Get That Glow: Should You Use Liquid, Cream, Or Powder Highlighter Makeup?

Ask any makeup-savvy soul about highlighting, and the first celeb they’ll mention is Kim K West. That woman can easily be credited for making contouring and highlighting a trend that's here to stay. There is a constant debate on is liquid highlighter better than powder, cream, or powder highlighter, highlighter vs no highlighter, everything!  A highlighter is best known for giving the face a heavenly glow. It is placed on the higher planes of the face where the light hits naturally, making the skin look glossy and bright. Highlighter can come in different forms like powder, cream, and liquid. And picking out one can be, well, a bit tricky. All three formulas have strengths and they work in different ways to illuminate the face. With so many options available amongst powder highlighter makeup, sometimes figuring out the difference between them can get confusing that which highlighter is best liquid or powder. Liquid and powder highlighters trend the most popular followed by cream highlighter, and though each of these has the same use, the application is different.

Though it is difficult to guess between liquid or powder highlighter or cream or powder highlighter, we've decoded powder, liquid, and cream highlighter so that you can pick the best formula for yourself. 

Liquid highlighters

In liquid highlighter vs powder highlighter vs cream ones, Liquid highlighters work best for normal to dry skin and are great for achieving a natural, dewy finish. Liquid highlighter is quite versatile and can even be mixed with moisturizer and foundation for a gorgeous, all-over glow. Liquid highlighters are versatile, quite potent, and usually, a small quantity is enough to give a noticeable glow to the face.  Use liquid highlighters on important areas like the tops of your cheekbones, temples, cupid’s bow, and/or the brow bone in dotting motions, and then blend it in with your fingertips or a brush. The best application method for liquid highlighter is more intensive than powder highlighters.

Myglamm Recommendation:

Spotlight Illuminating Liquid

A magical liquid highlighter available in three shades has so much to offer. From giving a soft dewy touch, liquid metal finish, diffused light effect, to adding dimension and reducing fine lines, this product does wonders to the skin!

₹ 1195

Cream highlighters

 In cream vs powder highlighter, cream highlighters work best for normal to oily skin and are great for creating a soft, dewy glow with no sparkle. The cream formula is designed to blend into the skin seamlessly, giving it a subtle glow that can be worn every day. The cream highlighter is used for subtle highlighting and giving a brightening effect to the darker areas of the face like under the eyes, corners of the mouth, and nose. The formula of cream highlighter vs powder, the cream melts into the skin to provide that lit-from-within glow that is natural-looking and not very shimmery. It can come in a jar, palette, or stick and needs to be blended in with both fingers and brush. 

Myglamm Recommendation:

Manish Malhotra Face & Body Highlighter 

If you’re looking to add that sunkissed shine on your face & body, the Manish Malhotra face & body highlighter is for you! It gives a liquid metal finish with a sheer to full buildable coverage on the skin. The good part is it’s quite easy to apply to give you a goddess-like glow on your face and body.

₹ 1250

Powder highlighters

In powder vs liquid highlighter vs cream ones, powder highlighters work best for all kinds of skin and are great for creating a shimmery finish. Powder highlighters are the easiest to use and come in various colors, that’s why they are so popular. These have the highest concentration of shimmer and can be dusted over the foundation and blush for a noticeable glow. Because the application is less precise than a liquid or cream highlighter, the effect of face highlighter powder is gorgeous, with all-over radiance. The fluffy, powdery formula glides on the skin smoothly and is quite comfortable to wear. Powder highlighters are easier to control, superly buildable, and are designed to amplify your natural radiance. If applied in excess, it’s easier to remove or tone down. Use it on the top of the cheekbones, middle of the forehead, bridge of the nose, and center of the chin for maximum effect, and then blend with a brush.

Myglamm Recommendation:

MyGlamm POSE HD Highlighter Duo 

MyGlamm’s POSE HD Highlighter Duo is an HD ultra shimmer highlighter available in two shades. From giving an ultra shimmer finish, to blending effortlessly, this highlighter has a soft-touch texture with shine control. 

₹ 699

MyGlamm’s K.Play Flavoured Highlighter

Looking for a flavoured highlighter? Well, you’ve just got lucky! The MyGlamm’s K.Play flavoured highlighter has a shimmery texture giving a radiant finish and blending in effortlessly. The good part? The light-reflecting pigments give a flawless glow amplifying your skin’s natural radiance.

₹ 645

Which Highlighter Is Best Liquid Or Powder Or Cream!?

Want to know liquid vs powder highlighter or cream, how do they differ? If you are ready to add major luminosity to your makeup routine, you should learn about the three types of makeup highlighters first. It’s important to also know about powder highlighter makeup, best liquid or cream highlighter, to get the perfect glow on your skin.   Where liquid highlighters are versatile, cream highlighters have the matte side, powder highlighters have the maximum powder concentration. Be it a liquid, powder, or cream face highlighter, pairing them with the right base will simply add that perfect glow to your skin! But to make it easier for you to decide, we have created a table of the difference between powder and cream highlighter, best liquid, or cream highlighter!

Final Verdict- Which Highlighter is better, Liquid, Cream, or Powder?

Though it depends on person to person’s skin type, it’s always good to have your thoughts sorted on all three. So, if you are looking for a highlighter that makes your skin glow from within, you should go for a liquid highlighter. If you want to add more of a dramatic glow effect, you should go for a powdered one, whereas for a subtle look, try adding a cream highlighter to your list!

Q&A

Q1: Do you put cream highlighter on before or after powder? 

Cream highlighter should be applied before than powdered one as it would then not take away the shimmer from the highlighter. And if you apply the powder first with cream highlighter on top, the powder will begin to fade and separate on the skin. And it will look very patchy and not smooth too.

Q2: Can you mix liquid highlighter with moisturizer?

It’s absolutely alright to mix your liquid highlighter with moisturizer as it makes the look less cakey, giving your skin a natural beautiful look and glow.

Q3: How do you blend powder highlighter? 

To blend a powder highlighter, you can take a fluffy brush and swipe on a decent amount of powder highlighter on the face. Now you can blend the product in the downward direction in order to highlight the cheekbones and make your face look slim as well.

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Hope you have got enough information on powder highlighter makeup. So, is liquid or powder highlighter better, or maybe a cream one? Get ready to get, set, glow!