Highlighters (Under $15) | 2018 Editor's Favorites
You’d think that every brand had already released their fair share of highlighters over the last few years, but somehow, brands remained dedicated to highlighters in 2018. I had plenty of fantastic highlighters to reflect back on, which isn’t always the case at this price point. What I particularly like about this year’s list is that there’s a little across types–powder, loose powder, cream, and liquid all are represented well here.
Best of 2018
Highlighters (Under $15)
ColourPop continues to give us excellent, high-quality highlighting options with the Super Shock Cheek Highlighters and newer Luster Dusts, which are a fine, loose highlighter. I wonder if we’ll see them pursue liquid highlighters in 2019! Wet ‘n’ Wild released several variations on highlighters this year with a good portion being limited edition, but they’ve fairly consistent in quality and application this year. I was happy to see Maybelline expand their MasterChrome Highlighter range in 2018 and hope to see some more extensions in 2019 (and perhaps a blush range with a similar formula!).
What affordable highighters did you reach for this year?
P.S. — You can view swatches of my favorites here.
P.P.S. — If you enjoy reading/viewing my favorites, make sure you check out my all-time favorites here, products I’m thankful for (2018 series), and all of my editor’s recommended products here.
Top Highlighters (Under $15) of 2018
Physicians Formula Rose Gold Butter Highlighter ($10.99 for 0.17 oz.) is a medium copper with warm, reddish undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Physicians Formula Rose Gold Butter Highlighter ($10.99 for 0.17 oz.) is a medium copper with warm, reddish undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
ColourPop Double Down Super Shock Cheek Highlighter ($8.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a soft, very light gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen....
ColourPop Double Down Super Shock Cheek Highlighter ($8.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a soft, very light gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen....
Morphe Boom High Impact Highlighter ($14.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark rosy copper with subtle, warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It...
Morphe Boom High Impact Highlighter ($14.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark rosy copper with subtle, warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It...
ColourPop Rocket Science Super Shock Cheek ($8.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a light lavender with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling, pearly sheen. It...
ColourPop Rocket Science Super Shock Cheek ($8.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a light lavender with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling, pearly sheen. It...
ColourPop Parallel Super Shock Cheek ($8.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a bright, medium peony pink with subtle, warm undertones and a golden sheen. It was more...
ColourPop Parallel Super Shock Cheek ($8.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a bright, medium peony pink with subtle, warm undertones and a golden sheen. It was more...
Makeup Revolution Liquid Ethereal Liquid Highlighter ($9.00 for 0.60 oz.) is a soft pink with subtle, warm undertones and a luminous sheen. It seemed...
Makeup Revolution Liquid Ethereal Liquid Highlighter ($9.00 for 0.60 oz.) is a soft pink with subtle, warm undertones and a luminous sheen. It seemed...
Makeup Revolution Liquid Starlight Liquid Highlighter ($9.00 for 0.60 oz.) is a light pink with warm undertones and a fine, metallic sheen. It had...
Makeup Revolution Liquid Starlight Liquid Highlighter ($9.00 for 0.60 oz.) is a light pink with warm undertones and a fine, metallic sheen. It had...
Morphe Lit High Impact Highlighter ($14.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a pale gold with warm yellow undertones with a soft, frosted sheen. The powder had a...
Morphe Lit High Impact Highlighter ($14.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a pale gold with warm yellow undertones with a soft, frosted sheen. The powder had a...
Wet 'n' Wild Bloom Time MegaGlo Highlighting Powder ($4.99 for 0.19 oz.) is a soft, pink-peach with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Wet 'n' Wild Bloom Time MegaGlo Highlighting Powder ($4.99 for 0.19 oz.) is a soft, pink-peach with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Maybelline Molten Rose Gold MasterChrome Metallic Highlighter ($9.99 for 0.24 oz.) is a light peach with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Maybelline Molten Rose Gold MasterChrome Metallic Highlighter ($9.99 for 0.24 oz.) is a light peach with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Swirl is a brighter, light-medium pink with subtle, cooler undertones with a metallic finish. It had opaque color payoff in a single layer with a...
Swirl is a brighter, light-medium pink with subtle, cooler undertones with a metallic finish. It had opaque color payoff in a single layer with a...
Essence Be My Cosmolight Pure Nude Highlighter ($4.99 for 0.23 oz.) is a pale green with strong, warm undertones and a shifting finish that went from...
Essence Be My Cosmolight Pure Nude Highlighter ($4.99 for 0.23 oz.) is a pale green with strong, warm undertones and a shifting finish that went from...
ColourPop Boomin' Luster Dust Loose Highlighter ($7.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a soft, metallic sheen. ...
ColourPop Boomin' Luster Dust Loose Highlighter ($7.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a soft, metallic sheen. ...
ColourPop Pose Luster Dust Loose Highlighter ($7.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a medium-dark, rosy copper with warm undertones and a soft, metallic sheen. It...
ColourPop Pose Luster Dust Loose Highlighter ($7.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a medium-dark, rosy copper with warm undertones and a soft, metallic sheen. It...
Wet 'n' Wild Holly Gold-head MegaGlo Highlighting Gold Bar ($4.99 for 0.22 oz.) is a medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a frosted sheen. It...
Wet 'n' Wild Holly Gold-head MegaGlo Highlighting Gold Bar ($4.99 for 0.22 oz.) is a medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a frosted sheen. It...
ColourPop Princesa Luster Dust Loose Highlighter ($7.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a pale, white-to-peach shifting loose highlighter with finer pearl and larger...
ColourPop Princesa Luster Dust Loose Highlighter ($7.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a pale, white-to-peach shifting loose highlighter with finer pearl and larger...
Maybelline Molten Peach Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter ($9.99 for 0.24 oz.) is a light-medium peach with warm, orange undertones and pink-to-gold...
Maybelline Molten Peach Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter ($9.99 for 0.24 oz.) is a light-medium peach with warm, orange undertones and pink-to-gold...
Essence Be My Sunlight Pure Nude Highlighter ($4.99 for 0.23 oz.) is a soft, golden peach with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Essence Be My Sunlight Pure Nude Highlighter ($4.99 for 0.23 oz.) is a soft, golden peach with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Wet 'n' Wild Winter Bloom MegaGlo Highlighting Gold Bar ($4.99 for 0.22 oz.) is a bright, white gold with subtle, warm undertones paired with a...
Wet 'n' Wild Winter Bloom MegaGlo Highlighting Gold Bar ($4.99 for 0.22 oz.) is a bright, white gold with subtle, warm undertones paired with a...
Wet 'n' Wild Air MegaGlo Highlighting Bar ($6.99 for 0.30 oz.) is a pale pink with strong, warm undertones and a sparkling sheen. It had medium...
Wet 'n' Wild Air MegaGlo Highlighting Bar ($6.99 for 0.30 oz.) is a pale pink with strong, warm undertones and a sparkling sheen. It had medium...
Only a few and again, a product I rarely use:
Smashbox Soft Lights in Shimmer
The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer
Kayla Most Nominated (a favorite if I don’t want to wear a blush)
And Huda Winter Solstice Highlighter Palette & 3D Highlighter Palette
So sorry, I keep missing that it’s the under $15 range. Again though, nothing this year but Revolution’s liquids (not really has highlighters though).
No worries! 🙂
And I really like the Revolution liquids too, but I use them to add glow to my foundations vs. highlighting.
Colourpop did have liquid highlighters, released the same time as their crystal setting sprays…2017, I believe? I still have a couple!
The wet n wild air highlighter is soooo nice!
Swirl is the only one off this list that I have. It’s more like a blush on me, but IDC because it’s pretty.
I didn’t buy many budget HLs in 2018. Of what I did buy, my most used were Wet n Wild Goth-O-Graphic in White Raven and Apocalyptic Beauty Mummy Mambo (LE). I got the BH Cosmetics Backlight Highlight Palette, which I think is really great.
My most reached for budget HLs were ones I bought prior to 2018, though: Notoriously Morbid Osteomancy, e.l.f Baked HL in Moonlight Pearls, Nyx Lavender Steel, Looxi Beauty Voodoo, Wet n Wild Royal Calyx and Wild Cosmos, and Wet ‘n’ Wild Rose Champagne Glow To Reflect Shimmer Palette.
I am really loving Milani Afterglow (I’m surprised none of the Milani ones made this list). I did purchase WnW Precious Petals some time ago and while it’s nice, it’s a bit too dark and warm for me; I’d love to find the lighter, cooler one they came out with (Blossom Glow) but so far, I’ve not seen it.
I just looked up the Milani Afterglow and you are right – it is a beautiful shade and received an A rating. I think this will be the one I will get.
The BH blacklight palette, the Lottie London Holographic Haul, and Rocket Science. I like them light, not blinding, and either colorful or cool. Still tempted by the Essence green one, as the greenish in Aurora isn’t green enough!
I did manage to snag 3 of these: Maybelline Rose-Gold, CP x Shayla Pose and also Parallel. Love all of them! But, I also have an insane number of these of my WL, too.
I really like the Maybelline Molten Rose Gold and the Essence Be My Sunlight.