The Great Highlighter Debate

Hey Beauties,

Ahhh highlighters, where do i start?. They make you shimmer and sparkle and give your face dimension like you wouldn't believe. There are pink highlighters, white with gold fleck highlighters, cream highlighters, powder highlighters i understand how highlighters can be a daunting experience especially if you are new to highlighting, so i thought id do this little blog post all about highlighters and my do's and dont's with highlighters as well as my thoughts on my little highlighter collection.

L-R: E.L.F Gotta Glow, Stila Kitten Highlighter Duo, Nyx Radiant Finishing Powder,
Essence Metal Glam, Australis Highlights, Benefit Girl Meets Pearl, Benefit Sun Beam,
Benefit Watts Up, Benefit Highbeam

Highlighters are one of my favourite beauty products because they are so versatile, although they may not be for everyone. I personally have to be very cautious with highlighters as my skin has the tendency to go oily by the end of the day, and oil + highlighter = not a pretty sight. Highlighter is usually put on the highs of your cheek bones, your forehead and down your nose as well as just above your cupids bow to make your lips pop, that being said there are no real rules to highlighting and its the sort of thing like most makeup steps you can customise to suit your own look. As i have combination/oily skin i actually only put highlighter on the highs of my cheek bones, my brow bones and the tiniest bit on my cupids bow, although sometimes when I'm feeling game enough i put highlighter on my forehead and down my nose as well if I'm going for a dewy look, although i usually just use a lighter concealer for that. 

Powder Highlighters

So this photo actually looked a lot better before I uploaded it onto this post, that being said i think you can get the main idea of the colours. I don't particularly have many high end highlighters in general before i can't justify spending 30/40 Dollars on something that i may not use everyday, that being said i am lusting after the Nars Albatross Highlighter.

E.L.F Gotta Glow: I think this was my first ever powder highlighter and if you have used E.L.F blushes before you know that sometimes the quality is a bit hit and miss, meaning that this 'blush' (its actually under the blush section) is actually quite chalky and flakey compared to my other E.L.F blushes which I was honestly a little disappointed about. That being said it still does that job and is an amazing cream colour with gold flecks through it, its supposedly a dupe for the Nars Albatross Highlighter which is partially why I've been holding off from buying Albatross. If you're unsure about highlighters i definitely recommend getting this to give it a try as its about 8AUD dollars from Kmart, or 3US dollars off iherb.com.

Nyx Radiant Finishing Powder: So in the first photo it looks kind of all jumbled up, thats because it was smashed and i had to reset it, its actually supposed to look like this but it still does the job. You can tell by the swatch that its very translucent as you can barely see it. It does have the tiniest hint of shimmer to it and i actually am able to use it on my forehead and nose without it making me look oily and disgusting by the end of the day. Im actually considering repurchasing this so i don't have a smashed one because i absolutely love it.

Essence Metal Glam Highligher Powder: Ahhh i love love love this highlighter. Im pretty sure when these were released that they sold out within a few days because they were something ridiculous like 5AUD dollars! I love Essence products and this is no exception. Although i did smash it accidentally, i have now reset it and its as good as new. Its supposedly a dupe for theBalm Mary Louminizer which is a cult favourite highlighter and I'm still yet to purchase, but right now I'm happy with this one. It also doubles as a perfect day wear eyeshadow.

Stila Kitten Highlighter Duo: Stila Kitten is an absolute cult favourite and classic and this is no exception. I actually won this in a competition and I'm so glad i did. To begin with i was a little confused because by the name 'Kitten' i thought it would include the notorious Kitten eyeshadow colour but in a highlighter form but it actually doesn't, its just variations of the Kitten eyeshadow. Needless to say it comes with two colours, one a light pink and the other a champagne colour. Both amazing colours and can be doubled as eyeshadows as well as being worn alone or mixed together.

Cream Highlighters

Australis Highlights in Pearl: This was my first cream highlighter i ever purchased and ironically i purchased it just before christmas when i received more cream highlighters. This is actually a beautiful pink pearlescent shade and it glides on effortlessly. I actually haven't used this highlighter in awhile and it was actually featured in my June spending ban post. When i do use it i usually put it on after i have primed so by the time i have done my foundation it still gives a dewy look but nothing drastic.

Benefit Highbeam: This is another cult classic and I'm so glad i got a little sample size to try in a kit i got for christmas. Its similar to the Australis Highlights but it has more of a pearl colour or tinge to it i guess. I usually just dab this onto my cheek bones after i have done my blush for a perfect shimmer during the day. It also lasts all day which is a bonus!

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl: This is similar to high beam but has more of a golden tinge to it. Its perfecto for a bronzed summer look so lately this has not been getting the loving it should

Benefit Watts Up: I actually can't get over how cute this mini Watts up is! Its so tiny but i can tell its going to last me forever, i absolutely love this colour its the perfect mixture of pearl, pink and gold and just goes on no matter what time of the year. Im definitely going to purchase the large one once I've finished this little baby.

Benefit Sunbeam: This is probably one of my most neglected highlighters out of them all, my friend gave it to me and honestly i don't think I'm tan enough to wear it, maybe in summer but we will have to wait and see. Its a dark gold than Girl meets Pearl but still a beautiful highlighter, i may actually try this one out soon!

Thats all my beauties, i hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any requests or thoughts feel free to leave a comment below.

Love Always
Beauty with Claire

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Instagram: @beautywithclaire