Best Drugstore Highlighters You Must Try

10 must have drugstore highlighters - all products

10 Best Drugstore Highlighters to Glow

It’s no secret that drugstore makeup is amazing. If you take a look at all the drugstore makeup posts that I’ve written, you’d know how much I love gushing about great makeup at affordable prices.

And it seems like in the last few years, drugstore makeup brands have been really stepping up their game!

You no longer need to buy makeup that costs a ton of money to get products of great quality.

I’ve tried out a lot of makeup over the years – drugstore and high-end – and I can honestly say that I use just as much drugstore makeup products as I do high-end products.

In particular, one makeup item that I consistently use a blend of drugstore and high-end products is highlighter.

I have many favorite highlighters that are made by drugstore makeup brands that perform far better than their cost would make you believe!

So, today I’m going to share with you the 10 best drugstore highlighters that are totally must-have products if you want to get your glow on!

Without further ado, let’s get started!

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Best Drugstore Highlighters – Subtle and Blinding Must-Haves

10 must have drugstore highlighters vertical photo

This list is organized in no particular order.

Wet n Wild – MegaGlo Highlighting Powder

wet n wild megaglo highlighters - 3 shades

wet n wild megaglo highlighters photo from above

The Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighters were some of the first drugstore highlighters I’ve ever tried, and I would still consider them among the best.

If you like a blinding highlight, these are for you. You get a bright, metallic glow with the smooth formula of these highlighters.

All of the shades are beautiful, but my personal favorites are Golden Flower Crown, Blossom Glow, and Precious Petals (L-R in photos).

It blows my mind how Wet n Wild created such an amazing, high-quality product for such a low price (under $5)!

Also seen in: Best Drugstore Makeup Under $5

Shop now: Amazon | Ulta | Wet n Wild

Makeup Revolution – Soph X Highlighter Palette

makeup revolution soph x highlighting palette

The Makeup Revolution Soph X Highlighter Palette is one of only three palettes on this list.

I usually stay away from highlighter palettes because it’s inevitable that you won’t make use of at least one or two shades in any highlighter palette.

BUT, THIS ONE – If you want to buy just one highlighter palette for the rest of your life and at a super affordable price, buy this one.

It includes both pressed powders and baked powders, a variety of shades that can be used for more than just highlighter, and all the shades can be layered with any other shade in the palette.

And that’s why I think this palette is so versatile!

The different types of powders allow you to create both a subtle or blinding highlight – the pressed powders are subtler than the baked powders.

Or, you can be like me and use the pressed powders as a highlighter “base” and then top it with one of the baked shades for an extra pop!

Like I said earlier, there are bound to be a few shades in any palette that won’t work for you as a highlighter.

And for me, those shades would be the two darkest shades in this palette. HOWEVER, they make great bronzer toppers if you want to have a glowy bronze.

Also seen in: Best Drugstore Makeup Under $15

Shop now: Ulta | Makeup Revolution

Makeup Revolution – Highlight Reloaded

The Makeup Revolution Highlight Reloaded highlighter is the newest addition to my highlighter collection in this list.

And from the very first time I used it, I was definitely impressed!

I have the shade Just My Type, which is a pale gold shade, and it is GORGEOUS.

It isn’t a super metallic finish, which is great for those who don’t like a reflective finish. But, it brightens your complexion in a very flattering way that adds a soft glow and doesn’t emphasize texture.

And if you do want a more metallic finish, that’s super easy to accomplish with this highlighter by lightly spritzing your brush with setting spray before applying it.

Especially for the low cost of this highlighter (Ulta lists it at $6), the quality is great!

Shop now: Ulta | Makeup Revolution

Maybelline – Master Chrome Highlighter

Of all the amazing highlighters on this list, the Maybelline Master Chrome highlighter is definitely in my top 2.

And that’s because this highlighter gives you such an amazing metallic sheen that will have all blinding highlight lovers dying.

If you don’t like a super metallic finish, then this is definitely not the highlighter for you. BUT, if you want your glow to be seen from miles away, this is the one.

The formula of this highlighter is so soft and creamy that it almost feels wet to the touch. Among all highlighters out there, including high-end highlighters, this formula is totally one of the best.

I own three shades – 100 Molten Gold, 050 Molten Rose Gold, and 250 Molten Pearl. I can’t choose an outright favorite between the three shades because they are all so beautiful.

But, I do find myself reaching for 100 Molten Gold the most. It makes me look like a golden goddess and I love it!

Also seen in: Best Maybelline Products

Shop now: Amazon | Ulta

Flower Beauty – Shimmer & Strobe Highlighting Palette

flower beauty shimmer and strobe highlighting palette

The Flower Beauty Shimmer & Strobe Highlighting Palette is the second of three palettes on this list!

And although I gushed about the Makeup Revolution Soph X Palette above, this one might be my favorite of the three.

(But really, I love EVERY highlighter on this list!)

This palette was one of the first Flower Beauty products I ever tried so I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s safe to say that I was blown away.

I definitely wasn’t expecting such a bright highlighting palette from a brand that started off as more of a “natural beauty” kind of brand.

The formula consists of super finely milled powder, which makes it very flattering on the skin because it doesn’t emphasize texture.

It’s also really softly pressed into the pan, which may make it seem more powdery than other highlighters, but I personally really like that.

Because of the way it’s pressed, you get a super bright and pigmented highlight with only one stroke.

The three shades that are included work really well on my light skin tone, so it honestly probably isn’t the best highlighting palette for anyone darker than a medium skin tone (unfortunately).

Also seen in: Best Drugstore Makeup – Mid 2018

Shop now: Amazon | Walmart

**This palette used to be available at Ulta, but is no longer listed online. It may still be available in stores.

Makeup Revolution – Liquid Highlighter

The Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighter has to be one of the most underrated products out there. I hardly hear anyone talk about this amazing product!

Liquid highlighters can be super tricky to use at first and some people might shy away from using them at all because of that.

But, once you start using liquid highlighters, you can’t stop! They work great alone and as a base for powder highlighter to really make your highlighter pop.

Brushes don’t work well with liquid highlighters. I found that the best way to apply them is by tapping it on with your finger or a damp makeup sponge.

My favorite way to use a liquid highlighter is actually as a foundation mixer.

I’m a huge fan of having an all-over glow and this is the perfect way to achieve that without looking too dewy or oily.

I’ll sometimes even apply this liquid highlighter all over my face before I apply foundation when I REALLY want to glow.

The Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighter is a great affordable alternative to the Iconic London Illuminator drops and the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops.

Also seen in: The Ultimate List of Drugstore Dupes

Shop now: Ulta | Makeup Revolution

Essence – Pure Nude Highlighter

The Essence Pure Nude Highlighter is for all of you that love a subtle highlight!

I tend to only talk about blinding highlighters on this blog because I’m a full-glam everyday kind of girl, but this is one subtle highlighter that I absolutely love.

It creates a gorgeous “glow-from-within” type of glow that will make people stop and tell you that your skin looks great without knowing that it’s makeup!

My highlighter almost always looks so bright that people know it’s fake and it’s all makeup LOL. But, this kind of natural highlighter will make it look like you’re just naturally glowing.

This highlighter is also perfect for no-makeup days when you still want to add a bit of glow to your skin.

If you didn’t already have an idea of how extra I am after reading above that I put liquid highlighter all over my face before foundation, you’ll definitely have an idea after I tell you that I actually use this highlighter as a finishing powder!

That’s right. I apply this highlighter all over my face. It’s a subtle enough highlighter that doing this doesn’t make me look like a disco ball, but just gives me a nice all-over glow.

If you’re a fan of the Hourglass Ambient Powder, this totally has the same effect at a MUCH lower cost.

Also seen in: Best Drugstore Makeup Under $10

Shop now: Amazon | Ulta

Milani – Strobelight Instant Glow Powder

milani strobelight instant glow highlighter

I would put the Milani Strobelight Instant Glow Powder in the middle on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being super subtle and 10 being super blinding.

Because of that, it’s the perfect highlighter if you want to start wearing a more visible highlighter, but don’t want it to be crazy.

You won’t get a metallic, foil-like finish with this highlighter like you will with some of the other highlighters in this post, but you’ll get a beautiful glow that is very suitable for everyday wear.

In fact, I gave this highlighter in the shade Sunglow to my mom and it looks perfect on her!

So, it’s suitable and flattering for those with more mature skin, as opposed to a super blinding highlighter which usually isn’t very flattering on mature skin.

Shop now: Amazon | Ulta | Milani

Essence – Glow To Go Highlighter Palette

The Glow To Go Highlighting Palette is the last of the three palettes on this list!

And out of the three, I think this one is the most practical.

One of the reasons I think that is because it is the least expensive of the three, making it the best bang for your buck.

The second reason is that all of the shades are on the natural side, but can be easily built up for a more blinding effect – you can get both a natural or bright highlight with this palette.

And the last reason is because of the size. It’s a relatively small palette.

I understand that don’t really want a huge highlighter palette, nor do they want 4 individual highlighters – problem solved with this palette!

The size also makes it a great option for traveling. Especially because all of the shades included can double as eyeshadows!

Shop now: Ulta

Pixi Beauty – Glow-y Gossamer Duos

pixi beauty glow-gossamer duos photo from above

Last, but definitely not least is the Pixi Glow-y Gossamer Duos, which would be the other highlighter in this list that I would put in my top 2.

Both of the duos are seriously to-die-for. I can’t keep my hand off either.

I usually don’t hit pan on highlighters, but look! I hit pan on both of them!

The formula is super silky and it’s another powder that almost feels wet to the touch, which is why it creates such a metallic, foil-like finish, without emphasizing texture.

I totally didn’t expect a highlighter like this from Pixi, to be honest. But, I was very pleasantly surprised!

It’s on my list of holy grail products and I think it’ll stay there for a very long time!

Shop now: Pixi Beauty