Best Buildable Face Highlighters of 2025

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Buildable face highlighters are cosmetic products designed to enhance the natural glow of the skin by adding a subtle shimmer. These highlighters come in various forms such as powders, creams, and liquids, and are available in a wide range of shades to suit different skin tones. They are easy to apply and can be layered to achieve a more intense highlight effect. Buildable face highlighters are perfect for adding a touch of radiance to your makeup look and can be used to accentuate facial features such as cheekbones, brow bones, and the bridge of the nose.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Buildable Face Highlighters
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlighting Wand for Radiant Skin
The e.l.f. Glow Highlighting Wand is your go-to for achieving dewy, radiant skin in seconds. Its lightweight liquid formula is infused with hydrating squalane, helping you create a lit-from-within glow. You can easily build and blend the formula to suit your desired level of illumination, making it perfect for any occasion. The cushion-tip applicator allows for precise application on the high points of your face, ensuring you look your best with minimal effort.
KIKO Milano Glow Fusion Buildable Highlighter
The KIKO Milano Glow Highlighter is a buildable effect powder designed to enhance your facial features beautifully. Its innovative formula provides a velvety touch, allowing you to achieve a smooth application with ease. The blend of softening ingredients ensures that the powder glides effortlessly, offering long-lasting comfort on your skin. With a high concentration of pearls, this highlighter creates stunning points of light, giving your complexion a radiant glow. You will appreciate the versatility and ease of use it brings to your makeup routine.
3 Pack Contour, Highlighter, and Blush Set
The HOPHAT Makeup Set includes a highlighter stick, blush stick, and contour stick, perfect for both daily and evening looks. The highlighter adds a lovely natural glow to your face, enhancing your cheekbones and other prominent areas. The blush creates a rosy, healthy appearance that can be adjusted to suit your needs. With easy-to-apply contouring, you can define your facial contours effortlessly, helping you achieve a structured look that enhances your features.
NYX Multi-Use Highlighter Stick - Blueberry Muffin
The NYX Highlighter Stick is a versatile makeup essential that helps you achieve a stunning glow with ease. Its jumbo size allows you to swipe on bold colour and highlight effortlessly. You can layer it for an even more striking effect, ensuring you stand out. The precise applicator makes application mistake-proof, whether you choose to use it over foundation or on bare skin. Additionally, it is infused with Jojoba Oil, providing a smooth and even application for a flawless finish.
Profusion Cosmetics Candlelight Frosted Highlighter
The Profusion Candlelight Highlighter offers a stunning shimmery finish, giving you a radiant glow reminiscent of candlelight. Its buildable coverage allows you to achieve everything from a subtle sheen to a striking highlight, perfect for any occasion. With its cream-to-powder formula, application is seamless and smooth, providing a velvety texture that lasts all day. The universal shade is suitable for all skin tones, ensuring a flawless blend regardless of your complexion.
Wet n Wild Mega Glo Vitamin E Makeup Stick
The Wet n Wild Makeup Stick is a versatile beauty product perfect for enhancing your eyes, cheeks, and lips. With its vivid shine and glitter finishes, you can easily create stunning looks for any occasion. Enriched with vitamin E, this stick not only adds glamour but also helps your skin feel radiant and refreshed. The velvety smooth, cream-to-powder formula glides on effortlessly, ensuring a seamless blend with a beautiful satin finish, making application a breeze for you.
SUMMIT.g Pearl Lit Highlighter Powder for All Skin Tones
The SUMMIT.g Highlighter Powder is designed to elevate your makeup routine with its pearl-lit shimmer and natural coverage. This skin-friendly formula is paraben-free and sulphate-free, ensuring a gentle touch on your skin while providing moisture and brightness. You can achieve a luminous glow that highlights your best features, such as cheekbones and brow bones, making it perfect for any occasion. Plus, the buildable formula allows you to contour with precision, giving you the flexibility to create a sculpted look that suits your style.
KIKO Milano Glow Fusion Highlighting Drops 02
The KIKO Glow Fusion Drops are a fantastic liquid face highlighter designed to give your complexion a stunning shine. Infused with reflective pearls, this product instantly enhances your features with a radiant glow. Its buildable formula allows you to adjust the intensity, ensuring you achieve the perfect look for any occasion. Plus, it dries quickly, leaving a light, shiny film on your skin that feels comfortable throughout the day.
PHOERA SooGlow Cream Highlighter for Radiance
The PHOERA SooGlow Highlighter is designed to give you a natural-looking radiance that enhances your features beautifully. Its long-lasting formula ensures that your glow stays put all day, resisting fading and settling into fine lines. You can enjoy sheer buildable coverage, allowing you to customise your look by applying a small amount for a subtle finish or layering for more intensity. This versatile product can be used as a highlighter alone or over your makeup for an all-over glow, making it perfect for various occasions.
Revolution Beauty London Mermaids Heart Highlighter 10g
The Revolution Beauty Highlighter features a stunning heart of pastel and gold shades, perfect for adding a touch of radiance to your look. Its easily blendable and buildable formula allows you to create a subtle glow or a more dramatic effect, depending on your preference. You can use it individually with a precision highlighter brush for targeted application, making it simple to enhance your cheekbones or brow bones. This versatile highlighter is suitable for both your eyes and face, giving you the flexibility to shine wherever you choose.
During our buildable face highlighter research, we found 45 buildable face highlighter products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 151,257 customer reviews through our big data system to write the buildable face highlighters list. We found that most customers choose buildable face highlighters with an average price of £6.13.
The buildable face highlighters are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of buildable face highlighters, including e.l.f., KIKO Milano, HOPHAT, NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP, Profusion Cosmetics.

Charlotte Powell is a dermatologist and a licensed cosmetologist from Westminster, London. However, she was first a cosmetologist from London Beauty Training School. According to Charlotte, she needed better insight into the human skin, hence the dermatology degree. Long before she acquired her degree, she wrote and edited articles, eBooks, and editorials for companies and websites. Charlotte combines her skill and knowledge in providing DIY Beauty tips amongst other fashion related topics.