Did you know that there are shades especially made for dark skin tones like rose gold, metallic nudes, light and dark bronzes, etc. plus, all shades of browns? Here is a cumulation of the 9 best highlighters to give you the extra shine!

9 Best Highlighters For Dark Skin Tones

1. Best Highly Pigmented:Milani Baked Highlighter – Dolce Perla

The super buildable Milani Baked Highlighter takes illumination to an all-new level. It is specially baked on Italian terracotta tiles and loved by dark-skinned women for its highly pigmented and light coverage formula. It is formulated with ultra-fine multi-tonal luminescent powders that leave a light shimmery finish. All it takes is a single swipe of the brush to give a high-impact natural glow for the evening. The highlighter is in powdered form and comes in a round compact that fits easily in your handbag for touch-ups. Pros

Highly pigmented Blends well Oil-free Paraben-free Cruelty-free Value for money

Cons

Not transfer-proof

2. Best Affordable:Maybelline New York Master Chrome By Face Studio Metallic Highlighter – Molten Rose Gold

The Molten Rose Gold metallic highlighter from Maybelline contains reflective pigments for a metallic sheen chrome effect. It spreads evenly across the skin and attracts light to accentuate and enhance your best facial features. The formula helps you customize your look just the way you want it. The powdered highlighter contains pearl pigments that reflect shimmer, accentuating the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, brow bone, and cupid’s bow. If you need further convincing, check out this YouTuber’s review. Pros

Dermatologically tested Seamless application Metallic finish Skin-friendly Long-lasting Value for money

Cons None

3. Best For Smooth Application:Fenty Beauty By Rihanna Killawatt Foil Freestyle Highlighter

Make your skin tone pop with the Fenty Beauty Killawatt Foil Freestyle Highlighter that features rule-defying shades. This cream-powder hybrid palette offers seven must-have shades that can be applied solo or in duos. The hyper metallic finish accentuates your features with color and contours your face. The colorful range of highlighters ranges from subtle shades of icy blue, peach, and pink to darker lavender, metallic plum, and fiery copper. You can check this video out if you need to know more about the product. Pros

Lightweight Long-lasting Highly pigmented Smooth application

Cons

Expensive

4. Best Non-Cakey:Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed – Champagne Pop

Champagne Pop from Becca is a mix of soft gold with peachy pink pearl. This highlighter offers basic coverage and has a buttery soft texture that glides seamlessly across the skin. Swipe with a brush to accentuate your best facial features. The micro-pigments melt into the skin and flawlessly complement your skin tone. Its unique formula blends pigments with liquids, creating a creamy feel. To find out more about this product, check this video review out. Pros

Soft texture Smooth application Non-caking Sulfate-free Paraben-free

Cons None

5. Best For Radiant Glow:Milk Makeup Highlighter – Champagne Pearl

The creamy pearlescent Milk Makeup Highlighter comes in a stick form for convenient application. The Champagne Pearl shade leaves a shimmery finish on dark skin tones and illuminates your favorite facial features. It features a blendable micro-shimmer for a fresh-faced dewiness that can be amplified with more layers. The highlighter is infused with coconut oil, mango butter, and avocado oil for lasting hydration. Your skin absorbs the formula instantly, exuding a radiant glow. Pros

Creamy texture Shimmery finish Easy to apply Vegan Phthalate-free Paraben-free Sulfate-free Gluten-free Talc-free Cruelty-free

Cons

Feels sticky

6. Best Blendable:Eddie Funkhouser Glow Drops

This liquid highlighter plus primer from Eddie Funkhouser accentuates your skin with a lit-from-within glow. It is one of the best drugstore highlighters for dark skin that delivers buildable coverage, letting you customize it from sheer to intense. It also serves as a diffuser to brighten up or even tone your skin. You can also use it solo or blend it with your moisturizer, liquid foundation, or other cosmetic products to create the look that you desire. This highlighter features a ball tip applicator to have better control over the drops and coverage. Pros

Easy to use Blends easily Travel-friendly Cruelty-free Paraben-free Gluten-free GMO-free Soy-free Vegan

Cons None

7. Best Quick-Drying:e.l.f Jelly Highlighter – Bubbly

The smooth e.l.f Jelly Highlighter in the Bubbly shade comes with a white gold hue. It adds a luminous glowing effect with just one swipe, leaving behind a dewy look. The product applies wet and dries to a long-lasting glowy finish. It blends well into the skin and complements your skin tone. The versatile nature of this highlighter enables you to pull off multiple looks. You can wear it alone or mix it with makeup, lotion, moisturizer, or foundation. Pros

Lightweight Long-lasting Quick-drying Vegan Cruelty-free Paraben-free Phthalate-free Nonylphenol-free Ethoxylate-free Triclosan-free Triclocarban-free Hydroquinone-free

Cons

Difficult to blend

8. Best Travel-Friendly:L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Glow Nude Highlighter Palette – Moon-Kissed

The highlighter palette from L’Oreal Paris offers four pearlescent, cool-toned nude shades that give you a multi-dimensional look. The shades include Moon for a glowing ivory with a pearl finish, Venus for a luminous rose with a radiant finish, Jupiter for radiant taupe with a natural finish, and Twilight for shimmery bronze. The mix and match highlighter makeup shades give you a naturally illuminated and sculpted look. The product features a magnetic cap closure that preserves the formula and keeps the vibrant shades intact. Pros

Light coverage Natural finish Universal shade Travel-friendly

Cons

Lightly pigmented

9. Best For Sensitive Skin:Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Highlighter – Rose Gold

The Murumuru Butter Highlighter from Physicians Formula gives you a radiant Brazilian goddess glow while highlighting your best facial features. It is made with hydrating ingredients like murumuru, cupuaçu, and tucuma butters to nourish your skin. The multi-dimensional cream-to-powder formula feels soft and satiny as it glides across the skin. It offers light coverage with its soft-focus pigments. The fatty acids and pro-vitamins in the formula condition your skin and make it smooth. This highlighter helps contour your eyebrows’ curves, pop your cheekbones, and accentuate the nose bridge and Cupid’s bow. Pros

Lightweight Mild fragrance Hypoallergenic Blends easily Safe for sensitive skin Natural finish

Cons

Not long-lasting

Highlighters are the number one beauty product when you want to achieve a dewy, dreamy look. Just a few swipes is all that it takes for warm glow to accentuate your best features. Today with the beauty industry being more inclusive, there are a variety of stunning highlighters available for dark skin tones. Just remember to keep in mind the following pointers while choosing the best highlighters for dark skin tones.

What To Look For In A Highlighter For Dark Skin Tones

Know Your Undertones

The color of your highlighter should match your undertone. Your undertone never changes even though your skin tone may change at different times of the year, depending on exposure to the sun. Shades like gold, copper, and bronze complement warm undertones while champagne and warm rose are good for cool undertones. It is advisable to go a couple of shades lighter than your own skin tone for a highlighter..

Types

There are various types of highlighters that suit different skin types. Powder highlighters deliver a sheer, shimmery finish and are suitable for oily skin types as they help to absorb excess oils. For dry skin types, liquid highlighters are a good option. They are easy to use and can be mixed with your foundation for a natural glow. The other type of highlighter is the stick highlighter which is good for all skin types. They are travel-friendly and ideal for on-the-go touch-ups. Look for the ones that have hydrating ingredients like fatty acids and pro-vitamins along with SPF.

Degree Of Shine

Most highlighters offer a certain amount of shine. This shine comes from emollient oils or finely-milled shimmer flecks. For a dewy glow, choose a creamy formula enriched with oils, and for a shimmery look, opt for a powder highlight with flecks of glitter, mineral, or pearl pigment. .

Additional Features

A buildable formula sits easily on top of your base makeup to give a sparkly highlight. Look for this feature in your highlighter as it will allow you to apply just the right amount to various parts of your face. Powder highlighters have great buildable formulas. Smooth application also depends on the blendability of your highlighter. This is easy to achieve with a creamy wet formula.

Ingredients To Avoid

Choose a hypoallergenic highlighter that is free of parabens, phthalates, nonylphenol, ethoxylate, triclosan, triclocarban, and hydroquinone. A dermatologically-tested highlighter is ideal to keep your skin free of allergies and irritations.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

Baishali Bhattacharya, the author of this article, is certified in makeup artistry and believes that highlighters create a great impact on your makeup. So, she browsed online reviews about highlighters and checked the user feedback from various sites and forums. Apart from providing instant glow and highlighting the high points, they enhance your facial features. Moreover, they come in a matte and shimmery finish. Which highlight color is the best for dark skin? Highlighters with a gold or bronze base look the best on dark complexion tones. Warm colors compliment dark complexion the best and don’t look ashy. Do highlights look good on brown skin? Yes. Highlighters with warm undertones look great on brown skin. Do highlights make you look younger or older? You can get younger-looking skin by applying highlighter to the high areas of your face, such as the cheekbones, nose bridge, cupid’s bow, and forehead temples. It draws light to your face and gives it more definition. What kind of highlights make you look younger? A highlighter that enriches your complexion, gives you brighter skin, and blends in flawlessly can make you look younger.

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