The Best Highlighters For Dark Skin

I love the look of a good highlighter, but for a long time, it was really hard to find the perfect one suitable for my dark skin. Not only am I quite dark-skinned, esppecially in the summer, my skin has prominent reddish undertones that make a lot of highlighters look really ashy on me.

After speaking to some other chocolate-skinned girls, I discovered that they encountered the same problem. There has always been an ok selection of gold highlighters out there, but many were a shade too light, made me look like Tin Man, were way too glittery, etc.

Charlotte Tilbury, one of my favourite brands ever, recently released the Glowgasm palettes which are so perfect, they speak directly to my makeup-loving heart. Read on to discover both Lightgasm and Lovegasm, along with a few other awesome products to make you a glowy summer goddess.

Charlotte Tilbury Lovegasm Face Palette

You better believe I pumped my fist HARD when I received this palette and saw that it was four shades of DAMN GOOD. My skin has reddish undertones and I had been on the hunt for a rosy-bronze highlighter.

The Lovegasm Face Palette ($95 CAD) offered just that – 4 delicious colours that suited my skin tone perfectly:

• Light It: a soft champagne to highlight and brighten. I love this soft champagne shade for highlighting the tops of my cheeks and temples.

• Glow It: layer your level of illuminating glow. This one is the gamechanger for me. A rosy-bronze, it is seriously pigmented. I add to the apples of my cheeks lightly with a soft, bushy brush (MAC Cosmetics 137 brush is a fave for this sort of application) for a soft, pinky glow.

• POP IT: this rosy blush is irridescent, giving you a really nice wash of soft, pink colour. I also use it on my browbone and dab a little on the centre of my lips over lip gloss.

• Bronze It: a cocoa-toned bronzer which sculpts and defines contours. This shade was sadly a little too light for my skintone, so I use it as a good eyeshadow base.

Of note, these powders contain a special polymer that give you a soft-focus, blurred look when applied. Seriously perfect for summer.

Charlotte Tilbury Lightgasm Face Palette

The Lightgasm Face Palette ($95 CAD) is just as great as Lovegasm, and is well-suited for those with fair to medium-toned skin.

Each of the colours are seriously fantastic with the Glow It (golden highlighter – top right) and Pop It (bottom right) being my favourite colours for my skin tone.

I use the Pop It as a cheek and temple highlighter (it has a gilded brightness that is lovely and just the right amount of light sparkle) and the Pop It is a subtle pop of colour for the apples of the cheeks.

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Lightwand – Goldgasm

The Beauty Light Wand in Goldgasm ($50 CAD) is a golden liquid highlighter that packs some serious punch.

I save this product for big events when I want a highlighter that really picks up the light and provides a soft-focus, blurred out look.

You can wear this for day too. It’s buildable thanks to the soft, cushiony applicator, so for day looks, I dab a little on the back of my hand and then apply gently to the tops of my cheeks.

The formulation is a quick-drying gel, so you have to be nimble. It took me a little practice to get it just right, but it was worth it. Despite it being quick-drying, it contains “Sensorial Oil” which provides a glossy, silky soft feel.

I’ll be picking up the Peachgasm colour because Mama needs some peachy highlighter in her life!

Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath – Rosy Glow and Peachy Plump

In the summer, I appreciate really easy makeup looks. So, think concealer, blush, a swipe of mascara and a tinted lip gloss.

The Collagen Lip Bath lip glosses ($40 CAD) are perfect of easy summer looks in addition to having lip plumping, moisturizing qualities.

Peachy Plump is my jam. A peachy-pink lip gloss with flecks of gold, it makes lips look juicy!! Formulated with collagen to enhance lip volume, it plumps subtly while coconut oil hydrates and softens.

I’m not usually a fan of mint-flavoured lip products, but this gloss’ yummy peppermint-vanilla scent had be sold. Another great feature? It comes in a huge tube!

Rosy Glow is the deeper pink version and is equally beautiful. This colour has a pearlescent glow that is super flattering…just the right amount of pink to provide a healthy, dewy look.

Charlotte Tilbury Supermodel Body

This has been a new fave of mine now that the weather has warmed up. This gorgeous dark champagne coloured body shimmer takes your look to the next level.

I am a HUGE FAN of hydrated, dewy skin and this product is pretty much dewy, hydrated skin in a bottle. When I wear shoulder-baring tops, I smooth some on for a gorgeous shimmer, but my favourite thing to do is to add this to my legs. It makes them soft and shimmery.

What’s interesting about this product is that it is enriched with FermiProtect which firms skin and sculpts contours. I cannot say that I’ve noticed a big difference in the slimming and firming department when I wear it, but boy…does it ever look good.

Of note, this product also contains caffeine to tighten, depuff and reduce unneveness, and aloe vera soothes skin.

Pro-tip: apply to the centre of your legs and arms for an extra-slimming effect.

These products have really upped my highlighter game. Their ease of application, hugely pigmented colours and skin-softening qualities are pretty synonymous with Charlotte Tilbury’s amazing quality. I hoep you all try them out as this great cosmetics brand has a highlighter for every skin tone that I guarantee will make you golden goddess.

You can find these products at Sephora, Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom, and online at www.charlottetilbury.com.

*Press samples provided by Charlotte Tilbury. All opinions are my own.