Collage: Paula Balondo; Source images: Courtesy of Allure editors and brandsSave this storySave this story
The best highlighters don’t just reflect light—they can completely change the way your skin looks. If you’re after a subtle, lit-from-within glow or disco-ball-level shimmer visible from across the room, a few strategic dabs on your cheekbones can make your complexion appear healthier, your features more sculpted, and your makeup fresher. Highlighter gives your makeup dimension and a healthy glow, says New York City-based makeup artist Katherine Dorn. Think of it as “the icing on the cake,” she says. “Highlighter can really bring the look to life and emphasizes the high points of the face.” The perfect finishing touch to your routine? We think so.
Our Top Highlighters
- Best Overall: Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter, $42
- Best Powder: Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter, $28
- Best Stick: Chanel Baume Essentiel, $49
- Best Multi-Use: Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand Highlighter, $44
- Best Moisturizing: Rhode Highlight Milk, $28
Plus, today’s formulas are more versatile and customizable than ever, spanning blendable powders, creamy sticks, high-impact liquids, and even highlighting palettes that can be tapped onto cheekbones, mixed into foundation, or applied all over skin as makeup prep. The trick is finding a formula that complements your skin rather than just sitting on top of it (more on that later). Ahead, the best highlighters our editors reach for to add a little extra life to everything from everyday looks to party-ready glam.
Frequently Asked QuestionsLargeChevron
- Where should you apply highlighter on the face?
- What type of highlighter is best?
- How to make highlighter look natural
- What is the best highlighter for mature skin?
- Meet the expert
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
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Smashbox x Becca
Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Amazon
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Allure social media manager Bianca Richards applying the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Bianca Richards
Allure associate social media manager Katie Gunderman applying the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Katie Gunderman
Why we love it: Powder or cream? You get the best of both with the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter. It has a really unique hybrid texture that starts as a pressed powder but feels ultra-creamy to the touch, melting into skin with the seamless finish of a liquid highlighter. This innovative formula is what helps make it so easily blendable—you can diffuse it effortlessly with a brush, sponge, or fingertips without leaving behind harsh edges or patchiness. Instead, it blends into the skin for a smooth, lit-from-within glow. Whether you’re after soft daytime radiance or a super reflective finish, this fan favorite is buildable while still managing to look like your skin but better.
Richards before applying the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Bianca Richards
Richards after applying the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Bianca Richards
Gunderman before applying the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Katie Gunderman
Gunderman after applying the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Katie Gunderman
Tester feedback from associate social media manager Katie Gunderman
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“The Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter is an absolute cult classic that stands the test of time. Champagne Pop brings me right back to 2015, and it's still just as silky and shimmery as ever. This highlighter is making a case for powder highlighters, especially when cream and liquid formulas seem to be all the rage right now. The formula is smooth and glides on the skin without looking heavy or chalky. The glow it gives you is so intense but using a smaller brush allows you to control the product and give just the tops of your cheekbones, brow bones, and Cupid's bow a stunning radiance. I think this looks great whether you are wearing a full face or barely anything. I also love using it on my shoulders and décolletage! I think the price fits the product and the shade range is great. I am also glad they kept the same iconic Becca packaging; it's slim and easy to travel with. Sometimes I feel like a cream highlighter will slip right off my face when I sweat, so I love grabbing this one in the heat!” —Katie Gunderman, associate social media manager
Tester feedback from social media manager Bianca Richards
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“I would've never thought I would see the Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter coming back to my stash in 2026, but here we are, and I'm sensing that highlighter is making a resurgence this year! You cannot go wrong with Champagne Pop for getting me that beautiful, pearlescent finish at the top of my cheekbones. I go bold with a thick swipe of highlight, and I find that it doesn't appear streaky or leave a patchy finish as compared to other highlighters on the market.” —Bianca Richards, social media manager
More to know
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- Type of highlighter: powder
- Key ingredients: talc, silica
- Shades: 5
Best Powder: Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter
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Rare Beauty
Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter
Ulta Beauty
Sephora
Allure senior art director Ingrid Fowler applying Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter in Flaunt
Ingrid Fowler
Why we love it: Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter is basically candlelight you can swipe on. This 2025 Best of Beauty Award winner is powered by synthetic fluorphlogopite, a lab-made mica that seamlessly blends into skin while leaving behind a perfect microshimmer. Thanks to its silky, semi-sheer formula, you can keep things subtle or build it up for a pronounced statement. It comes in six shades, so if you want something light and pearlescent, go with a lighter, pearl-toned option like Enlighten, or if you want a peachier option to go hand-in-hand with your bronzer, Reflect is a tan-toned beauty. In testing, our editors noticed the finish shifts depending on your tool: A brush gives you that mirror-like sheen, while a damp sponge softens everything into a more diffused, skin-like glow.
Fowler before applying Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter in Flaunt
Ingrid Fowler
Fowler after applying Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter in Flaunt
Ingrid Fowler
Tester feedback from senior art director Ingrid Fowler
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“This highlighter (I have shade Flaunt) is beautiful. It’s so light and fine that it feels like you're applying air. You only need a little bit to get a glimmery, shimmery—but not too shimmery—payoff.” —Ingrid Fowler, senior art director
Tester feedback from senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor
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“I put this formula in shade Exhilarate to the test in many scenarios: to the office on busy work days (it looked just as good as it did when I first put it on), Solidcore workout classes where I inevitably forget to remove my makeup beforehand (it looked even more diffused and skin-like), and date nights with my husband (where I, *wink*, confirmed with confidence that the formula is transfer-proof). It's a dreamy highlighter, made even more otherworldly with its price point. Highlighters with a similar effect range from $9 to $42, and this one, with its unique texture and formula, falls right in the middle.” —Jesa Marie Calaor, senior beauty editor
More to know
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- Type of highlighter: powder
- Key ingredients: synthetic fluorphlogopite, dimethicone
- Shades: 6
Best Stick: Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
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Chanel
Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
Chanel
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Allure senior commerce director Shanna Shipin applying the Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
Shanna Shipin
Why we love it: Chanel Baume Essentiel is a backstage go-to, as well as an on-the-go editor favorite. The twist-up stick glides effortlessly over makeup without disturbing foundation or concealer, making it one of the easiest highlighters for touch-ups. This balm is on the sheer side, so wherever you want a fresh, dewy sheen—your cheekbones, eyelids, Cupid’s bow, or even collarbones—it’s hard to overdo application. With this stick, expect skin that looks hydrated and radiant—not glittery—making it the perfect pick for anyone eyeing a natural look.
Shipin before applying the Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
Shanna Shipin
Shipin after applying the Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
Shanna Shipin
Tester feedback from senior commerce director Shanna Shipin
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“This is a moonbeam in your makeup bag—I’m telling you! Sterling, glimmering, shimmering, and a healthy, not-sweaty-looking (!) glow. I’m all but addicted to swiping this on the tops of my cheekbones (which are virtually nonexistent, and this really helps give them some peaks), right under my eyebrows, across the tip of my nose, and on my Cupid’s bow. It’s just a dusting of magic across my face that bounces light off wherever I put it. Swiping it on is a joy: It’s a smooth balm that’s never once skipped across my skin (it wouldn’t dream of it!). And while I can’t say definitively that it moisturizes, it certainly doesn’t accentuate any of my dry flakes or patches. I take it with me the way I take lip balm everywhere—and I’ve never said that about a highlighter.” —Shanna Shipin, senior commerce director
More to know
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- Type of highlighter: balm stick
- Key ingredients: carnauba wax, mica
- Shades: 5
Best Multi-Use: Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand Highlighter
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Charlotte Tilbury
Beauty Light Wand Highlighter
Amazon
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Allure commerce production assistant Hailey Roy applying the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand Highlighter
Hailey Roy
Why we love it: Few liquid highlighters have become as instantly recognizable as Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Light Wand Highlighter. Scroll through your favorite creators on social media or peek inside a makeup artist’s kit, and chances are you’ll spot its signature sponge-tip applicator. It’s a favorite not only for the soft-focus glow it delivers (courtesy of ingredients like silica and lindera extract), but also for its versatility. Be gentle while squeezing the tube and dot it onto cheekbones for instant lift, tap it onto eyelids for a shimmering wash of color, brighten the inner corners of your eyes, highlight your Cupid’s bow, or even blend it across your collarbones and shoulders for an all-over glow. Out of the seven shades, a few moonlight as blush to add some color to your cheeks.
Roy before applying the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand Highlighter
Hailey Roy
Roy after applying the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand Highlighter
Hailey Roy
Tester feedback from commerce production assistant Hailey Roy
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“I’m usually a powder highlighter girl through and through, but the glow this highlighter gave me is enough to make me dabble in liquid highlighters for special occasions. Because I have a warmer, caramel-toned complexion, the “Goldgasm” shade looked so beautiful on my skin and gave me a sun-kissed glow. The applicator is soft and fuzzy, which makes it easy and enjoyable to apply. Plus, a little goes a long way, so it’ll last you a while (a pro since the container is very small). This highlighter also has major staying power — it stayed put before and way after dinner, which was a huge plus. The instructions advise making sure you close the cap, and they’re right. It’s easy to forget, and leaving it open could end in a shiny mess.” —Hailey Roy, commerce production assistant
Tester feedback from contributor Catharine Malzahn
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“This highlighter has been in my beauty lineup for years now. I usually stick to applying it on my cheeks and the tip of my nose, but if I’m heading to a wedding or event, I swipe it across my collarbones as well for a little extra dimension. It’s super lightweight, so it melts into my skin seamlessly and pairs very nicely with my go-to cream blushes. A little goes a long way—you only need a couple dots to get some serious luminosity. The sponge tip can take a little time to figure out, so start slowly to avoid messiness.” —Catharine Malzahn, contributor
More to know
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- Type: liquid
- Key ingredients: silica, lindera extract
- Shades: 7
Best Moisturizing: Rhode Highlight Milk
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Rhode
Highlight Milk
Sephora
Malzahn applying the Rhode Highlight Milk
Catharine Malzahn
Why we love it: Equal parts skin care and makeup, Rhode’s Highlight Milk is a departure from traditional highlighter and dives into the world of all-over glow-boosting treatments. The lightweight, milky fluid is also a moisturizer—it’s packed with hydrating ingredients, including glycerin and a blend of ceramides, both of which help leave behind a shimmering, glass-skin finish. Think of it as a glowy primer you can use as an illuminating skin prep step: Smooth it all over bare skin before foundation for a hydrated, lit-from-within base, mix a few drops into your complexion products for a boost of radiance, or tap it onto areas like the brow bone for a subtle glow as the final step in a natural makeup routine. It’s more subdued than other highlighters, but it’s worth reaching for if you like soft radiance.
Malzahn before applying the Rhode Highlight Milk
Catharine Malzahn
Malzahn after applying the Rhode Highlight Milk
Catharine Malzahn
Tester feedback from Malzahn
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“So, my pet peeve when it comes to anything shimmery, whether a highlighter or a shimmer body oil, is when it leaves behind residue on my hands after applying it. From the very first time I used the Rhode Highlight Milk, I fell in love with it. I am a longtime user of its sister product, Glazing Milk (it’s the first step of my nighttime skin-care routine), and I am so pleased that the highlighting version delivers the same hydrating properties without leaving my hands sticky or covered in glitter afterward. It’s perfect for skin prep—I apply it all over my skin before foundation, and it keeps my dry skin hydrated and makeup smooth all day. I get tons of compliments on my skin every time I use it.” —Catharine Malzahn, contributor
More to know
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- Type: liquid
- Key ingredients: ceramide trio, mineral complex, vitamin E, glycerin
- Shades: 4
Best Gel: Westman Atelier Lit Up Glassy Gel
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Westman Atelier
Lit Up Glassy Gel
Nordstrom
Sephora
Credo Beauty
Allure social media director Kassidy Silva applying the Westman Atelier Lit Up Glassy Gel
Kassidy Silva
Why we love it: While most highlighter sticks tend to be cream formulas, Westman Atelier’s Lit Up Highlighter Stick is a little different: It’s a gel formula, meaning it combines the convenience of a twist-up highlighter with the satisfying feeling of a jelly finish. Plus, because it’s housed in a stick, it’s incredibly convenient. Offered in a range of six shades, including a translucent, iridescent balm, you can glide it over bare skin, including your undereyes as prep for concealer or as a hydrating lip balm, as well as over base makeup. What’s more: Nourishing skin-care ingredients like Vitis Vitis grape extract help boost moisture, and an emollient oil blend softens skin.
Silva before applying the Westman Atelier Lit Up Glassy Gel
Kassidy Silva
Silva after applying the Westman Atelier Lit Up Glassy Gel
Kassidy Silva
Tester feedback from social director Kassidy Silva
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“I can be a bit heavy-handed when it comes to makeup application, which can leave my highlighter looking more moonbeam than subtle glow. The Westman Atelier Lit Up Glassy Gel Highlighter Stick has been my go-to to rein me back and give my skin that natural shine. After applying foundation, I do two swipes along my upper cheekbones and blend it out with my fingers. During the summer, I'll add a few swipes along the bridge of my nose for an extra pop. If you feel like you've overdone it, add a tiny bit more foundation on top with a sponge and blend, blend, blend!” —Kassidy Silva, social director
More to know
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- Type: gel stick
- Key ingredients: Vitis Vita grape extract, emollient oil blend
- Shades: 6
Best Palette: Dior Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette
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Dior
Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette
Sephora
Allure commerce editor Sarah Han applying the Dior Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette
Sarah Han
Why we love it: No need to settle on one shade of glow when you can have four. Dior’s Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette packs a full highlighter wardrobe in one compact, featuring four complementary shades that can be worn alone, layered together, or even mixed together for a customized makeup look. Despite being a powder formula, it feels soft and silky to the touch and blends seamlessly into skin, sans any chalky or glittery fallout. We like using the lighter shades to brighten cheekbones and inner corners of the eyes, and use the deeper hues on top of blush or as a bronzy body highlighter.
Han before applying the Dior Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette
Sarah Han
Han after applying the Dior Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette
Sarah Han
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
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“A palette that moonlights as blush, highlighter, and shimmery eye shadow? Dior is speaking my language—and beauty routine. As someone who, ahem, doesn’t get a ton of sunshine (the UV damage!!), I will gladly take whatever radiance boost the Backstage Glow Maximizer Face Palette provides. Highlighter often looks obvious and chunky on my skin, but Dior’s is so finely milled that it has a very subtle (though buildable) finish on my skin. I love mixing the pink and gold shades for a blush-highlighter effect, and I often use it as eye shadow to make the look more cohesive. The customizable nature is really the charm, because who doesn’t love options?” —Sarah Han, commerce editor
More to know
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- Type: powder
- Key ingredients: mica, silica, glycerin, hydrolyzed rice protein
- Shades: four per palette; four colorways total
Best Brightening: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Acqua Highlighter
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Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk Acqua Highlighter
Nordstrom
Sephora
Allure senior news editor Nicola Dall’Asen applying the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Acqua Highlighter
Nicola Dall'Asen
Why we love it: You’ve probably heard of Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation, but the Luminous Silk Aqua Highlighter deserves just as much hype. The 2025 Best of Beauty Award winner is packed with micropearls that give an ethereal, lit-from-within glow wherever you tap it—instantly making your whole face look more awake. The doe-foot applicator makes it easy to swipe any of the five colors along the cheekbones or dot into the T-zone under foundation for extra radiance. It’s also precise enough to target smaller areas such as your Cupid’s bow and inner corners of the eyes—anywhere you want a brightening effect is fair game.
Dall’Asen before applying the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Acqua Highlighter
Nicola Dall'Asen
Dall’Asen after applying the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Acqua Highlighter
Nicola Dall'Asen
Tester feedback from former senior news editor Nicola Dall’Asen
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“Highlighting my face is always a tightrope act. I want my skin to look wet—no visible glitter, please—but I don't want it to actually be wet, lest my hair drive me bananas when it's sticking to my face. Few formulas can do both, but Armani's Highlighter in shade Halo does it effortlessly. It may look very sparkly in its tube, but when it spreads across skin, its microfine shimmer creates a light-catching sheen rather than sparkle streaks—then it dries all the way down without losing any of its shine. Miraculous.” —Nicola Dall’Asen, former senior news editor
More to know
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- Type of highlighter: liquid
- Key ingredients: niacinamide
- Shades: 5
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should you apply highlighter on the face?
Focus your highlighter on the high points of the face. “Apply a cream or powder highlighter to the brow bone right under the eyebrow, inner corners of the eyes, the top of the cheekbone, down the center of the nose, and the Cupid’s Bow above the lips,” Dorn says. When applying your cream, powder, or liquid formula, “you can use a brush, your fingers, or a damp Beautyblender sprayed with setting spray,” she explains. The addition of setting spray helps boost longevity and melts makeup into skin for a blended, airbrush-like effect.
For a little extra radiance, consider adding “a touch of highlight to the collarbone for a beautiful, cohesive glow,” Dorn adds.
What type of highlighter is best?
One type of highlighter isn’t inherently better than the others—it’s more about your skin type and what results you’re looking for. Cream and liquid highlighters work especially well on drier skin types, while powder highlighters can be used on top of them to set; powder highlighters alone can be a little patchy on dry skin. However, “for oily skin, it is better to use a powder so as to not add more cream products,” says Dorn. She also recommends using a little bit less highlighter on oily skin, focusing “only in very specific areas since oil is produced so easily and you do not want an all-over shiny look,” she says. “For more dry skin, I always use a cream or liquid highlighter to add more moisture.”
Rather than focusing on which one is best, you can actually play with multiple formulas. “I use [a combination of] cream and powder depending on the skin and the look I’m going for,” says Dorn. There are also so many highlighters out there: For example, “some deliver soft, ambient light and others have glitter and are more shiny,” Dorn adds. “I typically use a very natural glow highlighter and then if someone wants a more dramatic look then I will add a more intense highlight.”
How to make highlighter look natural
A common qualm when it comes to highlighter is that it looks unnatural and just sits atop the skin. To combat this, “you can dip your brush or Beautyblender into the highlighter, and then dab a bit on your hand to remove any excess product,” recommends Dorn. Then, “very lightly build the highlight in the exact area that you want it,” she says. The extra step of removing excess product helps make highlighter look more seamless.
What is the best highlighter for mature skin?
When applying makeup to mature skin, make sure to start with a well-hydrated base. Opt for a moisturizer, rich eye cream, and a hydrating face sunscreen before applying foundation (ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter are safe bets). Then, when it comes to highlighter, Dorn usually reaches for a cream or liquid formula. “Sometimes I even mix in a touch of highlighter with foundation to give an all-over glow,” she says. This helps deliver a more radiant look if your mature skin is on the drier side. Then, at the end of your makeup routine, “go on the high points of the face to add a touch more highlight,” Dorn recommends.
Meet the expert
- Katherine Dorn is a New York City-based makeup artist at LRNBeauty.
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best highlighters, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team of in-house writers and editors, as well as contributors, along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more about our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from are folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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