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The best highlighter sticks are embodied by a few of our favorite adjectives: convenient, straightforward, and totally stunning. Unlike traditional powders or compacts, these easy-to-use sticks were made for tossing in your bag and swiping on whenever, wherever you crave a quick glowy boost. Yes, they're great for the classic spots like cheekbones and brow bones—but thanks to their precision-friendly silhouettes and creamy textures, highlighter sticks emphasize areas you might otherwise keep in the shadows, like your collarbones or even your lips.
These picks come in a versatile range of shades (some can even double up as blush or contour), finishes, and varying levels of opacity, so there's something to match every taste. Read on for the highlighter sticks that figure prominently in Allure editors' makeup bags, plus some makeup-artist intel on why they belong in yours, too.
Our Top Highlighting Sticks
- Best Overall: Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Glassy Highlighter Balm, $30
- Best Shimmery: Chanel Baume Essentiel, $48
- Best Blush-Highlighter Hybrid: LYS Beauty Higher Standards Glow Blush Stick, $21
- Best Gel: Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlighter Stick, $48
- Most Hydrating: Glossier Futuredew Solid, $26
- Best Cream-to-Powder: Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick, $32
- Best Blendable: Nudestix Nudie Glow Highlighter Stick, $35
- Best Blurring: Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick, $46
- Best Sheer: Ilia Illuminator, $36
Best Overall: Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Glassy Highlighter Balm
Why it’s worth it: Something about a multi-stick just scratches an itch in our brains, and the Haus Labs Radiant Glassy Balm fits the bill. This chubby highlighter crayon glides effortlessly across eyes, cheeks, lips, and even your body (give those beautiful collarbones some attention), leaving a hydrated glow in its wake, thanks to skin-loving ingredients like sea fennel extract, hyaluronic acid, squalane, and wakame extract (a marine algae). It melts on like a solid serum and delivers a luminous, glassy finish. If shimmer’s not your vibe, opt for the translucent Clear Glass shade, or for a tad of twinkle, reach for the rosy-gold Glassy Pink Opal.
Tester feedback from Allure associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen: "Based on the sheer volume of shimmery base products on the market this year, it appears that 2016 called—and is giving us our highlighters back. Back then, I preferred a more irridescent gleam with a purple, pearlescent base, but after trying all six shades of the Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Glassy Highlighter Balm, Glassy Pink Opal seems to be more my speed in 2025. I love how easy it is to apply too. I skip a brush and directly color it onto my cheekbones, cupid's bow, and down my nose for a subtle sheen that hits the light juuuust right."
Key ingredients: sea fennel extract, hyaluronic acid, squalane, wakame extract | Shades: 6 | Finish: glassy
Best Shimmery: Chanel Baume Essentiel
Why it’s worth it: Chanel’s Baume Essential is that gliding, glowy, all-over balm we’re constantly digging around in our purses for. It catches the light to illuminate all those little spots on your face that deserve a bit more love, like your brow bones, cheekbones, cupid's bow, and the bridge of your nose. Blend it out with your fingertips for a touch of shine or buff it into skin with a highlighter brush for a more seamless finish. The formula is silky and comes in a solid range of shades, including the deeper Solar Glow, which can double as a subtle contour. That said, the finish is pretty sheer, so if you're aiming for higher impact, layering is key.
Tester feedback from Allure commerce editor Sarah Han: “The Chanel Baume Essentiel is so buttery that I barely need to blend it in with my fingers. It lends a pretty glean wherever I add it—namely, cheekbones, brow bones, top of nose, and Cupid’s bow—though I wish the color payoff (I’m wearing Moonlight Kiss, which looks peachy in the tube) was a bit more noticeable.”
Key ingredients: carnauba wax | Shades: 7 | Finish: sheer, glowy
Best Blush-Highlighter Hybrid: LYS Beauty Higher Standards Glow Blush Stick
Why it’s worth it: LYS's lineup is full of hits, including the 2024 Best of Beauty awardee, No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick, but the Higher Standards Glow Blush Stick deserves its own spotlight. A few swipes of this gorgeous blush-highlighter hybrid, and your skin will look radiant and full of life—trust. Application-wise, if it's too pigmented straight from stick to skin (which may also cause your foundation to move), you can pick up the product with your brush of choice for a more subtle (though still buildable) look. If you have dry skin, you'll be happy to know this small but mighty stick is infused with green tea, watermelon seed, and rosehip oil for a touch of moisturizing magic.
Tester feedback from Allure associate editor Annie Blay-Tettey: “I was most drawn to the shade Courageous for its fiery-orange hue and golden gleam, and it looked even prettier on my cheeks. The pigment wasn't as saturated as when I first swatched it, probably because I used a brush. The texture of the blush is very emollient and feels buttery on the skin, but if your skin is oily like mine, the blush may make you shine brighter than you'd like. Six hours after applying the blush, the color had stayed on my cheeks, and the shimmer didn't fade.”
Key ingredients: green tea extract, watermelon seed extract | Shades: 7 | Finish: radiant, pearlescent
Best Gel: Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick
Why it’s worth it: Chic and sheer, Westman Atelier’s Lit Up Glow Stick is a firming, moisturizing radiance-maker that looks just as gorgeous under makeup as it does alone. You can swipe this gel-based stick on your cupid’s bow, tap it beneath undereye concealer for some extra brightening, or apply it to classic high-points of your face. It comes in five versatile shades—some warm, some cool—and if you’re torn on which to choose, Westman Atelier makes petite versions of these bad boys at about half the price. Deeper skin tones will dig the peachy Petal, while fairer complexions might lean toward the kinda-beige Biscuit. Either way, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure situation, and you honestly can’t go wrong.
Tester feedback from senior director of audience development, Lexi Herrick: "The Lit Up stick is so convenient for a quick swipe of highlighter, especially the 'classy nude rose' which adds both blush and highlighter to my cheeks in one swipe. The stick is very high quality with a magnetic lid and sleek black case. It lifts the appearance of my cheekbones and smile and adds the perfect amount of dimension to my makeup throughout the day."
Key ingredients: grape extract | Shades: 5 | Finish: sheer, glowy
Most Hydrating: Glossier Futuredew Solid
Why it’s worth it: Toeing the line between solid serum and shimmery highlight is Glossier’s Futuredew Solid. It’s a remix of the brand’s beloved original Futuredew—a liquid oil-serum—but this version is more portable and versatile. A single stroke leaves behind a load of nourishing oils and yields a subtle glow, but it builds quickly into a more classic-looking highlight. It's a true no-makeup-makeup staple, and a treat for dry complexions. New to the Futuredew-verse? Snag the duo set, which includes both the solid stick and the classic bottled serum. At the moment, there’s just one shade—but we're keeping our fingers crossed Glossier expands the range in the future…dew.
Tester feedback from contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman: “Glossier’s Solid Futuredew is a true mix between a solid serum and a highlighter stick, and is actually as hydrating as it claims to be. It lasts a long time and gives off a pretty opaque glow. I won’t lie—at first, I was worried the formula was too heavy, but after a couple of uses, I figured out it was all about application pressure, amount, and blending. It has a slight bronze undertone, which I think adds a nice warmth.”
Key ingredients: sea fennel extract, vitamin E | Shades: 1 | Finish: glowy
More highlighter sticks we like:
Best Blendable: Nudestix Nudie Glow Highlighter Stick
Why it’s worth it: The Nudestix Glow Cream Highlighter Stick is instantly set apart by its built-in brush (something more highlighters should have, honestly), and seals the deal with its creamy, buildable, and brightening formula. The metallic sheen draws attention exactly where you want it—inner corners of eyes, tops of cheekbones, lips, and nose—for long-lasting, luminous payoff. It layers beautifully over powder highlighters, too, if you're looking for extra wattage. Bonus points: The formula is infused with skin-loving ingredients like vitamin E and capric triglyceride, a nourishing emollient. Pro tip: The attached brush is removable, so you can easily clean it when product buildup strikes.
Key ingredients: vitamin E, capric triglyceride | Shades: 8 | Finish: dewy
Best Blurring: Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick
Why it’s worth it: The Best of Beauty-winning Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick is a go-to for bicoastal makeup artist Leo Chaparro, who reaches for it whenever a look demands a seamless, long-lasting glow. Its soft-focus finish appears effortlessly natural, catching the light just right without ever feeling heavy. The triangular tip makes precise application a breeze, and with shades that complement one another, mixing and matching is highly encouraged. The brand suggests pairing it with its Seamless Finish Foundation Stick for even more polished results. Some testers found it can apply a tad heavily, but ultimately, coverage is totally up to you.
Key ingredients: mica | Shades: 5 | Finish: blurry
Best Cream-to-Powder: Fenty Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick
Why it’s worth it: Fenty’s Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick is a classic shimmery highlight that allows for precise application—anywhere, anytime. The cream-to-powder formula is lightweight and long-wearing, delivering its best glow when layered (with the Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter, perhaps). A heads-up: This stick requires a touch more elbow grease to blend with your fingers alone, so you're better off reaching for a dense-bristled brush, like Fenty's Portable Highlighter Brush (operative word: portable), to diffuse the pigment evenly. In classic Rih Rih fashion, the shade range is as inclusive as it is pretty.
Key ingredients: mica | Shades: 8 | Finish: shimmery
Best Sheer: Ilia Multistick
Why it’s worth it: So, here’s the deal: Most of Ilia’s Multistick shades fall squarely under the blush umbrella, but there are three pearlescent hues (Cosmic Dancer, Stella by Starlight, and In The City) that we've found can double as highlighters. Each reflective shade offers a buildable, luminous wash best applied directly with your fingertips. The nourishing formula—rich with avocado oil, shea butter, and orange peel wax—delivers as much hydration as glow, no matter where you swipe (yes, your lips are invited to the party). Pair one of these shimmer-infused picks with one of its Best of Beauty-winning blush shades, and call it a very good day.
Key ingredients: avocado oil, shea butter, orange peel wax | Shades: 3 | Finish: shimmery
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of using a highlighter stick?
Highlighter sticks are almost always cream formulas—which boast myriad benefits. “Cream formulations often contain a mixture of emollients and waxes that will melt at skin temperature allowing for enough playtime to easily blend the product,” says cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos. “Emollients give a sheen to the skin, from a high gloss to a more dewy finish. Water based and powder formulas just don't do those things as well.”
Sticks are also generally more portable than other highlighter formats. You can typically apply them using your finger, rather than relying on a brush, and unlike a liquid formula, there’s zero risk of spillage in your bag. Wins across the board.
How should I choose a highlighter stick?
“When you're choosing you want to think about the overall finish you're looking for, the intensity of glow, and your own skin texture and overall look,” says New York City-based makeup artist Kasey Spickard. “There are two key categories of highlight sticks in my view. There are balm highlighter sticks and there are metallic highlight sticks.” Spickard defines balm sticks as products “focused on providing a sheer glow or sheen to the skin,” with that dewy, wet-look finish, sometimes containing skin-benefitting ingredients.
“Metallic Highlight Sticks are going to give you more of that classic ‘makeup’ highlight look with intense metallic payoff and often feel more like makeup than skincare. They do range from a soft shimmer to full intense chromatic glow,” explains Spickard. So, your choice of highlighter stick comes down to the classic criteria: Texture, finish-preference, price, and skin-loving ingredients.
“My advice is to visit a store where you can swatch the product on your skin because the level of pigments and pearls can be difficult to determine from labeling alone. Color cosmetic ingredient listings allow for all the color additives to be placed at the end of the list after the words,” adds Dobos. “This is because many color cosmetics are sold in many different shades and there can be shading matching that occurs when each batch of a color cosmetic is made. You might need a little more of a pigment to hit the target shade. So there's a good reason for this unique labeling situation.”
How should I apply a highlighter stick?
“You can dab the highlighter stick directly onto the skin where desired and blend out with slim makeup brush or even your fingers,” suggests New York City-based makeup artist Neil Scibelli. “Highlighter sticks can be multi-useful, but I typically use them where light naturally hits the skin—above and along the cheek bones, down the bridge of the nose, you can also add a bit above the cupid's bow.” Scibelli also likes to apply a touch of highlighter under the brow bones, and even as eye shadows for easy breezy brightness.
Meet the experts
- Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist based in Cincinnati
- Kasey Spickard, a makeup artist based in NYC
- Neil Scibelli, a makeup artist based in NYC
How we test and review products
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the best highlighter sticks, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product's performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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- 10 Best Sunscreens for Glowing Skin and Radiant UV Protection
- The 11 Best Skin Tints for Year-Round Glowy, Weightless Coverage
- 15 Best Cream Blushes for a Natural-Looking Flush All Year
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