The best highlighters you can buy right now, according to rave internet reviews

These highly-reviewed products will make you look lit from within.

There’s something very trustworthy about a person who leaves a product review. They’ve tried it, contemplated the results and gone to the effort of typing out a comprehensive (more or less) summary of their experience.

Granted, sometimes it’s because the reviewer is petty and needs to take their anger out on the internet (the time my Amazon garlic press was simply not pressing) – but for the most part, reviews are left for the greater good of the online shopping community.

We like nosy people. Don’t be shy, head to our Beauty section for more. 

Regardless, I will never invest in a beauty or skincare product without a thorough scroll through the comment section. It saves me a lot of impulse purchase regrets and most of the time, the people know what they’re talking about. How else am I supposed to distinguish a ‘shimmery finish’ from a ‘greasy smear’?

So because highlighters are one of my favourite (and in my opinion, one of the most versatile and hardworking) products, I decided to consult the experts. Here are the beauty crowd’s top-rated picks.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Iced Out Highlighter

 

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Star rating: 4.5 of 622 reviews on Mecca 

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick

 

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Nars The Multiple

Nars’ iconic The Multiple needs no introduction, but I’ll give it one anyway. One of the original multi-purpose cream stick blush-highlighters, it’s a cult classic that’s beloved around the world. It can be used on the eyes, lips, cheeks and body, and has impressive staying power. While the peachy pink Orgasm shade is the brand’s most popular, Copacabana and South Beach are the shades to opt for if you’re looking for a highlighter minus the blush.

The reviews are a testament to both this product’s enduring popularity and how long one stick could last you, with one reviewer writing that they bought their “first tube 10 years ago and I’ve only just run out (I wasn’t using it much recently)”. While we wouldn’t recommend holding on to any makeup product for a decade, it’s impressive nonetheless. Another reviewer shares that she recently purchased her “fourth or fifth multiple and can’t live without it”.

Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Highlighter

Mac Cosmetics Strobe Cream Mini

 

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Star rating: 4.7 of 186 reviews on Mecca

This was one of the first serious makeup products I bought in high school, and to this day I’ll always have Strobe Cream in my makeup collection. It has an incredibly hydrating formula, packed with antioxidants, vitamins and a dash of green tea and works as an eyeshadow, highlighter, body shimmer and a glowy base for your makeup. Mecca says it has “iridescent particles that work to brighten and clarify the skin in an ultra-light veil of luminosity”, while one reviewer sums it up nicely, saying “This product has been around forever and there’s a reason it is still so popular. It truly is a cult classic and it deserves the acclaim”. This new mini-sized version is a real hit with reviewers too, and can easily fit in even the tiniest of tiny bags.

Mecca Max Off Duty Glass Highlighting Stick

 

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Star rating: 4.4 of 219 reviews on Mecca

Mecca describes its Mecca Max Off Duty Glass Highlighter stick as a “gift to those who live for the way their skin looks right after layering up their skincare. Consider it your cheat sheet to extending that just-quenched luminosity from morning to night”. While that might seem like a lofty claim, having trialled this product myself I can confirm the hype is real, as can hundreds of rave reviews.

One reviewer, describing it as a “must-have” gushes that “It’s an instant dewy glow! It’s my new go-to gift for everyone!”, which makes me want to be their friend because gift-giving is an underrated love language. Another describes it as “One of my all-time favourite makeup products. I recommend this to everyone”.

For tips on how to choose the right highlighter for your skin type, try this.