My Highlighter Collection

As you might remember if you saw my last post, I recently acquired a new highlighter from 3ina. This inspired me to put together a little highlighter collection post. I have six, so it is a pretty small stash (at least by beauty blogger standards!) and I've featured most of them on the blog before, but it's been a while since some of them had their chance to shine (pun intended). Also, I always think it's interesting to see highlighters all lined up together, because it's only then that you realise how different they actually are, and that maybe you really do need six (or possibly more) after all.

Shall we get started?

1. Mac Soft and Gentle - My oldest powder highlighter and still my favourite. It's one of Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish powders and looks so beautiful in the pan, even now after many months of regular use. It's a beautiful, warm copper/rose gold shade and gives you a subtle, candlelit glow. I can imagine that it would suit just about every skintone, except maybe those that are super, super fair. This is one of those products that I still get excited about using, even though I've had it for ages, and I'm sure I will for a long time to come as it is just so beautiful and flattering.

2. Benefit Watt's Up - This is the first highlighter I ever bought. I really don't have a preference when it comes to powder or cream highlighters as I find them both easy to apply, and both seem to last just as well on me if I'm wearing a good, long lasting foundation. Watt's Up has a little sponge attached to it, so you can swipe the product across your cheekbones and then use the sponge to soften the edges, although I tend to just use my fingers for this. It's similar in tone to Soft and Gentle and gives you a natural dewy glow. Sometimes I'll wear it with Soft and Gentle dusted over the top if I want to intensify the effect.

3. 3ina 201* - The newest addition to my collection, which you can see on my face here. It doesn't have a name, but I like to think of it as Golden Sand, because that is exactly what it looks like in the pan. It's another warm gold shade, not a million miles away from the previous two but slightly less copper toned. The finish is more sheen than shimmer and it's perfect for when you just want a hint of highlight. That said, it's also buildable and you can definitely see it when you catch the light.

4. theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer - Ah, Mary Lou. Remember a couple of years ago when she was the most desirable highlighter, like, EVER? This is also gold toned but a lot lighter than the first three, so it translates as more of a champagne on the skin. Although it's no more shimmery than the others, I find that this is the one that "pops" most on me, perhaps because of the way it contrasts with my skintone. For that reason, it's the one I go for if I want that "see it from space" look.

5. E.L.F. Baked Highlighter and Blush in Rose Gold*  - I didn't love this when I first acquired it, and I talked about it in this post. As pretty as it looked on my fingertip when I swirled the two colours together, I just couldn't seem to get it to do much on my face. However, I've been experimenting a bit since then, and have found that when I apply it liberally pretty much everywhere, it leaves me with a healthy, dewy looking glow, which I love. It's not how I tend to think of using highlighters - I am used to lightly dusting them over the high points of my face - so it took me a while to get used to this. However, I'm so pleased I have found a way to use it, because it really is pretty.

6. Collection Speedy Highlighter - Another cream highlighter and the cheapest of the lot, yet the quality is just as good as the Benefit one, which is around five times the price. It's the coolest toned of all the highlighters I have, but still seems to work on me. Like Mary Lou, it's a flattering champagne shade, but this one offers a more subtle gleam. If you're in the market for an affordable highlighter, I just don't think you can go wrong with this one for the price.

From left: Benefit Watt's Up, Mac Soft and Gentle, 3ina 201, theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer, Collection Speedy Highligher, E.l.f. Baked Highlighter and Blush in Rose Gold

Are any of your favourite highlighters on the list? And which ones would you recommend I add to my collection? Enable away! 

Kate x

*Gifted item. Some links may be affiliate links. All opinions, as always, are my own.