15 Best Highlighters In India For 2024 (With Reviews)
Flaunt a blinding glow with these glow-boosting formulas and watch heads turn!
Experience: 3 yearsSrijani is an associate commerce editor with a master's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal. She is certified in makeup techniques and is also a certified style and image consultant.
Read full bio of Srijani Roy Chowdhury
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Highlighters are a boon as far as makeup is concerned – who doesn’t want to flaunt glowy, radiant, flawless skin every time they step out? When your natural glow requires a little boost, you should try a highlighter. It will not only give you a more youthful look but also provide a fresh, dewy shimmer to your face. Whether you want a fresh face every day or to glam up for a party, a highlighter will come in handy. Beauty trends may come and go, but illuminated skin will never go out of fashion. If you have been secretly rummaging through the makeup aisles looking for the perfect illuminator, look no further. Here is a list of the 15 best highlighters in India that will give you luminous, flawless skin. Take a peek!
In This Article
15 Best Highlighters Available In India
1. Maybelline New York Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter
This metallic highlighter by Maybelline is the best highlighter for the face. It provides an amazing sheen to your skin. It has a beautiful metallic color and is a great option for getting luminous skin. It provides awesome coverage and imparts a glow to your face. It contains pearl pigments that offer a reflective finish to your skin. You can apply it lightly for a subtle glow for a daytime look or build it up for a bold nighttime look. It is created using the Wet Technology, which creates richly hued, heated tones on your face. The powder formula is super soft and allows for seamless application. It is particularly suitable for golden brown Indian skin. This product is very creamy and suits dry skin types particularly well.
- Buildable
- Long-lasting
- Little amount required
- Reasonably priced
- Unsatisfactory packaging
2. theBalm Mary Lou Manizer Highlighter
Mary-Lou Manizer is a honey-hued illuminator that is definitely an eye-catcher. This highlighter diffuses light, so your skin not only looks softer and luminous but also younger and glowy. This velvety highlighter has a rich color pay-off and provides great coverage. This illuminator has been formulated with triple-milled pigments, which makes it extremely smooth and soft. It provides a subtle shimmer that can be built up for a more dramatic look.
- Multiple uses – highlighter, eyeshadow, and shimmer
- Highly pigmented
- Little amount required
- Long-lasting
- Blends easily
- Velvety texture
- Expensive
- No applicator
- Limited color options
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The product has more than 4,511 reviews claiming its efficacy.
3. e.l.f. Cosmetics Studio Baked Highlighter
e.l.f. Cosmetics Studio Baked Highlighter creates a radiant glow on your face. It provides a sheer finish. It is formulated with vitamin E and deeply moisturizing jojoba, rosehip, apricot, sunflower, and grape oils that nourish your skin in addition to providing a shimmering shine. If you want a vibrant effect, apply it wet. For a sheer touch up, apply it dry. It has a great color pay-off, and you need just a mere touch for effect.
- Lightweight
- Highly pigmented
- Buildable
- Phthalate-free
- Paraben-free
- PETA-certified cruelty-free
- Vegan
- Expensive
4. Kiss Beauty Highlighter And Contour Concealer Palette
This product is for those women who love products that have multiple uses! This Kiss Beauty palette consists of highlighters, contour shades, and concealers. It offers eight gorgeous color options to choose from. Their light powder formula will be a great fit for you, no matter what your skin tone. This highlighter is extremely moisturizing and forms a protective layer over your skin, protecting it from heavy makeup and dust. It provides a glowy finish and makes your skin appear flawless. It is particularly suitable for those with dry skin. This cream-based highlighter can also mask age spots, dark circles, large pores, and small blemishes.
- Multiple uses
- Several color options
- Moisturizes the skin
- Reasonably priced
- Protects against damage
- Lightweight
- Not suitable for oily skin
5. Lakme Face Sheer Highlighter
If you want to spice up your look, try this awesome highlighter by Lakme. It is a sheer powder that blends with your natural skin tone seamlessly yet provides a radiant glow. It contains pigments that provide a sun-kissed glow and a slight tint to your cheeks. It comes with a sponge applicator that makes it very easy to apply. This cute highlighter is compact enough to fit in your purse and a great choice for those who need a slight touch-up on the go. It is also a great product for first-time users.
- Comes with a sponge applicator
- Compact
- Travel-friendly
- Reasonably priced
- Buildable
- Long-lasting
- Not very pigmented
6. Makeup Revolution London Vivid Shimmer
This highlighter by Makeup Revolution combines the warmth of a bronzer with the glow of a highlighter. It provides a gorgeous definition and glow to your skin. Its shimmer brick has several shades in it, so you can choose one of the shades or swirl your brush all over it to pick up all the colors. Whatever you choose, you will be left with glowy, radiant, and lit-from-within skin. It contains a finely-milled shimmer that provides an even and sheer finish. This highlighter is highly pigmented and extremely smooth and soft. It can also be used as an eyeshadow. Each palette contains five beautiful shades, ranging from light to dark. The Radiant palette offers a rose gold shade, a whitish golden shade, a beige shade, a copper brown shade, and a bronze shade.
- Multipurpose
- Long-lasting
- Several color options
- Highly pigmented
- Fallout issues
7. Wet N Wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder – Blossom Glow
This amazing highlighting powder by Wet n Wild is infused with micro-fine and ultra-reflective pearl pigments. This baked powder adds a radiant and lit-from-within glow to your face. It has a super creamy formula infused with nylon, which gives it a silky-smooth texture and allows it to blend with your skin seamlessly. This highly-pigmented product provides an ultra-pearly finish to your skin. When applied to the brow bone, cheekbones, and cupid’s bow, it provides an all-over radiance to your face. As it is a cool-toned highlighter, it works amazingly well on fair to medium skin tones.
- Highly pigmented
- Easy to blend
- Long-lasting
- Little amount required
- Value for money
- Packaging issues
8. Lakme Absolute Highlighter – Moon Lit
Designed by the famous fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, this limited edition highlighter is great for highlighting and strobing. It provides a reflective shimmer finish and adds a stunning glow to your face. It is formulated with fine velvet pearls that make your skin look flawless. It also provides excellent coverage and is highly pigmented. This two-sided palette not only highlights cheeks but also contours your face.
- Dermatologically tested
- Lightweight
- Long-lasting
- Multiple uses – highlight and contour
- Great pigmentation
- No mirror or applicator provided
- Expensive
9. Swiss Beauty Brick Highlighter
This baked brick highlighter by Swiss Beauty is a makeup lover’s dream. It instantly highlights the skin and provides a sheer wash of shimmering color. It imparts a soft and natural glow to your face and gives you a healthy, flushed look. The lightweight formula provides a smooth and even application and stays on till you remove it. This product also doubles as a blush and is infused with transparent pigments to prevent excessive product deposit on the skin. It has a luxurious silky formula formulated with micro shimmer particles. If you are looking to create a multidimensional sculpted look, this is the product to invest in.
- Multiple uses – highlighter, blush, and bronzer
- Dermatologically tested
- Lightweight
- Long-lasting
- Reasonably priced
- Blends seamlessly
- Not suitable for darker skin tones
10. Chubs Shimmer Brick Highlighter – Rose Gold Edition
This beautiful highlighter from Chubs is a glow lover’s dream. This powder product is perfect for those with oily skin as it absorbs the excess oil on your skin and gives it a satin-matte look. It also nourishes and hydrates your skin, making your makeup-wearing experience wonderful. You can not only use this product to add a glow to your cheeks but also to accentuate your eyes. It has a non-creamy texture and is easy to remove. Its lightweight texture also makes it easier to wear this highlighter all day long. As it is highly pigmented, this highlighter stays on for about six hours without any touch-ups. Chubs Shimmer Brick Highlighter consists of five shades in one brick. With such a wide range of color options, it will suit you no matter what your skin tone. Compact and travel-friendly, this highlighter is a must for those who have just started experimenting with makeup.
- Multiple uses – highlighter, blush, and eyeshadow
- Hydrates the skin
- Lightweight
- Long-lasting
- Highly pigmented
- Reasonably priced
- No applicator provided
11. SUGAR Cosmetics Contour De Force Mini Highlighter – 04 Royal Rose
Pros
- Highly pigmented
- Buildable
- Dermatologically tested
- Paraben-free
- D5-free
- Oil-free
- Silicon-free
- No mineral oil
- No nano-ingredients
- Reasonably priced
- Looks chalky on dry skin
12. SERY Flashlite Highlighter Stick Gleam Girl – Pearl
If we are talking about convenience, you can go for this product with your eyes closed. This highlighter comes in an easy-to-use stick form and is awesome for those who need quick touch-ups throughout the day. It has a buildable, velvety formula that imparts a natural-looking glow to your skin. You can use it on your brow bones, cheekbones, the nasal bridge, or any part of your face you want to highlight. It contains precious ultra-fine pearls that impart a silky finish to your face. It is infused with red raspberry extract that moisturizes the skin and keeps the skin cells hydrated and young. This highlighter provides a sheer radiance. However, if you want a dazzling goddess-like look, layer it on. This highlighter blends seamlessly and is suitable for all skin types. It sets within a few seconds.
- Crease-proof
- Blends seamlessly
- Lightweight
- Long-lasting
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- Reasonably priced
- Paraben-free
- Preservative-free
- No mineral oil
- Cruelty-free
- Non-comedogenic
None
13. NYX Professional Makeup Away We Glow Liquid Highlighter – Moon Beam
This highlighter by NYX has a light-reflecting formula that provides a shimmery finish. This product is easily buildable and can give you both a soft look and an intense goddess-like glow. This liquid highlighter is great for those who have dry, coarse skin as it is very creamy and moisturizing. It leaves your skin with a gorgeous, dewy glow. It comes in an easy-to-use tube packaging. Moon Beam has warm undertones and a sparkling sheen, and it provides a peachy gold glow to your face. This highlighter is extremely long-lasting and easily stays on for seven hours.
- Buildable
- Intensely pigmented
- Long-lasting
- Crease-free
- Easy to apply
- Takes time to dry
14. MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter
This pen-style highlighter by MAC is oh-so-easy to use! It adds a soft, sheer wash of color to the skin. With its precision tip applicator, it adds glowy radiance just where you want it. This product goes on smoothly and provides cushion-soft wear. You can use it over makeup for highlighting and touch-ups, or under your makeup to brighten your complexion and prime. This highlighter provides instant radiance and is non-drying.
- Lightweight
- Long-lasting
- Non-acnegenic
- Non-drying
- Dermatologist-tested
- Ophthalmologist-tested
- Little product required
- Expensive
15. LA Girl Velvet Contour Highlighter Stick – Luminous
This velvety highlighter stick by LA Girl provides an awesome glow to your face. It has a luxurious formula that contains jojoba seed oil, shea butter, grape seed oil, and cocoa seed butter, which deeply nourish your skin. It has a soft powdery finish and blends beautifully with your skin. You can use this highlighter to strobe and contour your face, as well. This product comes in an easy-to-use retractable stick with a twist-up function and a cute transparent cap. It is lightweight, travel-friendly, and great for fair to medium skin tones. This highlighter imparts a warm, very light champagne color to your skin. It has a smooth and buttery texture and glides on your skin like a dream. It provides a natural glow and radiance, but you can layer it on for a dramatic look.
- Long-lasting
- Waterproof
- Sweat-resistant
- Easy to apply
- Blends seamlessly
- Buildable
- Cruelty-free
- Paraben-free
- Fragrance-free
- Expensive
If you still haven’t added a highlighter to your makeup arsenal, girl, please do so. Makeup enthusiast or not, this product can change your makeup game in so many ways. Using a highlighter can provide several benefits. Let’s take a look at them!
Benefits of Using A Highlighter
- Makes you look younger.
- Helps minimize dark circles.
- Draws attention to your best features.
- Freshens up your entire face.
- Doubles up as an eyeshadow, blush, or contour.
There are many different types of highlighters available on the market. Check them out below.
What Are The Different Types Of Highlighters?
There are mainly five types of highlighters. They are:
1. Powder Highlighter
The “original” or the old-school highlighter is the powder highlighter. It delivers a sheer and shimmery finish. Besides providing a softer application, powder highlighters are often long-lasting and buildable. You can apply them over your foundation or blush for an overall dewy finish. It is essential that you blend these in patiently to avoid getting a stripe of obvious shimmer on your face. Powder highlighters are especially suitable for those with oily skin.
2. Liquid Highlighter
These are some of the most versatile highlighter formulas. Whether you are a makeup enthusiast or a newbie, you can easily maneuver this product. Just apply a tiny dab of liquid highlighter and blend to illuminate and define features or to add an overall shimmer. Liquid highlighters are more pigmented than powder-based formulas, so less is always more with this type of highlighter. As it has a light lotion-like base, it can be added to your foundation and applied. This type of highlighters are perfect for those with oily skin.
3. Stick Or Cream Highlighter
These are extremely user-friendly. They can be used to highlight certain areas of your face like your inner eye corners, your cupid’s bow, and under the brow bone. You don’t even require a brush for these. You can easily carry one around in your purse and use it for touch-ups. These are perfect for those with normal to dry skin.
4. Strobing Creams
If you want that “lit from within” glow, you need to get a strobing cream. You can use this cream as an illuminating primer before or after applying your base makeup. It gives your face a natural glint and is buildable. Though suitable for all types of skin, it may feel greasy on oily skin.
5. Jelly Highlighter
The newest kid on the block is the super chic jelly highlighter. It has a wobbly consistency and lends a pigmented flush of pinkish radiance to the skin. You can build on it to get a luminescent glow. It is suitable for all types of skin.
Now, let’s talk about how to apply highlighter.
How To Apply A Highlighter
Applying a highlighter can give your skin a beautiful flush of radiance and highlight your best features. It only takes a couple of seconds to apply because you only need to apply it to a few small portions of your face. However, just a couple of dabs of highlighter can brighten up the entire face. Even if you are new to it, learning to apply a highlighter is super easy. Here’s how to do it!
1. Start By Applying A Foundation And Concealer (If Required)
Applying the foundation and concealer will help you get an even canvas for your highlighter – as well as other makeup products. Concealer helps to hide dark circles and minor imperfections and brighten your skin. Take the time to blend in your foundation before you start applying any highlighter. You can use a sponge or a makeup brush to blend the foundation on your face.
2. Apply Highlighter At The Top Of Your Cheekbones
Use a blush brush or a kabuki brush to apply the highlighter on your temples and the top of your cheekbones. Create a C-shaped curve when doing so.
3. Dab A Bit Of Highlighter On The Tip Of Your Nose
Get a bit of product onto your fingertip and dab it on the tip of your nose. Blend it till there are no stark lines.
4. Apply Highlighter Down The Center Of Your Forehead.
To accentuate your forehead, you can apply a bit of highlighter down the center of the forehead. Sweep it from the hairline towards the bridge of the nose.
5. Apply It To The Inner Corners Of Your Eyes
Take an eyeshadow brush and get a bit of highlighter onto the tip. Then, press the brush lightly onto the corners of the inner eyelids.
6. Sweep The Highlighter Onto Your Brow Bones
The skin just below your eyebrows catches a lot of light, so it is a great place to highlight. Sweep a little highlighter over your brow bones and blend it out.
7. Add A Bit Of Highlighter Just Above The Upper Lip
Also called the cupid’s bow, the area around the center of your upper lip is a great place to highlight. Doing this will draw more attention to the lips. Simply take a little amount of highlighter on your fingertip and lightly press it onto this area.
8. Sweep The Highlighter Over The Center Of Your Chin
This will also draw attention to your lips. Brush some highlighter onto the center of the chin, and blend.
Things To Consider When Buying Highlighters
- Shade
When choosing any highlighter, keep in mind your skin tone. For a fair skin tone, shades like golden and peach are the best. For medium skin tone, go for dewy highlighters in golden and champagne hues. For dusky skin tone, opt for copper or bronze shades.
- Texture
A perfect highlighter is one that blends seamlessly with the skin to provide a smooth finish. Choose one with a creamy texture as it blends easily and offers a flawless finish.
- Purpose
Highlighters can be worn daily or for any occasion. You should pick the best suitable product based on your need. If you are looking for a daily-wear highlighter, opt for one with a matte or pearly finish. If you need it for some party or occasion, go for a creamy or powder-finish highlighter.
- Skin Type
Highlighters can be liquid, cream, or powder-based. For dry skin, choose liquid highlighters. For oily or combination skin, you can go with a power-based highlighter.
Highlighters are an important part of makeup application. If you want to enhance the brightness, radiance, and vitality of your face, using a highlighter is an easy way to do so. It can take you from a natural, glowy everyday face to a bronze goddess in a few swipes. These 15 highlighters are the best ones in the market – go for the one that will suit your skin and makeup needs and make you glow the entire day!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to put on foundation with a highlighter?
You don’t have to wear foundation in order to put on highlighter. However, if you do want complete coverage, this is the perfect time to apply it. If you want a highly dramatic goddess glow, add a few drops of illuminator to your foundation before applying it to your face.
Which one is better – liquid or powder highlighter?
If your skin is dry, choose a liquid highlighter. If your skin is normal to oily, you should opt for a powder one.
Can I put highlighter on my skin every day?
Yes, you can if the highlighter is of good quality. However, it is always a good idea to go makeup-free once in a while to let your skin breathe.
Are there any side effects of using highlighter?
There are no side effects of using a highlighter. However, if you are allergic to certain ingredients in makeup products, you may need to do a patch test before using it all over your face.
Which highlighters in India offer a wide range of shades suitable for various skin tones?
There are multiple highlighters in India with a wide range of shades for various skin tones. The Chubs Shimmer Brick Highlighter, the Kiss Beauty palette, the Makeup Revolution London Vivid Shimmer, the Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder are all available in multiple shades to match various skin tones.
Are there any liquid highlighters that blend seamlessly and give a dewy finish?
Yes, one such example is the NYX Professional Makeup Away We Glow Liquid Highlighter – Moon Beam that blends seamlessly and gives a dewy finish. It is an easily buildable formula and offers long lasting effects.
What are the most popular powder highlighters known for their intense pigmentation and long-lasting wear?
The Mary-Lou Manizer and the e.l.f. Cosmetics Studio Baked Highlighter are two of the most popular powder highlighters known for their intense pigmentation and long-lasting wear. These are buildable and impart a radiant glow to the skin.
Are there any cruelty-free and vegan highlighters available in India?
Yes, the e.l.f. Cosmetics Studio Baked Highlighter is a vegan highlighter, while the SERY Flashlite Highlighter Stick Gleam Girl – Pearl and the LA Girl Velvet Contour Highlighter Stick – Luminous are cruelty-free highlighters available in India.
Which highlighters in India have a finely milled texture that glides smoothly onto the skin?
The Makeup Revolution London Vivid Shimmer and the Balm Mary-Lou Manizer are two highlighters with finely milled textures that glide smoothly onto the skin to provide an even finish.
Read full bio of Srijani Roy Chowdhury
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