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The 9 Best Highlighters to Make Your Eyes Pop
Shimmer strategically placed at the inner corners of your eyes is the ultimate makeup trick
True story: before YouTube and TikTok existed, I learned how to do makeup by watching episodes of What Not to Wear. The show's resident makeup artist, Carmindy, was—and still is!—an absolute wealth of knowledge on elevating your everyday makeup routine. One of the tricks I learned from her that has stayed with me for decades is the importance of adding shimmer to the inner corner of your eyes.
"We all recede on the inside corner of the eyes, and it just gets deeper with age. The best makeup trick is to add a little highlighter on that little inside cavern. The highlighter bounces light from the deep spot which will turn it into a spotlight making the eyes look wide awake and showcase them," the makeup artist tells Bazaar. "I started doing this trick on What Not To Wear back in 2003, as I was already doing it on models on photoshoots and taught all women the power of that super quick fix. I called it Carmindizing."
Shop the Best Eye Highlighters
You could use whatever highlighter you already own to achieve the look, but some formulas are better suited to the inner-eye area than others. "Don’t choose chunky glitter formulas as the glitter particles are too big. Instead, opt for pearlescent glowing highlighters," Carmindy says. And while the artist says matte formulas can read too flat, some options below can help brighten the eye without excess shimmer—if that's what you're into.
Ahead, 9 of my favorite powder, stick, and pencil formulas to highlight and brighten your inner eyes.
Pros
- Shifting shimmer adds interest
- Buildable and versatile
Cons
A beauty product rarely surprises me, but I was not expecting this Chanel eyeshadow to be anything other than a frosty white. When applied to the inner corner of the eyes or layered over another eyeshadow, shifting blue-green metallic pigments add instant frosty brightness and a subtle pop of color. The effect is nothing short of beautiful.
Customer Review:
"This is a high shine, glittery white topper with shifts to blue/green sparkle. You can use alone with eyeliner or use as a topper eyeshadow shade. Versatile." —Maureen
Pros
- Sheer and easy to use
Cons
"My Be In Your Light Highlighter is the absolute best there is. It’s a universal shade of Ethereal which is like a light pink champagne hue that works on every skin tone and gives the most flattering glow," says Carmindy. "I use it with my Double-Ended Highlighter brush as one side is the perfect size for inner corners and the other side is the perfect shape for tops of cheekbones."
Customer Review: "Oh my! This highlighter is perfect. No glittery stuff. It just has the most amazing glow. Permanent addition to my makeup routine." —VivianJean
Pros
- Long-wearing shimmer
Cons
- Tip breaks easily so be gentle
This genius shimmer crayon was invented by makeup artist Donni Davy, whose work on Euphoria is now the stuff of beauty legend. The tapered tip is ideal for tracing along the lashline or inner corner, but it blends easily enough to cover the entire lid. It leaves behind a high-impact sparkle that begs to be photographed.
"I absolutely love this product, it makes it to easy to add a cute sparkle to my look. I bought every shade 🤍✨" —Maddy
Giorgio Armani Eye Tint Longwear Liquid Eyeshadow in 67S
Pros
- Long-wearing
Cons
- Sets quickly
This is the only eyeshadow I reach for on days when I just want to bring a little life to my face. It's glittery, but the shimmer is so fine that it looks more like fairy dust than confetti. It adds the prettiest sheer light to the inner corner of my eyes, but I also love to blend it across my entire lid. You have to work quickly, though: the formula sets within seconds and lasts all day.
Customer Review:
"Love this formula and the color is absolutely gorgeous!" —Lcarvel
Pros
- Built-in smudge tip
Cons
This pencil has a creamy highlighter on one side and a smudge tip on the other. It can be applied on the inner corner of the eyes, inside the waterline, and even on your nose or Cupid's bow to brighten with precision.
Customer Review:
"There are a million eyeliners that claim to brighten your undereye and make you look more awake. They all disappear nearly immediately. THIS ONE does not. Fake Awake has a shockingly long wear time- at the end of an 8-hour workday, this is still going. It fades at the corners, but it's still far superior to any other nude eyeliner I've ever used." —Stacey1987
Makeup By Mario Master Crystal Reflector Bronzite
Pros
- Buildable formula
- Lasts forever
Cons
- Packaging can be a bit messy
I trust makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic with my life, and also anything related to highlighting or contouring. For that reason, his brand's Master Crystal Reflector in the shade Bronzite is on this list. The bouncy powder is sheer but buildable, so you can precisely control the level of shine. Though it applies translucently, a little truly goes a long way. The shade Bronzite is a great warm yellow, but if you prefer a more traditional icy white for your inner corners, try the formula in the shade Quartz.
Customer review: "I use this as an inner corner highlight, and it’s so yum. It’s very vibrant and not too heavy on the eyelid or uncomfortable. I used a packing brush for best results."—Nicolethewise1
Pros
- Two complementary shades
- Long-lasting shine
Cons
For those days or nights when you need to shine like a disco ball, try this shadow duo from Patrick Ta. The gold and silver here bring intense dimension and shine thanks to micro-fine shimmer and pearl pigments that catch light like a dream. Tap it on with your finger and layer it to your heart's desire.
Customer Review:"
"So beautiful, sparkles for days, and a little goes a long way!" —Ashley A.
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eyeshadow in Vanilla Kiss
Pros
- Creamy stick is easy to use
- Brightens without shimmer or glitter
Cons
Looking for a matte option to brighten your eyes? I've loved this Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eyeshadow in Vanilla Kiss for years. It adds just the right amount of light to the inner corners of the eyes without adding any shine or shimmer, making it ideal for any matte eye makeup look.
Customer Review:
"Love how this brings out my eyes and brightens my area below my eyebrows." —Linda
Pros
- Four buildable shades
- Great for travel
Cons
- The shades look quite similar when applied
- Some reviewers don't like the scent
This quad contains four neutral shimmery shades of the brand's best-selling cream highlighter. With skin-nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, castor seed oil, and vitamin E, you can feel good about tapping this across your cheekbones, across your browbone, and at the inner corners of your eyes. It doesn't wear quite as long as some of the others on this list, though—and it's best worn with a minimal makeup look since the oil-rich formula can cause makeup to move around.
Customer Review:
"Love this! I use above and under eyes! Also cheekbones!" —Peggy Gittings
What's the best way to apply highlighter to the inner-eye area?
Tap a little bit of shimmer to the inner eye area with your finger or a small brush, keeping in mind that you can always add more. "You can sweep the highlighter in an inverted 'v' starting at the inside corners of the eyes and sweeping a little on the top half of the upper and lower lids for a more dramatic highlighted eye look," says Carmindy.
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