Best Buildable Face Highlighters of 2026

Charlotte Powell Avatar
Charlotte Powell
Last Updated: 2 Feb 2026

* We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

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

Profusion Cosmetics Candlelight Frosted Highlighter Cover #TOP 1
Profusion Cosmetics Candlelight Frosted Highlighter
ftb score rating icon 9.9
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand Cover #TOP 2
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand
ftb score rating icon 9.8
KIKO Milano Glow Fusion Highlighting Drops 02 Cover #TOP 3
KIKO Milano Glow Fusion Highlighting Drops 02
ftb score rating icon 9.6

Top 10 Buildable Face Highlighters

#TOP 1

Profusion Cosmetics Candlelight Frosted Highlighter

FULL MOON
3 g (Pack of 1)
Profusion Cosmetics Candlelight Frosted Highlighter Cover
Profusion Cosmetics Rituals Candlelight Frosted Highlighter, Achieve Radiant Skin with Premium Highlighter, Ultra Reflective and Shimmery Makeup kit with Long Wearing, Buildable Coverage, Full Moon

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.

What We Like
Luminous, candlelight-inspired glow
Buildable for customised looks
Smooth, seamless application
Universal shade for all skin tones
Long-lasting wear throughout the day

e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand

609332844155
IRL Angel
10 ml (Pack of 1)
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand Cover
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand, Liquid Highlighter Wand For Luminous, Glowing Skin, Buildable Formula, Vegan & Cruelty-free, IRL Angel

The e.l.f. Halo Glow Wand is a liquid highlighter designed to give you radiant, luminous skin in seconds. Its lightweight formula, enriched with hydrating squalane, helps create a natural, lit-from-within glow, making your skin look fresh and dewy. The buildable and blendable formula allows you to control the intensity, so you can achieve a subtle or more pronounced highlight with ease. The cushion-tip applicator provides precise application, allowing you to highlight the high points of your face effortlessly for an instant boost of illumination.

What We Like
Quick, radiant glow
Hydrating squalane formula
Buildable and blendable
Precise cushion-tip applicator

KIKO Milano Glow Fusion Highlighting Drops 02

KM000000429002B
9.5 ml (Pack of 1)
KIKO Milano Glow Fusion Highlighting Drops 02 Cover
KIKO Milano Glow Fusion Highlighting Drops 02, Liquid Face Highlighter With A Metallic fFinish

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.

What We Like
Instant radiant glow
Buildable intensity
Quick-drying formula
Lightweight feel on skin
Dermatologically tested
#TOP 4

Profusion Cosmetics Rituals Candlelight Frosted Highlighter

RITUAL
3 g (Pack of 1)
Profusion Cosmetics Rituals Candlelight Frosted Highlighter Cover
Profusion Cosmetics Rituals Candlelight Frosted Highlighter, Achieve Radiant Skin with Premium Highlighter, Ultra Reflective and Shimmery Makeup kit with Long Wearing, Buildable Coverage, Ritual

The Profusion Candlelight Highlighter offers a shimmery finish that gives you a beautiful, glowing complexion, perfect for enhancing your natural beauty with a soft, dewy look. Its buildable coverage lets you choose between a subtle sheen for everyday wear or a more intense highlight for special occasions, giving you full control over your makeup. The cream-to-powder formula ensures smooth and easy application, gliding effortlessly onto your skin for a velvety feel. Plus, its universal shade suits all skin tones, making it a versatile and reliable addition to your makeup bag.

What We Like
Radiant, luminous glow
Buildable for subtle or intense
Easy cream-to-powder blend
Universal shade fits all tones

NYX Jumbo Multi-Use Highlighter Stick Coconut Cake

K5641100
01 Coconut Cake
2.7 g (Pack of 1)
NYX Jumbo Multi-Use Highlighter Stick Coconut Cake Cover
NYX Professional Makeup Multi-Use Highlighter Stick, Weightless Buildable Formula with Jojoba Oil, Twist-Up – No Need To Sharpen, Vegan and Cruelty-Free, 2.7 g, Shade: Coconut Cake

The NYX Jumbo Highlighter Stick offers a weightless, buildable formula that lets you create a stunning glow with ease. Its jumbo size means you can quickly swipe on colour, highlight, or glow, making it a convenient all-in-one product for your makeup routine. The precise applicator ensures you apply it smoothly and accurately, so you avoid mistakes. You can use it over foundation or on bare skin, highlighting your cheekbones, lips, or nose for a radiant finish. This stick brings you a quick, effortless way to illuminate your look.

What We Like
Weightless, buildable formula
Precise, mistake-proof applicator
Can be used with or without foundation
Multi-use for face and lips
Twist-up, no sharpening needed
#TOP 6

HOPHAT 3 Pack Liquid Contour Highlighter Blush Set

LU1579
Set D
1 count (Pack of 1)
HOPHAT 3 Pack Liquid Contour Highlighter Blush Set Cover
3 Pack Liquid Contour & Highlighter & Blush Makeup Set, Long Lasting Natural Weightless Buildable Contouring Bronzer Blusher Stick Beauty Wand Liquid Highlighter Makeup (Set D)

The HOPHAT Liquid Contour Set is a versatile makeup kit that includes a liquid highlighter, blush, and contour, perfect for both daily and evening looks. The highlighter adds a natural glow with a rich shine, enhancing your cheekbones and nose for a radiant complexion. The pink matte liquid blush gives your face a healthy, rosy glow, allowing you to adjust the shade for your desired effect. Meanwhile, the easy-to-apply contour helps you create defined facial features by simply blending on key areas like the jawline and temples. This set is practical and convenient for enhancing your makeup routine.

What We Like
Includes highlighter, blush, contour
Natural, radiant glow
Adjustable blush shade
Easy to apply and blend

e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlighting Wand for Radiant Skin

Rose Quartz
10 ml (Pack of 1)
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlighting Wand for Radiant Skin Cover
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand, Liquid Highlighter Wand For Luminous, Glowing Skin, Buildable Formula, Vegan & Cruelty-free, Rose Quartz

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.

What We Like
Quick application for glowing skin
Hydrating, skin-friendly ingredients
Buildable and blendable formula
Precise cushion-tip applicator
Vegan and cruelty-free product
#TOP 8

Wet n Wild Mega Glo Vitamin E Makeup Stick

Mega Glo
Glitzed Spell
6 g (Pack of 1)
Wet n Wild Mega Glo Vitamin E Makeup Stick Cover
Wet n Wild, Mega Glo Vitamin E Makeup Stick, Multipurpose Highlighter and Bronzer Stick for Eyes, Cheeks and Lips, with Buildable and Blendable Formula, Glitzed Spell

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.

What We Like
Multipurpose for eyes, cheeks, lips
Enriched with vitamin E
Velvety smooth application
Available in various shades

Ivory Glow Silky Smooth Highlighter Powder Compact

K-CSY-MAKE-8z1b-lo
Ivory
Ivory Glow Silky Smooth Highlighter Powder Compact Cover
Ivory Glow Highlighter Powder with Brush - Silky Smooth Face Highlighter Makeup, Buildable Longwear Shimmer Powder for Radiant Luminous Shine, Multi-Functional Highlight Compact for Face & Cheeks

The Ivory Glow Highlighter is designed to enhance your natural beauty with a radiant ivory finish that brightens your complexion and adds a soft, flattering dimension to your face. It comes in a sleek compact with a soft brush, making it perfect for beginners and ideal for quick touch-ups when you’re on the move. The silky smooth powder blends effortlessly into your skin, ensuring a flawless look every time. Plus, its buildable, long-lasting formula allows you to create anything from a subtle sheen to a bold, luminous glow that stays fresh all day.

What We Like
Radiant, natural ivory glow
Compact with soft brush
Silky smooth, easy blending
Buildable, long-lasting wear

SHEBEEDO Natural Dewy Champagne Highlighter Stick

SHEBEEDO
Silver
1 g (Pack of 1)
SHEBEEDO Natural Dewy Champagne Highlighter Stick Cover
Highlighter Stick, Natural Dewy Champagne Face Highlighter Contour Stick for Glass Skin Glow Balm, Makeup Lightweight Stick, Buildable Travel-Ready and Retractable

The SHEBEEDO Highlighter Stick offers a natural, dewy champagne glow that enhances your skin’s radiance, giving you a flawless glass skin effect. Its water-light gel cream texture feels fresh and hydrating on your skin, ensuring a comfortable wear without any sticky residue. You can rely on it to stay put all day, as it is waterproof, sweat-proof, and non-greasy, making it perfect for long-lasting wear. The lightweight and creamy formula blends effortlessly, allowing you to achieve a smooth, radiant finish with ease.

What We Like
Natural dewy glow
Hydrating, non-sticky formula
Waterproof and sweat-proof
Lightweight and creamy texture
Easy to blend and apply
Buying Guide Image
Editor's Notes

During our buildable face highlighter research, we found 68 buildable face highlighter products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 144,288 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 £6.39.

The buildable face highlighters are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of buildable face highlighters, including Profusion Cosmetics, e.l.f., Kiko Milano, NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP, HOPHAT.

Written by
Charlotte Powell Avatar

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.