Best Illuminator For Glowing Skin: Our Top 5 Picks Of The Year

What Is The Best Illuminator?

Illuminators are pigmented light reflecting powders that are used to highlight your skin. These powers attract light and create the illusion of being lit from within.

They are vital to creating a dimensional face, similar to contouring. Celebrities and everyday makeup gurus use illuminators and highlighters to lift and push back features of the face.

Use illuminators on the nose, cheekbones, the cupids bow, and around the eyes. Applying these products in the right places can enhance your features. You don't have to be a professional to use highlighters.

You can make your cheekbones look higher up on your face by applying highlights to the tops of your cheekbones. Applying illuminator near the tear duct makes your eyes appear more prominent. You can even achieve a more youthful look when using the best illuminator.

How We Reviewed The Best Illuminator

We reviewed the best illuminator based on consumer testimonies. Customers claim these products greatly benefit their life. Not only customers that bought the product once, but consumers that buy over and over again.

Most of the products on this list I have tried and swear by myself.

We reviewed the best illuminator based on five-star ratings proclaiming miracle pigments and lumination. We also consider the ability to build to the desired shade, the products ability to blend, and the overall performance of each illuminator.

The Best Illuminator Price Range

We can relate to the daily hustle and as a result, most of the illuminators that made this list can be bought at your local drug store. Keeping your wallet in mind while also considering the performance of each of the highlighters, we keep the price range relatively low.

You don't have to sacrifice your hard earned cash for a hard working highlighter. It really just depends on the brand you buy.

The Best Illuminator: Our Top 5 Picks

These illuminators will light your inner fire with the incredible ability to blend, build, and accentuate your features.

1. Nyx Away We Glow Liquid Highlighter

The Nyx highlighter (also known as illuminator) is creamy, lightweight, and has an irresistible illumination that leaves you with a shimmery glow for a low price. The small applicator on this illuminator allows the user to have precise control over product application.

You don't have to be a pro makeup artist to use this highlighter. The process is simple, apply directly to the face, dab and blend it out with your fingers for a high impact shine. I have success building and blending out this illuminator with a wet beauty blender.

I use this illuminator when I go out at night because the pigment in this product is pretty intense. This illuminator shines even in dimly lit clubs and bars. The downside to this illuminator is that it may shine a little too brightly for daytime wear.

Overall cost, formula, and illuminating capabilities earned this product a 4.0 out of 5.0 stars rating on Amazon.

2. Maybelline Master Chrome Highlighter

Take your glow to the next level with this Winner of Allures best beauty award. Maybelline claims this illuminator envelops your skin in a molten metal sheen.

Boasting superior blending abilities, swirling your bush in this pan once will leave it dripping with pigment. Swiping your cheek just once will leave your cheek looking dewy. Blending this foiled pigment out with a blending brush leaves your skin positively glowing.

Beauty gurus back it up saying it's their secret weapon for brilliant, luminous skin. This drug store brand doesn't break the bank either.

Achieve this seamless metallic glow by brushing this illuminator on your face and body as well. This buttery formula melts into your skin and gives you a subtle natural glow. With four shades to match most skin tones, these shades are perfect for summertime.

Amazon customers rate this product 4.2 out of 5.0 stars

3. Wet N Wild Megaglow Highlighting Palette

The Megaglow highlighting palette has 4.4 stars out of 5.0 on Amazon and is vegan and infused with pearl pigments to achieve a soft shimmering glow. Another drug store gem, this palette is a steal at a bargain price. You get four pigments for a range of skin tones with generous pan sizes.

Apply to the tops of your cheekbones, your brow bone, and your cupids bow for a shimmering radiance. Customers rave that you don't need a flash on your camera to capture the glow. The product performs just as well as reputable high-end illuminators and lasts all day.

There are warm tones as well as cool tones in this palette, making it a unique choice for your collection. Applying this palette to your body as well gives you an otherworldly glow. Go out dancing with your friends and light up the dancefloor with this versatile illuminator.

4. Benefit Watts Up Cream Highlighter

Turn up the wattage with this illuminator. Leaving a soft glowing effect on your features, this reputable highlighter is easy to blend.

Achieving a soft gleam is easy; you can apply directly on to the skin with this illuminator due to its packaging design. Buttery smooth pigment melts into your skin as you blend away, achieving a subtle glow.

Having a stick applicator much like lipstick, this highlighter is mess-free. You can easily store it in your purse for touch-ups because of this product's thoughtful design. This illuminator has an Amazon rating of 4.4 out of 5.0 stars.

5. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector

The packaging of this product is visually stunning. This compact reminds me of a UFO, and inside is a generously large pan.

Although this illuminator only has a customer rating of only 3.8 out of 4 stars, I can vouch for it. I have used this illuminator nearly every day since last winter. Even though I have been using this product for quite a long time, the pan has very minor wear. A little goes a long way with this highlighter.

Becca Skin Perfecting highlighter swatches amazingly, and the pigment is to die for. Applying the product directly to your skin using your fingers or with a brush produces flawless results.

The shimmer of this product is subtle and seamless. Your gleaming skin catches rays of light and gives you an ethereal glow that will leave your friends green with envy. With this illuminator, you might be able to get away with telling your friends you woke up like this.