Rant & Rave: Cream Highlighter

Tell us what you love and hate about...

Cream Highlighter

These days, there are so many liquid highlighters that I find I prefer liquid over cream as I think they blend out a little more readily on top of base products.

— Christine

14 Comments

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Deborah S. Avatar

I only have a few cream highlighters and use them infrequently. I find that they disturb my base more readily than a powder or liquid highlighter. I have a couple of stick highlighters and they perform similarly to the cream highlighters and if I try to swipe them on my skin, the suggested method of application, they displace my foundation. I have tried using them under foundation and they really don’t show up at all. I have found a way to make them work by putting them on the back of my hand, using a stippling brush that is not densely packed and then applying to the skin. They can provide an intense highlight and when a powder is layered on top you can see the highlight in space but not worth the effort most of the time, for me.

xamyx Avatar

I think it all depends on my base, and if I decide to set my base with powder. If I’m using MAC Face & Body or a TM/BB Cream, then I’ll typically go with a cream/liquid highlighter. A full-coverage and/or matte foundation is something I’ll pair with a powder. I have so many in all formulas, and I often just like to experiment…

Kubuko Avatar

I love how they look, but only over bare skin. When I don’t have tine for a full face, I’ll dot on concealer and add some cream highlighter on my cheeks. Otherwise, they tend to disturb my base when powdered, or lift up my base when unpowdered.

Cherie Avatar

I use a beauty blender with these. If I use anything else, it sinks right into my pores and I end up with colored dots on my face. I love how natural it looks, but on me it becomes real tricky.

janine Avatar

I only have one and it’s dark ( Becca rose gold) so I use as a blush but I just got the Natasha Denona palette at the vib sale and just saw a video today how she used a beauty blender to apply the cream.. I don’t have a feathery brush for layering the powder over the top tho.

Unless you count the Colourpop I usually use my fingers for them but a beauty blender with them is intense. Colourpop seems more like a powder hybrid.

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