried. They are so creamy and apply so easily. I love using them for underpainting, adding a slight glow, or even as an eye shadow. As the name says, the pigment is extremely radiant and lasts all day. I would highly recommend it! I was gifted this by Danessa Myricks Beauty, but my opinions are my own."

Pros: Contains four luminous shades that can be worn separately or mixed together. Highly pigmented warmer tones suit dark skin tones.

Cons: Expensive.

Type: Powder

Shades: 4

"The Dior palette is also a staple in my kit because it has a variety of colors and it's a compact quad palette. You can apply a single shade or mix them to your liking. The highlighter gives a glossy wet look without looking unnatural. It's a healthy glow without sparkle and glitter. I would say it's a strong highlight, but you can go super light-handed if you want a subtle glow."

Customer Review: "[This] is really pretty [with] soft colors. Leaves a pearly finish."

Pros: Infused with avocado oil to protect the skin, orange peel wax to lock in moisture, and shea butter to hydrate the skin, buttery texture adds dewy radiance to the skin.

Cons: Expensive for one stick.

Type: Cream

Shades: 2

Ilia's Illuminator is ideal for medium brown skin tones. It's the perfect bronze tone, and the stick texture is smooth and buttery, so blending is easy—even for unsure hands.

Customer Review: "When applied modestly, it gives a really natural glow without the sparkle. Easy to apply and lasts a long time. Expensive, but I haven't found anything even close to as natural looking." 

Pros: Great shade range for darker skin tones, budget-friendly.

Cons: The formula is a bit thick.

Type: Powder

Shades: 3

Those with deeper skin tones would benefit from looking for highlighters that contain warm undertones, like gold and deep orange or red tones. Milani's Baked Highlighters are all warm-toned and offer a range of deep tones. They're also superfinely milled, so there's no chalky, powdery buildup on the skin.

Customer Review: "The baked highlighter has become a favorite go-to in my daily makeup routine. It leaves a glow that brightens my face, and I use it most days after a foundation, but also use it by itself when I'm in a hurry."

Pros: Cream-to-powder hybrid formula, hyper-metallic finish, highly pigmented.

Cons: Not as easy to blend.

Type: Powder

Shades: 2

This weightless Fenty Beauty formula has a cream-to-powder texture and leaves a gorgeous hyper-metallic finish. The pigment power alone is enough to get my endorsement for darker skin tones, but the buttery texture melts into the skin so nicely. A little goes a long way, though, so use sparingly because it's hard to blend.

Customer Review: "This highlighter is so good and pigmented. I barely put anything on, and it's so blinding! The perfect highlighter!"

Pros: Budget-friendly, the cream-to-power formula contains ultra-refined pearls and soft-focus pigments and is infused with a blend of nutrient-rich butters to lock in hydration.

Cons: May be too sparkly for some.

Type: Powder

Shades: 1

Physicians Formula offers this buttery highlight that contains moisture-locking ingredients like murumuru, capuacu, and tucuma butter. Most importantly, this golden champagne shade is perfect for darker skin tones.

Customer Reviews: "I use it as a bronzer for a more dewy look, but it's also great as its intended purpose of a highlighter. It's just so silky and smooth—the name is accurate. I get compliments on it."

Pros: Talc-free, contains fermented arnica oil to soothe redness and inflammation, silver vine extract brightens skin.

Cons: Expensive.

Type: Powder

Shades: 6

This is one of my all-time-favorite highlighters for Black and Brown skin. First, the formula is gorgeous—it may be a powder highlighter, but it completely melts into your skin and applies so smoothly. All the shades look fantastic on darker skin tones, but the shades Chocolate Opal and Pink Amethyst are particular standouts.

Customer Review: "Absolutely stunning! It is buildable to go from day to night, but definitely less is more! Incredible pigmentation and a beautiful shimmer!"

Pros: Rich, warm shade shades look great on darker skin tones, lustrous polymers enhance your natural luminosity, lindera extract hydrates skin.

Cons: Expensive.

Type: Liquid

Shades: 7

This liquid highlighter formula is such a gem. As with all Charlotte Tilbury products, the pigment in each shade is extremely rich and warm. Lustrous polymers enhance the look of your natural luminosity, while velvety silica gives the skin a soft focus. The shades Pillow Talk Medium, Goldgasm, and Peachgasm stand out particularly well on Black and Brown skin.

Customer Review: "This highlighter looks so natural and blends so nicely. It can be worn on its own or with a full glam look. I typically don't wear a full-beat face and keep it light, and it always looks BEAUTIFUL on the skin."