9 of the best cream and liquid highlighters money can buy

Beloved by all, the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand has its own dedicated sub-section of BeautyTok for good reason. Said to bestow a red carpet-worthy glow upon all who apply it, this pick is a go-to for celebrity makeup artists during awards season. If you’re about to stand in front of a camera, you’re going to want to have this on your face. 

$60 at Charlotte Tilbury

After a liquid highlighter that’s subdued enough to wear in even the stuffiest of offices? Intended to be applied all over the face for a subtle boost of radiance, this illuminator can be layered under makeup or mixed into base products for a soft ambient glow. 

$52 at Sephora

Pat McGrath may have a reputation for creating some of the best runway makeup looks the world has ever seen, but this handy 2-in-1 highlighter duo is actually a favourite of celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips. Phillips used the radiance-enhancing formula in the shade ‘Golden’ to create luminous red carpet looks for both Hailey Bieber and Addison Rae at the 2021 Met Gala. Formulated with aloe, argan oil and hyaluronic acid, the highlighter imparts a natural dew that’s only further amplified by light-refracting pigments, while the balm adds a healthy sheen to skin where needed.

$81 at Sephora

An utterly weightless pick to be sure, Selena’s gone and done it again with this one. We’re talking an infusion of moisture and glow-boosting lotus, gardenia, and white waterlily and light-reflecting pearl particles that impart a radiant, dewy glow. Just in time for spring too? How convenient.

$44 at Sephora

That strobe-level glow doesn’t have to come at the cost of compromised ethics with Flavedo & Albedo, who’re committed to a plastic-free kind of beauty. The pay off? An uber buttery-mousse texture that makes blending a dream thanks to a formula rich in natural hydrators and antioxidants, leaving skin with a hydrated, dewy radiance that lasts all day.

$44 at Sephora

If you after that no-makeup makeup look then you can’t go past this water-based pick from Giorgio Armani, which effortlessly blends into skin for a watercolor finish. Plus, if you’re a bit wary of a liquid highlighter because of the mess you might cause, this pick promises a mistake-proof application every time. Don’t worry, you got this.

$69 at Adore Beauty

If glass skin could be packaged and sold, then we suspect it’d look a lot like the Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick. Think a sheeny glow that looks almost holographic in the right lighting – subtle but impactful. The fact that the formula also happens to be full of skin-loving, vegan-friendly ingredients that help to stimulate hyaluronic acid and collagen production is just an added bonus TBH.

$80 at MECCA

Beautiful on it’s own, under makeup or on top of the igh points of the face, this versatile, skin care-infused formula delivers a potent cocktail of complexion-perfecting ingredients. Optical glow technology creates a blurring, unifying effect on skin, while rose stem cells boost radiance and provide antioxidant protection. 

$126 at MECCA

Hourglass’ entire stick format range is to die for and their highlighting stick is no exception, delivering blendable, buttery wear with just a few swipes. Hollow microspheres are responsible for the weightless and effortless lustrous glow you’ll be touting post-application. 

$76 at MECCA

We can’t talk about liquid highlighters without chatting about the OG in the category – can the real Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat please stand up? The iconic gold pen is formulated to minimise the appearance of dark circles, fine lines and signs of fatigue, as well as imparting skin with a subtle, radiance-enhancing glow that adds the brightness back into any makeup look. 

$72 at Adore Beauty