Best Highlighters Used by Makeup Experts
9 Fashion Week Models Reveal the Highlighters They Use For Strobed Skin
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There are countless highlighters out there to choose from, and it can be overwhelming when you're trying to find the perfect strobing formula. You can choose from highlighters with specks of glitter, that have a shimmery bronze finish, are so sheer you can hardly notice them, cast rainbow glows, or create a moonbeam iridescent effect.
Everyone has their own staple highlighter, of course, and we were curious about models' preferences when it comes to contouring and strobing. After all, these women usually have the best cheekbones for illuminator!
We interviewed models backstage at New York Fashion Week Fall 2017 to find out what luminizing products they use at home and exactly where they place it. Keep reading!
Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer
Tova Wahlin's current highlighter go-to is the Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer ($26).
"It's like liquid gold," she said backstage at Jenny Packham. "I don't really like when highlighters are glittery, I just want a shine, and this one does that."
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle
"I really like the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. It's really shimmery and creates a subtle glow," Olivia Hamilton said at Jenny Packham. "I like to put it on my cheeks and nose and under my eyebrows."
The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle ($33) is a compact-type highlighter that comes in seven shades.
Nars Illuminator in Laguna
Model Mona Matsuoka doesn't wear makeup that often, but when she wears highlighter, she tends to reach for Nars Illuminator in Laguna ($30). It's not new, but it's definitely shiny, and Matsuoka said she loves the gold undertones and bronzing effect it gives.
Smashbox L.A. Lights Lip & Cheek Color
Susanne Knipper is on Team Pale, so finding a highlighter that highlights her already milky-white skin can be a challenge. However, she says she's found a winner in Smashbox's L.A. Lights Lip & Cheek Color in Sheer Pink Pearl ($29).
"One side of the highlighter is a stick that you can apply directly to your skin, and the other side is like a fluffy blender," she said. "Sometimes I'll use the blender, but I prefer to use my fingers."
Knipper added that she usually applies the highlighter to her cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, and on the cupid's bow.
MAC Strobe Cream
"I love the MAC Strobe Cream ($12) on the high points of my face," Silke Hajunga said backstage at the Christian Siriano show. "I put it on my nose, cheeks, forehead, and just above my lips to make them look a little bit bigger."
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured Creme Highlighter
“I love the Becca opal highlighter ($38),” Laura Winges told us backstage at Libertine. She applies it around the outer area of her eye and down her cheek in a C-shape, as well as on the tip of her nose and on her cupid’s bow. Her trick to mastering the art of highlighter? “I copy the makeup artists on YouTube,” she said.
Colourpop Wisp Highlighter
“I really like the Colourpop Wisp highlighter ($20). It’s really affordable, but it’s also a really good highlighter,” Allison Ponthier said at Alice + Olivia. “I put it on my cheekbones, under my eyebrows, on my chin, and on the bridge of my nose.”
Jeffree Star Frost Peach Goddess Highlighter
“When I do my own makeup, I have a concoction of two different highlighters,” Charlee Fraser said at Oscar de la Renta. “I start off with the MAC Strobe [Cream] and I dab a little bit of that on the high areas of my face to moisten it. Then I go over the top of the strobe with the Jeffree Star Frost Peach Goddess ($29)." She added, "He has really pigmented, shiny highlighters and it’s, like, blinding.”
Rosebud Salve
Model Isabella Emmack, who we spoke to backstage at Oscar de la Renta, learned a cool (and somewhat unconventional) highlighting trick from the makeup artists backstage. “I use the Rosebud Salve ($6) and dab it onto my upper cheekbones with my fingers,” she explained. “It gives a natural, glisten-like effect.”
