(Main Squeeze)
The Best Highlighters To Ride Out Your Summer Glow Into Fall
So radiant.
Join TZR editors for Main Squeeze, the series dedicated to sharing beloved beauty products — be they bold, effective, or simply fun — that make our week just a little bit better. Ahead, Team TZR spotlights their favorite highlighters of the moment.
You’re not imagining it: As the breeze gets cooler and the days get shorter, your skin might be looking a little and dull and lifeless. Consider it the seasonal equivalent of the post-vacation blues you might experience after getting home from a week-long, restful trip to a sunny, tropical destination. Thankfully, you can maintain your summer glow throughout fall and beyond. Yes, all you need is one of the best highlighters in your makeup routine.
These products add a healthy, lit-from-within glow to wherever you apply them. Typically, the cheekbones, temples, and cupid’s bow are all spots you want to target because it’s where the sunlight typically hits and reflects, leaving your skin with that covetable healthy radiant finish. Whether you prefer cream, balm, or powders, there are a ton of highlighter options to choose from. So many that you might actually be overwhelmed when shopping for one. That’s where the TZR team’s picks come into play.
Ahead, we share the best highlighters for faking an illuminated complexion all year long.
“I hoard these dew-giving highlighter sticks from Chanel. I have a few different shades, but my favorite is Sculpting, which leaves a pearlescent glow behind and also a glass-like sheen. I apply it directly from the stick onto my cheekbones, brow bones, bridge of my nose, and cupid's bow, then blend it in with my fingers. It instantly makes my skin look glistening, plump, and light-reflective, even if it was dull and splotchy moments before. This is a holy grail.” – Faith Xue, executive beauty director, lifestyle, BDG
“I prefer my highlighters to give me a juicy, dewy glow rather than a shimmery one. This soft balm from Ami Colé leaves my skin with the exact finish I’m after. It blends seamlessly with the rest of my cream base products (my preferred type) and doesn’t melt off mid-day – even during the height of summer humidity.” – Erin Lukas, deputy beauty editor, TZR
"Even on days when I don't emphasize my cheekbones, I truly cannot cross my front door threshold without dotting a tiny smudge of highlighter on my nose tip, brow bone, and eye inner corners. What keeps it looking luminous, dewy, and modern rather than a 2016-style fright, though, is this It Cosmetics twist-up stick. It's technically an eyeshadow, but marketed as a great way to brighten up anywhere that needs a little extra illumination. Shade Passionate Pearl is a creamy, softly shimmery off-white that bounces the light and makes me look awake and lifted." — Amanda Ross, beauty editor, TZR
“When it comes to highlighters, I prefer a golden, bronzy glow as opposed to something more pink- or cool-toned. Glossier’s Haloscope in Topaz creates the gorgeous sun-kissed look that I crave. I use my fingers to apply this to the bridge of my nose, the high points of my cheeks, and my cupid’s bow. It blends so seamlessly with the rest of my cream products and it looks so natural. I have been using this since high school.” – Jordan Murray, associate beauty editor, BDG
“This highlighter performs exactly like its name suggests, giving my skin a lit-from-within, no-makeup makeup kind of glow. It's gorgeous for an effortless everyday look, creating a dewy and luminous sheen, without overkill sparkle or shimmer. The formula is super hydrating and balmy which is great for my dry skin, especially as the weather turns cold and my skin needs a little extra TLC to stay plump.” – Rebecca Iloulian, director, newsletter revenue and marketing, BDG
"I discovered this highlighter earlier this year and test drove it at Coachella Music Festival in April. I never looked back. The stick, which is larger than other highlighters on the market, is truly a multitasker in that it works on both the face and body. It adds a nice sheen to the skin that blends in easily, thanks to super moisturizing ingredients like niacinamide and jojoba oil. My skin is left glistening and radiant, no matter where I swipe it ." – Angela Melero, editorial director, TZR
"There's a lot to love about MERIT's skin-glorifying, natural-looking makeup, but you can really appreciate its power with these wildly dewy highlighters. Immediately upon uncapping any of the available shades, you realize there's no need for concern about chalkiness, glitter, or blendability — they're nearly wet, offering the most low-key yet effective approach to highlighting cheekbones, brow bones, and more." — Ross
“Thanks to an impressive stack of hydrating ingredients like squalane, vitamin C, and E, this creamy highlighter leaves my skin awake and illuminated. I love the small compact size of the tube because it’s easy to throw in my bag when traveling.” – Lukas
"As someone with naturally oily skin, I've always shied away from highlighters to avoid looking too glowy. I didn't even purchase my first highlighter until earlier this year when my friend told me I had to try the Danessa Myricks Vision Flush Glow Hyper Radiant Liquid Highlighter. To complement my rosy undertones, I chose the Electric Love shade and when paired with my Rhode Pocket Blush in Sleepy Girl, my cheeks are ultra-glowy without stepping into greasy territory. Just be sure to use a tapered brush when applying, because in my case, it didn't transfer evenly with a sponge." – Meguire Hennes, fashion news writer, TZR
