My Highlight Collection (with swatches)

I've wanted to write this post for so long; I've gone absolutely highlight crazy! Since I've bought four highlights in the last two months I don't think any more will be joining the collection for quite some time, so it seems like a good time to show you my stash.

I think if I had to choose between cream, liquid or powder formula I'd definitely swing towards the liquid side of the scale, but I'm partial to a few powders as well. There's a good mix of drugstore to high end in this collection for you to take a look at, and I'll go through which highlights work best for tanned/pale skin (since I require both.)



 



Sun Beam and High Beam by Benefit are my absolute babies, and I picked them up last month with my birthday money. High Beam is 100% the highlight that leaves the best impression on my natural skin tone, which is very much pale ivory, and I find that if I get comments on my highlight, its generally because I'm wearing this one. It's a pearly shade that looks so beautiful and iridescent on the cheekbones, and is what I would recommend to anyone starting the trend, since it's incredibly easy to apply and blend and I think, goes with any bronzer in my collection. Sun Beam is a brilliant highlight to go with a tan (as the name implies), as it a golden tone that has just the right amount of shimmer to leave you looking sun kissed, but not like a disco ball. For me, this isn't as wearable, but I know I'll get a ton of use out of it when I go on holiday in the Summer.

 

My other liquid highlight is the 'Beat the Blues' Pearly Pink highlight from Mememe Cosmetics, which I would consider to be your lower priced dupe for high beam. The finish isn't as noticeable, but the colour match is almost exact, and for around a £12 price difference, it's worth looking into if you want to dive into pearly highlighters but aren't quite ready to commit to a Benefit extraordinaire. I got this in a GlossyBox a couple of years back, and it was actually my first ever highlight!

 

As for cream highlighters, I have a love hate relationship with them. I've talked about both of these products before (the Benefit Watt's Up and the Glow Pot from Topshop in 'Gleam'), and although the formula of the Topshop product is one I much prefer, the shade of Watt's Up is so much more wearable if you're naturally pale, and looks ah-may-zing with Marylou dusted over the top. The Topshop formula is so creamy and blendable, but until recently when I started fake tanning, the shade just didn't suit my skin at all. It's definitely one for the tanned or darker skin tones out there, whereas Watt's Up I feel could be suited to either when worn the right way and with the right products. Obviously, there is a price difference here again, I think I paid around £9 for my Topshop highlight (I literally can't find it online anywhere anymore, which is weird and means I can't verify) whereas Watt's Up is £24.50, but honestly in my eyes the Benefit version is the one to go for - I just don't think a Rose Gold highlight is as easy to wear as a Champagne shade. 

 

 

I haven't really explored the powder family in much depth yet, but I have tried a couple of cult favourites, which yet again show a huge difference in price. The Goddess of Faith Triple Baked Highlight from Make Up Revolution is a gorgeous product, a champagne pink shade that leaves a right old shimmer on those cheekbones. This one was only £4.99 which I think is pretty amazing, and is a much cheaper alternative to the famous Marylou-Manizer from TheBalm, which cost £17.50, and is a champagne gold highlight that is worth every penny. Everyone raves about this, and although it isn't my favourite product it's one I definitely don't regret buying, and looks even more impressive over a gold cream or liquid highlight. For me, liquid products work better so I would tend to go for those, but if you're looking for a powder then these two are great ones to try, and ones that I imagine would suit any skin tone. 

 

 

From Left: High Beam, Sun Beam, Beat the Blues, Watt's Up, Gleam, Mary-Lou, Goddess of Faith.

 

What's your favourite highlight? For me it will always be High Beam!