When it comes to highlighters, less is more but it doesn’t have to cost more. With a huge and ever-growing selection of brands on the market, it can be difficult to choose what is best for you. This is because most of the products which come in the form of powder, liquid formula, stick or pot seem to have similar budget prices and functions.

They have fabulous formulas to bring a unique balance to your skin, creating an amazing vibrancy and fresh beauty. Most of these highlighters are highly-reputed brands but this doesn’t mean they are all suited for all skin tones. The best cheap highlighters should deal with the needs of your skin by making you irresistibly beautiful.

Features to Consider in Cheap Highlighters

Your skin like any organ of your body needs to be nurtured and preserved so that it glows. The fact is your skin tone and skin type isn’t the same as anyone else, and you can choose the perfect features in a highlighter based on your own skin tone.

When it comes to highlighters, a wide range of formulas are available, and they have different functions for different skin tones. If you have dry, delicate, oily, or blemished skin, using the right highlighter becomes an important task. Skin connects people to the world and your loved ones, so find the right combinations of features and their functions in the best cheap highlighters to put your best skin forward.

For Fair skin tones

If you have pale or light skin, choose highlighters that feature a silver or lilac tone. The light tone is clear and simple as it already adds enough radiance to your looks. Your face is a blank canvas, so blending and shading it with shades that are lighter or have a picky-peach finish will bring out a perfect expression in you in a natural way.

You need to know where to place your highlighter. To have a good result, you have to apply it to the high points of your face and the areas that you want to be highlighted. The tip of the nose, above the cheeks, on the cheekbone, and cupid’s bow are perfect areas to highlight. Other areas you can consider include the bridge of your nose, chin, and forehead. To complete your appearances, place the highlighter in the inner corner of your eye.

For Medium to olive skin tones

It’s a wish of everyone to look picture-perfect, although most people feel like they are far from reaching it. It’s natural to think that your skin is appearing frosty, so the peach or gold bronze tones match well with people who have medium and olive skin tones.

The highlighters have enough warmth to neutralize the warmth originating from your skin. The presence of color will give you a radiance effect that will give you a ton of personality.

For Medium to olive skin tone

Some situations can be tricky leaving you unwittingly believing that there is nothing you can do for your medium and olive skin tone. What most people don’t know is that they have power in their own hands to choose the right highlighter to transform their looks. Champagne or pink tones will provide you with a way out for medium to olive skin tone and avoid the brands that are too silvery.

There is nothing wrong being adventurous, so try applying some highlighter on your face, collarbones and the tops of your shoulders. These are the areas where you are likely going to get a sun-kissed glow, especially during the summer.

Dark skin

Having time to use your favorite highlighter is one aspect of life. It’s the only opportunity when you are able to choose the right product for your dark skin tone. Rose gold and bronze are warm highlighters that will give you a happier outcome as they have a lot of pigment to make your skin look fresh and glow.

Avoid frosty or opalescent colors as they will make your skin appear dull. This can take away a lot of confidence and prevent you from conquering unimaginable challenges coming on your way.

Top 10 Best Cheap Highlighters 2025 (Under $20)

1. Facestudio Master Strobing Illuminating Stick

Performance
When looking for highlighters, you have to know their effect on your skin. There are a lot of highlighters on the market, but most of them will not give you the expected results. Facestudio Master has a non-comedogenic lightweight creamy formula that makes your skin feel and look natural. It’s lightweight, so no matter how lazy or tired you are feeling, applying it is easy and it doesn’t overburden you. Even better, the highlighter lasts long, preventing you from using it over and over again during the day.

Versatility
You face is an important part of your body. It’s frequently exposed to the outside world and rarely thought of, so it’s important to take good care of it. A highlighter is a good concealer that uses refractive properties to confuse the eye. If it’s versatile and well-executed, it adds a new dimension to your skin.

Facestudio Master does dramatic things on every part of your face. It defines your cheeks, expresses well all your facial features, and brightens your eye area. It caters for all skin types including light skin tones and medium to deep skin tones. If you have sensitive skin, this is the suitable highlighter for you.

Ease of use
When you think of people you meet during the day, you will be inclined to take good care of your face. But, you don’t want to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to effectively apply the highlighter. This is why Facestudio Master can be artfully applied to draw light to most parts of your face with ease. You just need to swipe and blend your cheekbones, nose, eyebrow arch or collar bone.

The creamy formula with micro-pearls makes your skin glow. The purpose of this highlighter is to make it easy for you to apply on your skin. So, it has a stick format that ensures easy application to the facial areas. Applying Facestudio Master before you go out makes sure you get the best out of your face. It gives you a different dimension, makes your face look slim, and opens your eyes.

Verdict
Facestudio Master is a well-placed highlighter which provides a variety of options for the user. It has a lightweight creamy formula and is easy to apply, which is ideal for any person. It’s dermatologists and allergy tested, suitable for light skins tones and medium to deep skin tones. The highlighter seems to fill the entire tube but it’s mostly about three and a quarter full. The good news is that it’s long-lasting. So, if you are looking for a budget, long-lasting, and a great quality highlighter, then go for Facestudio Master.

2. J. Cat You Glow Girl Baked Highlighter Crystal Ounces

Performance
Highlighters are part of many makeup routines, and J. Cat You Glow Girl Baked Highlighter offers great performance at an unbelievable cheap price. It’s convenient and works well in areas that are exposed to the sun. Using a powder brush, you can easily apply it on your face, shoulders, and arms. The brush is soft and it allows for precision placement on any part of your body. It’s also ideal for touch-ups.

Versatility
Like some highlighters, this one is well-suited to all skin tones and skin types. So those with sensitive skin, they can surely consider this as a good option. Its sheer finish will give your skin a blinding glow and it blurs minor discolorations while maintaining a natural appearance. It gives a perfect finish to give a natural look without highlighting the imperfections on your skin. This is an important feature to look for so that you end up with the wrong product in your hands.

Ease of use
J. Cat You Glow Girl Baked Highlighter provides a flawless finish to give your skin instant radiance. The accompanying brush has a far good quality which is forgiving to any delicate skin. Your dreams will be realized as it has a smooth texture which blends easily across the skin to give that luminous appearance. It’s reassuring to know you are using a highlighter that suits your skin. At its price, this is considered a beauty bargain.

Verdict
Cat You Glow Girl Baked Highlighter earned a top rating because of its smooth texture which leaves your skin to attain a luminous look. It comes with a powder brush which has far much better quality than what is expected from such products. This helps you to feel all the comfort as you apply it across your skin. It’s long-lasting which means you don’t have to worry about reapplying it during the day. With this performance, it’s worth it to pick more than just one product. It might feel a little hard in the pan but with the brush, you can pick it up without any problem. Great care should be taken with the package as it can easily get damaged.

3. L’Oreal Paris Makeup True Match Lumi Glotion

Performance
The weather can cause havoc to your skin as moisture is sapped out from your body, leaving it dry and dull. With True Match Lumi Gloton which is a lightweight, it hydrates and leaves your skin glowing and fresh. The finish is dewy, but it achieves this through various moisturizing ingredients.

True Match Lumi Gloton provides a beautiful result as it has a perfect highlighting formula that gives you an illuminating color. It doesn’t matter that you cleanse your skin frequently if you forget using this highlighter, your skin will not be healthier and brighter.

True Match Lumi Gloton is the ideal highlighter to use on your skin because powder highlighters can make your skin appear cakey. True Match Lumi Gloton makes your skin glow and works well using your fingertips to blend the product resulting in a smooth finish.

Versatility
True Match Lumi Gloton has a super-fluid texture allowing it to be used in any way you want. Since it has Glycerin and Shea Butter, it moisturizes well and blends easily leaving you feeling light. You can use it all over your body, cheekbones, and face just like the usual body lotions.

Regardless of what tools you are using, you are likely going to find it easy to apply True Match Lumi Gloton with either fingertips or brush. Placing it using your fingertips allows you to pick the product with ease, and you can have a smooth coverage across the eyelids.

Use your fingertips or brush to apply the highlighter above and below the end of the eyebrow, outer edge of the eyelid, and the corner of the high cheekbone. You can smudge to blend into your skin and for additional highlighting, you can apply some lines along the collarbones.

Ease of use
Your entire body requires to be given some treatment. It doesn’t matter whether you’re after stimulating the dry skin or you want to apply other creams, highlighting it with True Match Lumi Gloton is important. There is a wide selection which leans towards all skin tones, it layers nicely, leaving your skin with a healthy glow. There is nothing better than knowing that you have done the best by applying True Match Lumi Gloton.

Verdict
True Match Lumi Gloton earns a high honor as it offers four shades which gives a wide selection. The presence of Glycerin and Shea Butter is an excellent option for those who have dry skin. Hydrating the skin is important as it ensures that it remains healthy. The highlighter is a perfect choice for those looking for lightweight coverage and radiant skin.

4. Maybelline New York Facestudio Master Highlighter

Performance
Applying Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Powder ensures your skin has a metallic reflection which brings out the best features on your body. This happens through metallic pearls and a reflective chrome sheen. The highlighter is specifically formulated to help those with oily skin. Like most powders, this won’t emphasize your shiny areas as it works well to dull the shiny facial parts.

It’s known that the skin continues to be oily no matter what you do. Finding the right highlighter that complements your skin type and skin tone can be the only way out. It might seem an impossible task to find the right product that can deal with your oily skin, but Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Powder provides the best solution.

Before applying it, you can wash or face to remove the excess oil. If you have an oil-free primer, it would be great to apply it. After following all the necessary steps, you can apply the highlighter. Powder highlighters like Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Powder are the best for oily skins as they absorb excess oil.

Versatility
Choosing the right highlighter makes all the difference to your skin. The claims that Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Powder conceals imperfections on your skin are quite true. You can apply it using a powder brush, fingertips or even a fan brush anywhere including cheekbones and along the brow bone to leave you with a heated tone. Not only does the highlighter help make your skin glow, but it also blends nicely across the skin.

Ease of use
An unsightly face can be one of the most damaging things to your self-esteem. So, applying Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Powder is the most important step when it comes to facing the world. It has a perfect finish that conceals discolorations while maintaining your natural looks. Even the repeated applications don’t have any effect on your great appearance. The shade range is quite decent as it’s available in two molten shades.

For maximum comfort, Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Powder should never be applied excessively. This can give you a lot of cake-face. Worse still, if you have a textured skin, the textures will be overemphasized.

Verdict
The Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Powder is a top-notch beauty bargain as it has metallic pearls to give a glow on your skin. The metallic finish is ideal for concealing discolorations on your skin, this can boost your confidence levels. The availability of two shades provides a good option to choose from. It’s suitable for those with normal skin and oily skin. However, its formula means that it cannot work perfectly on people with dry to very dry skin.

5. e.l.f. Baked Highlighter, Moonlight Pearl

Performance
Dry skin is a problem for almost every person at some point in time or another. It’s not just the folks in the drier climates that feel it as some people from the coastal areas are at risk too. e.l.f. Baked Highlighter transforms your skin into a radiant glow. It has ingredients which nourish your skin, calms the skin, and makes it look healthy.

Your skin always works overtime trying to balance the pH balance, which causes an overproduction of oil. So the highlighter with its plays some role in balancing it with its quality ingredients.

e.l.f. Baked Highlighter features many healthy ingredients including Vitamin E, which are considered helpful in keeping your skin soft and hydrated. Using the highlighter in people of all ages is great, especially when it’s used to remove the signs of aging. Because the skin around some parts of the face including the eye area is delicate and fragile, it suffers from dryness.

This part of the skin also shows the signs of aging quicker than the other areas because of the many eye movements that happen every day. The squinting causes the rapid appearance of the fine lines and wrinkles.

e.l.f. Baked Highlighter reduces the looks of such fine lines that are also caused by rubbing, touching, and exposure to the environment. The highlighter is specially formulated to deal with such delicate skin around the face.

Versatility
It can be applied wet to get an intense appearance or dry for a perfect pigmentation. You can use a brush to apply the highlighter on your face including the cheeks and brow bone. The perfect time to use it is in the morning when you are ready to go to work or to do other chores. It absorbs easily leaving the skin well-hydrated and fresh. The highlighter will rejuvenate skin leaving it soft, so this will cause the fines to disappear from your skin.

The cold air can cause problems on your skin, especially during winter months. Moisture is sapped from your skin, which can cause dryness and dull skin. Using e.l.f. Baked Highlighter is the best way to counteract this, as it puts back the much-needed moisture.

When applying the highlighter never rub strongly on the delicate skin. Instead, lightly tap the highlighter across the face and temples, then massage gently into the skin using your fingertips.

Ease of use
Skin is something that is taken for granted most of the times. However, the way you take care of it will determine how you feel and look. e.l.f. Baked Highlighter provides nice perks for those with a dehydrated skin as it moisturizes the skin. It glides like silk leaving the skin soft.

This is a perfect highlighter as it quickly absorbs and no residues are left behind. There is more to love in knowing that the highlighter is PETA certified, cruelty-free and Vegan. You can easily carry it to anywhere you are going as it comes in a little pod.

Verdict
In the end, e.l.f. Baked Highlighter deserves praise for its hydrating properties and skin-smooth characteristics. Choosing the right highlighter makes all the difference because the wrong product will leave you with undesirable results and a waste of money. In winter months, it’s especially important to look for the highlighter that retains and hydrates the skin.

Fortunately, there is e.l.f. Baked Highlighter that is designed to pump moisture into the skin. Its formula provides the right balance for skins of people of all ages. It might be confusing for the first time users as you need to scrape off the top to use the product.

6. essence – Pure NUDE Highlighter

Performance
Gone are the days when people found it difficult to add light to their faces. Today, the goal is to have some shimmer. Pure NUDE Highlighter gives you a natural and subtle glow as it has golden undertones. This completely changes your complexion as your skin looks rejuvenated. The highlighter is made from a baked powder that results in providing you with a marbled effect.

Versatility
Pure NUDE Highlighter provides a satin finish which is great for all skin types and skin tones. Apart from giving perfect options for all people, the highlighter gives you a chance to have a beautiful and radiant appearance. Thank goodness that it’s neutral and it can be worn by many people.

Ease of use
Life would be hard if the highlighters were difficult to use. Fortunately, Pure NUDE Highlighter is easy to use and it adds a subtle shimmer to parts of your face to boost your appearance. If you are passionate about the environment, this is the right highlighter for you as it’s 100 percent Vegan and 100 percent cruelty-free.

Verdict
The Pure NUDE Highlighter has baked powder which provides a marble effect. It’s smooth and not chalky which is a big deal for those looking for an impeccable finish. It has a fine texture which blends well with all skin types and skin tones. Pure NUDE Highlighter is ideal to be incorporated into a beauty routine as it boosts natural looks.

It might seem like a hard task to accomplish, but when you weigh up the benefits of having a perfect glow, it’s easy to consider the highlighter as a good option. Majority of highlighters which work exactly like Pure NUDE Highlighter are a bit more expensive. But this highlighter works well on the majority of skins for a budget offer.

7. UCANBE Highlighter Palette

Performance
UCANBE Highlighter Palette is available as a collection of four highlighters perfect for illuminating the skin. Whether you want to apply it on your eyelids or cheekbones, it leaves light-diffusing pigments. This suits well with someone who has a big personality because it has refractive pearls mixed with a prismatic coating to improve the looks. Having the UCANBE Highlighter Palette is possibly the best change you can make to your beauty routine.

Versatility
UCANBE Highlighter Palette has impressive pigments that fit perfectly when used individually. But if you are someone who enjoys being creative, you can blend them to have your own glowing highlight. Everyone enjoys looking stunning, so you can take a chance by applying the highlight to make a shimmery layer for your lip color.

You can up your game by blending and layering to get various makeup effects on your skin. It glides smoothly on the skin leaving a silky texture, and it’s suitable for all skin tones.

Ease of use
UCANBE Highlighter Palette breathes life into your skin. It’s lightweight, provides a silky texture and blends easily with your skin. You don’t have to be bothered about reapplying the highlighter as it’s long-lasting. It’s smooth and offers your skin a radiant glow that will be with you the entire day. The highlighter is fit for a princess and when you walk, that’s exactly what you’ll feel like.

Verdict
The highlighter provides some serious face transformation through its pigments and refractive pearls. It comes in a dizzying number of shades to illuminate your eyes or lips. The UCANBE Highlighter Palette collection of four shades is the perfect example of determination to please the users. There is a perfect combination of ingredients to offer a balance between shimmer and sheen. However, the highlighter is quite small to be used by the larger brushes, so you can go for small brushes.

8. SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter

Performance
SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter is quite trendy nowadays, and it’s for a good reason. The highlighter can be used on top of powder to get a light reflective strobing. It’s a highly concentrated formula infused with ultra-refined pearls to provide you a beautiful glow. It comes in 10 illuminating shades to give you an opportunity to experiment it to get your perfect match. You can also mix and match to have different appearances.

If you are passionate about highlighters, you may have noticed the water-resistant SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter. It applies smoothly and creates well-defined natural looking skin. This is as close as you would ever get to have an excellent budget highlighter. Shade-wise, each of the SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter’s illuminating shades are perfect to give your skin a glow.

Versatility
SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter can be worn in different ways, and you will love its versatility. It comes in 10 shades, two illuminators, and two bronzers to give you great options. While you can have a natural matte finish by using the two bronze drops, the seven drops provide you with a liquid metal finish. You can apply it using your fingertips or else use any beauty brush.

Ease of use
Unlike other highlighters, SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter allows you to customize it to get your preferred glow. This comes in the form of a liquid metal or you can have a sun-kissed finish. The brand brings a great quality skincare formula for someone attempting to have a real-life radiance and an assisted glow. This is precisely what you want just to add some life to your skin. Taking a few minutes every day before you go out will benefit your skin as it will give it a glow that everyone will appreciate.

Verdict
This is an absolutely versatile highlighter, and it looks great on every skin tone and skin type. The options are optimized considering that they come in 10 shades. This is a perfect opportunity to experiment and come up with your own favorite shade. SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter helps to indulge your creativity with their collection of shades. With 10 shades per kit, it’s clear that the value is only a bonus.

Overall, the biggest difference with the other expensive highlighters is that SMYTShop Face Glow Liquid Highlighter comes in more shades and costs less than most of the highlighters. You just need to shake the bottle well to have better results.

9. Shouhengda Highlighter

Performance
Shouhengda Highlighter provides a perfect multi-dimensional chiseled face. It’s perfect highlighter to pop light strikes including cheekbones, brow bones and temples. This is a great highlighter as it perks your complexion by enhancing and illuminating your looks. It works well on light skin tone but not as well on dark skin tones.

Versatility
Shouhengda Highlighter is available in a gorgeous range of six colors. It’s easy to blend and you can swipe it over your cheekbones and brow bones to illuminate the features of your beautiful face.

Ease of use
If there is one thing that brings discomfort to anyone else, is to have the highlighter accidentally removed by water. So, this illuminating powder brings a glowing experience to a new level. It’s water-proof meaning that even the sweat cannot remove it. Even better, it lasts the entire day giving you no reason to reapply it.

Verdict
Designed with an innovative formula, Shouhengda Highlighter effortlessly absorbs into your skin to capture light and provide a sculpted face. It’s water resistant keeping it long even when you are doing some laborious chores. The highlighter is available in six colors and blends nicely with the skin. You will need to avoid using the highlighter if you have a dark skin tone.

10. Sleek Makeup Face and Body Highlighting Palette Solstice

Performance
The performance of this highlighter is its standout formula which can be applied individually to get a stunning effect or you can mix it to create a customized look. Sleek MakeUp is perfect for all skin tones at an affordable price. It comes with a brush to make the process easy and smooth.

Versatility
Sleek MakeUp hit a home run as it blends easily across the skin. It comes with intense shades to leave your skin glowing. Using a brush to apply the highlighter isn’t a new thing by any means, and there has been an increase in the number of specialized brushes. The highlighter has a cream formula and comes with its own brush to help you apply it easily on any part of your skin.

Ease of use
What sets the Sleek MakeUp apart from most of the other highlighters is that it has beautiful and intense shades. The highlighter was designed with the aim of giving you good results, so it comes in a cream formula and the other is a silky shimmer powder. The cream formula allows you to use it generously to get the radiance you’re seeking.

Verdict
You can have an unforgettable experience with Sleek MakeUp with its baked powders. This helps you to have the desired finish when using either the luxurious cream formula or silky shimmer powder. Besides, this highlighter was designed with the user in mind, so you can use it alone or mix it up to have a personalized look. The highlighter is pigmented and it has beautiful shades that leave your skin glowing. If you have dark skin, the highlighter will not work well on you.