Ask just about anyone what’s trendy in terms of makeup right now, and you’ll hear the same thing—gold highlighter. This beauty trend has been spotted topping the cheeks of everyone from celebrities to influencers; there’s no doubt that getting gilded is the face makeup look of the moment. And obviously, you’ll want to join in the fun. The only issue is that interpreting this beauty trend for your own skin tone can be slightly troublesome. Sure, everyone wants to try this makeup trend and have that golden touch, but who does it actually look good on? Well, we’re happy to say, all skin tones can pull off gold highlighter. Get ready to get your glow on by following our guide to gold highlighter for every skin tone below. (Want to brighten the appearance of your skin without wearing makeup? Try our charcoal mask!)
With skin that’s as pale as porcelain, you might think that wearing gold highlighter would be off limits. While it’s true that some shades of face highlighter may be too dark for your skin tone, that doesn’t mean you have to skip the gold highlighter trend altogether. Look for a light, champagne gold shade or a pearly white with gold reflects.
When you have a medium skin, you’ll want to take your cues from your in-between tone. A super-light highlighter might not be quite right, but neither may one that’s super-bright. When you find a highlighter color that’s somewhere in the middle, that’s your shade.
We have some good news to share with everyone with an olive or dark skin tone. The gold highlighter fad began on darker skin tones, since it looks simply stunning! You can rock a bright, yellow-gold highlighter—just as the makeup trend was intended.
Now that you know what to look for in a face highlighter, let us point you in the direction of our best highlighters in gold.
L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Glow Nude Highlighter Palette in Sunkissed: Why have one highlighter, when you could have four? This highlighter palette offers four subtle shades to mix and match for a customized, multidimensional glow that looks natural. To rock highlighter in gold, look to the lightest shade, which will be just right for fair skin tones.
L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Glow Amour Glow Boosting Drops in Golden Hour: If you love multi-tasking beauty products (who doesn’t?), this one’s for you. Wear these golden highlighter drops alone, blended onto the highpoints of your face, or mix them into your skin care products or foundation for an allover dose of radiance.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Galaxy Stick in Galaxy Gold: The only thing trendier then lots of gold shimmer is holographic makeup. Combine the two, and whoa. Talk about trendy! Apply this otherworldly gold highlighter above your cheekbones—no matter your skin tone.
L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator in Golden: Swirl these four illuminating, golden highlighter shades together or wear them separately to brighten the look of your face.
L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator in Golden: Open up the look of your eyes, create the appearance of symmetry, define your face, and prime all over with this liquid gold highlighter.
If you’re living for your gold glow, there’s no reason why it can’t go beyond your highlighter. In fact, gold eyeshadows, eyeliners, and lip glosses are practically staples in our beauty collections. For your eyes, try using a gold eyeliner to create a cat eye or sweep a gold eyeshadow, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24 HR Eye Shadow in Eternal Sunshine, across your lids. Then complete the look with a lip gloss packed with gold shimmer, like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Le Gloss in Golden Splash. Keep the rest of your makeup simple, and ta-da! Gilded perfection.
Want to experiment with more metallic makeup? Check out our article, How to Rock Metallic Makeup, and try taking silver eye shadows and bronze lipsticks for a spin.
If you're looking for gold highlighter tips, you've come to the right place. Whether it's your go-to hue, or you're a newbie trying to figure out how to wear it, gold highlighter can be a beautiful addition to your look. Best of all, there's more than one way to incorporate it.
Don’t know how? Don’t worry. We talked to celebrity makeup artist Leah Darcy, the visionary behind Hailey Beiber’s iconic beauty moments turned viral trends—from glazed donut skin to strawberry makeup—about her favorite ways to wear gold highlighter. Check out her tips so you can level up your makeup game.
The easiest way to wear gold highlighter is by applying it to the high points of your face. It’s makeup 101, but makeup artists will tell you to do this for a reason: It allows you to mimic the natural illumination you get when the light hits you just right. “I apply gold highlighter on all of the high points of the face: cheek and brow bones, bridge and tip of the nose, cupid's bow, and a little above the eyebrow to add an extra glow,” says Leah. Once the base makeup is finished, Leah likes to pat a cream-based highlighter like our Highlighter in Strobe, a shimmery gold, onto skin. “I use my fingers to warm the product up on my hand first before applying it,” she says. “This helps the product to melt a little and become more blendable and buildable.” Then, she uses her finger instead of a makeup brush to ensure the product blends in without leaving any streaks.
Adding some shimmer to your blush is a beautiful way to create a lit-from-within look. Even better? It’s easy as hell to do: “Just mix a cream highlighter with a cream blush to add glow and dimension,” says Leah. Apply a bit of each on the back of your hand to combine the two formulas, then apply with a brush, sponge, or your fingers. We love to pair Strobe with our fave Lip + Cheek colors. “When choosing the shade of your gold highlighter, be mindful of your skin tone to make sure you’re picking the right shade for you,” Leah advises. Strobe works great on a wide range of complexions, from light to deep.
Highlighter is often used on the cheeks, but when it's on your eyes? Chef's kiss. “Gold highlighter is so pretty as an eyeshadow topper,” says Leah. Add a touch of metallic sparkle by swiping Strobe onto your lids, then buffing out with a fluffly eyeshadow brush. Add a dewy, slightly glossy effect with a tiny bit of Bionic Glow at the middle of your lid and pat it in gently with your finger. It will add dimension to the gold hue and bring in other metallic tones and a different texture to amp up your look.
Now, grab yourself a Highlighter in Strobe, and get ready to turn some serious makeup looks this season and beyond.
Leah Darcy (she/her) is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist whose client list includes Hailey Bieber, Lori Harvey, Elsa Hosk, and more. The looks she's created on her celeb clients is a gold mine of virality. From Sugar Plum Fairy and strawberry girl makeup to glazed donut skin, Leah's work is shaping the beauty landscape in real time.