Alright I promised that the next post in my Top Ten series would be highlighters….let’s do this! If this is your first time stopping by my blog: #1) welcome glad you are here and #2) check out the other posts in this Top Ten series including Top Ten Affordable Concealers and Top Ten Affordable Blushes.
Affordable brands have truly stepped up their highlighter game, and let’s just say it’s about time! I would say most of these products weren’t even on the market two years ago. You would have been hard pressed to find a legit affordable highlighter. But now they are literally everywhere and almost overkill. However, I’ve rounded up my top ten affordable highlighter picks that I think would and should be staples in your collection.
Formula and shade range are a big deal when it comes to highlighters. Personally, I like both subtle highlights and blinding highlights and will wear one or the other depending on my makeup and the day. However, when formulas are glittery, chunky or dusty, that’s when I pass. Also, the shade is so important because it needs to flatter your skin tone and not look like you wiped sparkle paint on your face…unless that’s the look you are going for in which case more power to you sister!
I think this top ten list includes a great range of formulas that run from soft and subtle to blinding and bold while also including many different shades to choose from fitting most skin tones. Let’s jump into my picks (in no particular order).
// Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter
Price: $9.99
Shades: 4
This formula is probably my absolute favorite! It’s absolutely stunning. I wear the rose gold shade which flatters my light skin with pink undertones. No matter what makeup I have on, it will go with any look. What started out as one shade has now expanded to four that include two deeper shades for dark skin. These shades might be the darkest of the bunch in this list. I highly recommend checking out this product if you haven’t yet.
// Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder
Price: $4.99
Shades: 5
Wet n wild continues to stun me by putting out amazing products at the most affordable prices. I really don’t know how they do it. These highlighters are sooo worth the $5. The shades are a little unique so you could easily buy 2 or 3 and experiment with them if you are wanting to try some different colors but aren’t wanting to spend a ton of money.
// Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighter
Price: $9.00
Shades: 12
The only liquid highlighter formula of the bunch are these drops! I talked about these before in my Drugstore Dupe Series: Cult Favorites post because they are a straight dupe for the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. This liquid formula is stunning and great for anyone that prefers cream base products, has dry skin, or wants to use this as a base before applying a powder highlight. They have the largest shade range including more neutral shades as well as colorful ones. Mixing shades together could also be a fun idea – the options are endless with this product.
//Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette
Price: $14.99
Shades: 1 palette with 4 shades included
This palette offers a great mix of formulas including two baked formulas, one silky shimmer powder formula and one cream formula. So if you go back and forth between cream and powder, this could be a great palette that offers both. And you will get a blinding highlight that’s for sure! These pack a punch but are also very wearable.
//Essence Pure Nude Highlighter
Price: $4.49
Shades: 1
One of the more subtle formulas – this highlighter is so gorgeous. I tend to wear more subtle highlighters on a day-to-day basis, and this is one of my go-tos. The formula and color are both soft and flattering not emphasizing texture or imperfections. It’s also a great base if you want to layer a more intense product on top. I thought the color might be a little too gold for my skin but it’s actually very pretty. The only thing that sucks is it comes in one shade which is very limiting to other skin tones.
//Milani Strobelight Instant Glow Powder
Price: $9.99
Shades: 2
These highlighters are so beautiful. They fall in the middle of the range meaning I wouldn’t call them subtle but I also wouldn’t call them blinding. They are kind of perfectly in the middle but also buildable if you want more intensity. Again, only bummer is the shade range.
// Flower Beauty Shimmer & Strobe Highlighter Palette
Price: $15.99
Shades: 1 palette with 3 shades
Another palette means more bang for your buck. I love that you can wear any of these shades on their own but you can also mix them together to get more versatility. The formula is very buttery and blends beautifully. If you want more variety in shades, I would go for this palette and if you want more variety in formula, I would go with the Sleek palette.
// Physicians Formula Butter Highlighter
Price: $10.99
Shades: 5
These are part of the butter collection so that can only mean one thing…that the formula is super buttery and amazing. These have a very cream-to-powder feel making them extremely easy to apply and blend out. If those reasons weren’t enough, the smell alone will get you. You will be daydreaming about the beach all day wearing these.
// Morphe High Impact Highlighter
Price: $14.00
Shades: 6
Morphe recently launched highlighters, and they sure came out with a bang. The formula is pretty intense and reflective. The shade range is also extremely diverse offering several different darker shade options in both warm and cool tones.
// L’Oreal Paris TrueMatch Lumi Shimmerista Highlighting Powder
Price: $11.99
Shades: 2
This is the only loose powder highlighter in the mix. I don’t often use loose powders because they are just messy, and there are so many great pressed highlighters to choose from. However, these shimmerista powders are on a whole other level. The powder is very finely milled making for a smooth texture. These could be a little hard to work with if you haven’t played around with highlighter before so I would suggest starting out with a pressed formula first.
BONUS #11
// ColourPop Super Shock Highlighter
Price: $8.00
Shades: 6
As I was creating this post, I realized I had 11 picks instead of 10 so you are getting a bonus! The super shock highlighters are very pigmented and intense. They are based off their super shock eyeshadow formula which is a very cream-to-powder consistency as well. I also love how compact and easy these are to store.
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Those are my favorites! Did your favorite affordable highlighter make the list? Let me know by leaving a comment with which is your favorite or comment if your fave didn’t make the list. I need to know about it 😉 Next up in the series is mascaras!
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