The best drugstore highlighters for a subtle, shimmery glow

• Pixi Glowy Gossamer Duo: I really enjoy the formula of these Pixi highlighting duos available at Target, but find the shade range to be lacking, especially for deeper skin tones. There are two duos — Delicate Dew and Subtle Sunrise — but they look extremely similar to one another.
• Flower Beauty Day Glo Highlighting Glaze: These cream highlighters are impressive (they remind me a little bit of Glossier Haloscope) but I don't love that they are not in stick format, which means you pretty much have to apply with fingertips or a damp sponge. I also wish they had a third deeper shade for darker complexions.
• Milani Shimmering Face Palette: This palette has a few too many shades and weirdly small pan sizes. While the colors swatch beautifully, it's hard to see everything in this palette working for one skin tone. Some are more like blushes or illuminating bronzers, which seems to be the point, but they were all a bit too glowy for me to see using them all over the face.
• NYX Away We Glow Liquid Booster: Liquid highlighters overwhelm me a bit, but this one is easy to use due to a precise dropper that administers just a little bit of product at a time. That said, I found the formula a bit chalky and strange when it dried down. I think this works better mixed into a moisturizer or foundation as a glow booster as opposed to a targeted highlighter.

Glass skin is all the rage, and you can achieve it in a few seconds with the NYX High Glass Illuminating Powder. This is a creamy "gel-powder" formula that feels almost squishy in the pan and can be applied with either fingers or a brush.

I've tried the shade Moon Glow both ways and found that fingertips give off a much more intense, concentrated look. It's a bit harder to pick up the product with a brush given the compact nature of the highlighter, so I found myself having to do a few swipes. Ultimately, I liked both finishes, but would probably go for the subtler brush application for everyday.

According to the brand, this product is inspired by the dewy, hydrated skin popularized by K-beauty. The gel-powder contains micropearls for a non-glittery, "mirror-like sheen." Unlike similarly bold highlighters, the formula melts into the skin and doesn't draw attention to fine lines and creases.

"The finish of this formula is so fine that it actually gives off a reflective look when applied onto the face, making it a perfect option for those searching for a 'dewy dumpling-esque glow," reads a review from Makeup.com.

Pros: can be applied with brush or fingertips, long-lasting gel-powder finish, three varied shades

Cons: not easy to pick up product with a brush

I'm not usually one for highlighter palettes — often the quality is not as solid as what you'd get from a single compact, and there's bound to be a shade or two that simply doesn't work for your needs. But I was so pleasantly surprised by the Flower Beauty Shimmer & Strobe Highlighter Palette.

First of all, the powders are quite finely milled, especially for a drugstore option. There's not a trace of chalkiness, and they blend like a dream. Each palette comes with three shades and a highlighter brush. To be honest, I haven't even touched the included brush aside from running my fingers over the bristles — I prefer to use my own.

But all in all, these highlighters are stunning! I use the lighter of two palette options, Champagne Shimmer, which includes champagne, rose, and golden hues. I actually find myself reaching for all three; sometimes I'll mix two to create a custom shade. However, it's worth noting that these powders are intense and therefore less buildable. You can't easily get a natural look with these.

Although there are only two color schemes to choose from (the deeper is called Sunkissed Shimmer and includes bronze and rose-gold shades), I think the brand does a good job catering to a wide range of skin tones, with three widely varied shades in each palette.

Pros: multiple shades in one palette, different color options, intense shine

Cons: no mirror in palette, included brush is poor quality

Cream highlighters are a major staple in my makeup routine. I love how natural they look and the way they melt into the skin, becoming a seamless part of my complexion. The best one I've found at the drugstore is Revlon PhotoReady Insta-Fix Highlighter Stick.

This is a highlighter in stick form that comes in two colors — Pink Light and Gold Light. The small size of the stick means I have to build it up in larger areas, like along the cheekbones, but makes controlling the application in tighter spaces, like the inner corners of the eyes and brow bones, easy. As a bonus, it's a great travel option because it's slim, lightweight, and won't shatter like a powder would if dropped.

Many cream highlighters rely on oils like coconut and avocado to give you that dewy, glossy look. Revlon's version, while not completely oil-free, doesn't rely as heavily on those ingredients, so the texture is pretty dry compared to many creams, and it's likely a better pick for anyone with oily or breakout-prone skin.

Because of this dry texture, I like to warm up the product on my ring finger and tap the highlighter into my skin rather than applying directly from the stick to avoid tugging the area around my eyes. This also makes it easier to control the amount of product you get — you can always add more if you want a more intense glow.

Byrdie editor Lindsey Metrus agrees: "They're buildable, so you can apply just a touch for a subtle glow or keep layering for more striking luminescence," she writes. The main downside is that both shades fall on the light end of the spectrum, though the brand does recommend Gold Light for medium to deep skin tones.

Pros: convenient and travel-friendly, buildable, not heavy on oils, silicone-free

Cons: only two shades

Sometimes you don't actually want your highlighter to be as blinding as looking directly at the sunlight. For those occasions, reach for Essence Pure Nude. This is one of the most subtle highlighters I've ever used, which is actually a great thing; it's a powder that's not glittery, doesn't emphasize fine lines, and looks as natural as a cream.

That said, you will still glow when you wear this, especially if you layer it a bit. It reminds me, texture and finish-wise, of Hourglass' Ambient Lighting Powder, which is a cross between a highlighter and finishing powder.

I love to use Essence Pure Nude on minimal makeup days. While other powder highlighters can be a bit much for my usual no-foundation, just-a-little-blush makeup look, this one does the trick. It leaves a bit of a wet, dewy sheen on the skin without getting super sparkly.

The shade I use is Be My Highlight 01, which is the lightest in the range. This one is the most popular pick, with over 940 customer reviews on Ulta, but there are other options that better suit deeper skin tones; Pure Nude Sunlighter has a golden hue while Pure Nude Spacelighter has a lavender luminescence, and Pure Nude Cosmolighter is mint green.

This texture is a bit powdery and there may be some fallout depending on the brush you use. If it's kicking up a lot of product when you dip your brush, I recommend tapping off the excess into the compact to avoid trailing highlighter down your face.

Pros: comes in various shades to suit different skin tones, large pan size, blends nicely

Cons: no mirror in compact, can be powdery

A powder highlighter should be silky smooth and high-wattage, whether or not you get it from a fancy beauty counter. The Wet 'n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder, which only costs $5.99, stands up to similar products many times the price.

These soft powders actually remind me of another cult favorite, the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector. Like Becca's much pricier formula, these Wet 'n Wild highlighters distribute major glow, plus they're buildable. Given that the formula is about thirty dollars cheaper, it does feel slightly chalkier and less smooth to the touch, but applies beautifully to the skin without emphasizing the skin's texture or trailing glitter down your cheeks.

It's possible to get a pretty subtle look with these if you go in with a light dusting, and you can easily layer them up for a more intense sheen. I've been using the champagne Golden Flower Crown on my fair skin, applying the product to my cheekbones and brow bone with a small highlighter brush.

Allure awarded this formula a Best of Beauty Award in 2018 and editor Jihan Forbes, who has "a medium-deep skin tone" is a fan of the peachy shade Crown of My Canopy. Wet 'n Wild isn't afraid to get inventive with color, by the way — there are golden and pink tones available that would be amazing on deeper skin tones, plus an otherworldly blue called Royal Calyx.

Pros: shades ranging from neutrals to interesting colors, large pan size, buildable formula

Cons: flimsy packaging, no mirror in compact