♥ My Top 5: Highlighters ♥

In my opinion, no matter how rushed you are in the mornings to get your makeup on, applying highlighter is a must. A good highlighter will add dimension to your face as well as subtle, pretty sparkle to your skin. Here are a few of my favorites...
e.l.f. Shimmer Palette
MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle
NARS Orgasm Illuminator
Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star
MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl

e.l.f. Shimmer Palette
This highlighter is the best bargain of the bunch. It contains four cream highlighters in a pearly white, peach, golden tan, and pink. It's the perfect highlighter to apply when you're in a pinch, because there's no need for a brush. It blends into the skin effortlessly with your fingertips and doesn't ruin the foundation you have on underneath.
The only downside is that while it appears as though there are four distinct colors in the pan, once applied to the skin, the four shades are nearly undistinguishable. I'm not too bothered by it as it allows me to mix-and-match the shades without any issue and the highlight it creates, whether a color is used alone or mixed, is gorgeous.

MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle
Soft and Gentle is a champagne colored highlighter with peachy undertones. It's a beautiful highlighter that is best applied with a light hand (I like to use my MAC 188) to avoid shimmer overload. (Skin swatches of the powder highlighters will be at the end of the post.)

NARS Orgasm Illuminator
I've seen this illuminator used in place of blush of the fairest of the fair but on me, it's used as a glossy highlighter. It is the same peachy pink with golden shimmer shade as its powder blush conterpart, but applies much less pigmented. A little product is all you need with this as you'll discover that if you slap on too much, it'll take forever for it to dry on you skin. I also find that it leaves an illuminating glossiness to the skin even after it dries that is just lovely.
The color is hardly detectable on my tanned hand, unfortunately.

Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star
Amber Diamond is my newest love and I may be a bit biased in saying this, but it's one of the best (if not the best) highlighters I've ever used. I think the reason it looks so gorgeous yet natural on the skin is because the powder is so finely milled and the shade is a universally flattering peachy golden color. You can read about the whole love affair here.

MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl
Shell Pearl was a limited edition beauty powder that I picked up when it was released with MAC's Give Me Liberty of London collection last spring. It's a peachy pink finely milled powder. In addition to having subtle gold shimmers throughout, it also applies rather sheerly, making it the perfect you-can't-really-mess-it-up highlighter. When I'm paler, it can also work as a subtle blush.

Swatches of the powder highlighters (Remember, they're highlighters so swatches are going to be quite subtle):
Left to Right:
MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle
MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (applied a little heavier to show color)
Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star

What are your favorite highlighters?


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