TOP FIVE | Highlighters [+ A Benefit Dupe]

When I begun seriously getting into makeup, highlighters were a bit foreign to me - I had no idea of the power they could have once applied to the face. Now days I don't go a day without a good dusting of something shimmery on the tops of my cheek bones. Last month I shared my Top Five Bronzers, so this time around I'm sharing my Top Five highlighters that will compliment those bronzers exceptionally well.

M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle | USD $32.00 via. MAC US

An absolute classic highlighting shade and only one I've recently got my hands on is Soft & Gentle. It's a beautiful peachy gold, that blends onto the skin beautifully without looking glittery. You only need a small amount of this on a brush for maximum impact.

The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer | NZD $34.00 via. Beauty Bliss
This is hands' down my most used and most loved highlighter, it probably has holy grail status for me. I've had this for over a year and I've barely made a dent in it, because you need the tiniest amount to have some serious highlighting going on. The light champagne just melds with the skin so well almost like a cream, and it gives an amazing beam to the cheeks. If you want a seriously amazing highlighter I will always recommend this one!

e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Pearl | USD $1.99 via. iHerb
The cheapest offering from the lot, and maybe the cheapest cream highlighter you can even buy comes from one of my favourite cheap brand, e.l.f. This has a more pink tinged to it and it reflects silver once you have it on the skin. This one is quite glittery, so you really only need the tiniest bit of of it for it to show up. The cream formula is on the thicker side but you have some time to buff it onto the skin before it sets down. You can also use this one almost as an illuminating primer, just dab a bit along the cheek bones and nose and blend before going in which your base over top.

Benefit Watt's Up Soft Focus Highlighter | USD $30.00 via. Benefit US or NZD $57.00 via. Smith & Caughey's
Another very well known highlighter is Watt's Up from Benefit. Besides the cute, catchy name and the great packaging (although I just have a mini which is definitely enough product to last ages!), this performs very well. On swatching the colour is almost a more subdued version of Soft & Gentle, and it looks the most natural on the skin out of the five I've picked. It has a cream to powder formula, and I like to dab a few dots up the cheek bones and blend it out with my fingers.

Australis High Lights Mineral Face Highlighter in Pearl | NZD $21.00 via. Beauty Bliss

Now as promised in the title, I have found a very good dupe for another cult Benefit product, High Beam (NZD $49.00). The swatches below show just how similar the Australis High Lights is compared to High Beam. High Beam is a lot lighter in formula, but the colour is almost identical and once on the cheeks you get the same look. I love the Australis one for applying under my foundation (a trick I learnt from Sharon Farrell on YouTube), that gives a subtle sheen to any base you apply over the top. You also get a huge amount of product, so this thing is going to last forever!

So there are my Top Five picks for highlighters! I want to know what ones you've tried and which is your favourite highlighter to use? 

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