What highlighter finish do you gravitate toward the most?

I definitely find I reach for more moderate to intense highlighters, and if duochrome was a true finish (it’s almost like a modification on a finish, e.g duochrome satin finish, to me), I really dig duochrome highlighters.

— Christine

26 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Nancy T Avatar

Anything that covers my dark circles without looking like dried up spackle! To be perfectly honest, my favorite one is Maybelline Fit Me concealer. It never looks dry or crackly. It gives me just enough coverage to where it still looks natural and like skin, yet no circles showing through. Also, it’s an inexpensive dupe for the Nars one!

Nancy T Avatar

Oh crud! I’m not awake enough yet, I could have sworn that the question was “concealers”, but it’s highlighters!
My favorite finish is the one I typically get from Baked Geleé formulas! It tends to look melded in with my skin. And even when it’s intense, I can dial it down or just buff it in a little more to reign it in. This is why I’m so in love with ABH Amrezy, MAC Whisper Of Gilt, the 2 in Nars cheek palette from last year’s holiday collection, and Laura Mercier Matte 01. But I also love regular powder highlighters that apply just as wonderfully! Ofra Glazed Donut, Covent Garden, Maybelline Rose-Gold are some faves of that traditional powder type.

xamyx Avatar

I am, quite honestly, drawn to nearly all of them, LOL! The only real “exception” is glitter/micro-shimmer, but even then, there are some exceptions, such as if the “base” is more opaque & soft. I haven’t actually counted my highlighters, but it’s a safe bet that I own somewhere around 100, across more than 20 different brands, and in literally every finish & formula; it’s Al safe to say I may have a bit of a problem…

Deborah S. Avatar

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with highlighter’s. I would wear the brightest, most shimmery, see from space highlighter if I could get away with it but at my age there are several reason’s why that doesn’t work. I have some texture on the tops of my cheeks from use of a steroid cream to treat what they thought was eczema. I also have hyper-pigmentation on the tops of my cheeks and applying certain highlighters messes with my base and all my concealing is for naught. Mind you, even concealing doesn’t keep it at bay for more than a couple of hours.
So, I tend to go for a more natural appearing, powder highlighter. If I cannot resist the particular highlighter I usually end up buying it and then using it as an e/s or to highlight other areas of my face. I use to use highlighters to highlight my cupids bow but that is another no-no since I now have lip lines to deal with and highlighter just emphasizes them. I have seriously been considering lip injections but I don’t want anything really phony looking.

Janice Avatar

I just got lip injections. First time. They are very, very natural looking. I’m thrilled, & really happy with the result. My lips are a lot less dry, & very smooth now. I can even wear matte lipsticks now, where as before, no way!

Deborah S. Avatar

Thank you for the information, Janice. What did you have injected? I know there are a couple of different fillers and that some are better than others. I was just worried that I would walk out with these very unnatural lips that I would have to live with until they were absorbed!

Denise S. Avatar

I like a high-moderate shimmer/gleaming highlighter. I love gold, peach and iridescent plums and rose colors. Duo-chromes are pretty too. Not a fan of glittery or too light colored ones. MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish, Pat McGraft,ABH, Becca and Ofra makes some of my favorites.

TheAppleCake Avatar

Being as I’m in my mid-30s, I typically tend to only put highlighter on when I’m going out for the night lol! I can’t wear it/pull it off in the daytime. I also have oily skin. That being said, I usually stick to the more tamer highlighters out there. I usually use UD’s Fireball or Sin since they compliment my tone and don’t make me shine like a vampire in Twilight. I’m afraid to try anything else ?

Jill Avatar

I love highlighters with lots of shine that have a dewy look. My favs are Colour Pop, which I also find more lasting than a lot of the more expensive brands.

bibi Avatar

Anything that does not emphasize the texture of my skin.
Whether it is Essence’s Pure Nude highlighter for a subtle ‘work appropriate” glow or the Balm’s Mary LouManizer for super intense ultra ‘bling’ evening looks. Highlighters are something I find you don’t have to spend a lot of $ on to get top-performing products to- that cheapie Essence highlighter replaced my $$$ Cle de Peau Luminizing Face Enhancer!

Ana Maria Avatar

The most subtle ever. 😆
I barely use highlighters… I love the aesthetics of it on others, but for me it’s a step I can easily skip. And when I do highlight, it’s mostly using a shaping / brightening color, like MAC Emphasize.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!