Are These $100 Highlighter Drops Worth The Hype?

Once upon a time, wearing a highlighter that had me glowing to the Gods was a crucial part of my makeup routine. Usually achieved with a powder highlight liberally dusted over my cheekbones, nose and cupid's bow, you'd never catch me leaving the house without an iridescent glow beaming from my face.

But I've moved on in recent years. Though there are still very few powder highlighters that I like using (my go-to is the one in the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow palette), these days, I find myself turning more towards liquid and cream highlighters, or any balmy product that adds a glossy sheen to the high points of my face.

I've basically tried them all, but there is one brand that has completely wiped out every other highlighter in my collection, and that is the makeup artist-owned brand, Westman Atelier. Founded by Gucci Westman in 2018, the range of luxury cosmetics has never let me down — and I don't say that lightly. That reliability is a direct result of Westman's hands-on experience, both with formulating and fine-tuning the products, as well as decades spent painting the faces of celebrities like Anne Hathaway and Nicole Kidman.

The Baby Cheeks blush sticks have reached cult status, boasting a staying power like no other cream blush I've tried (perhaps only rivalled by the N°1 De Chanel Lip and Cheek Balm). The Face Trace Contour Stick is a staple in most beauty editors' makeup bags (as well as a hit on TikTok), and just this week, Westman announced a range of lipsticks that have been years in the making.

But for those moments when I want to add glow to my makeup or revive my crusty face after a day spent in the office air conditioning, it's the highlighters I turn to, every single time.

When catching up with Deynece Petri, a makeup artist and the global manager of education and events at Westman Atelier, in early 2023, she suggested swiping the highlighter stick directly over my under-eye area before applying my base products, to brighten the area. Though I found this tip strange at the time, it's one I've found particularly useful when trying to resurrect my makeup before going out after work. First, I apply the highlighter and then touch up my concealer, and the result is fresher-looking under-eyes and naturally glowing makeup.

When the Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded Tint Drops launched in Mecca earlier this month, I decided to apply the same principle. Since then, it has become a product that stays in my handbag at all times (along with my 17 lip products), so I can touch up my makeup whenever I need to, with minimal effort.

The drops come in three shades: peau de rose, peau de soleil, and peau de peche. The liquid texture is not dissimilar to the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Drops when you first drip it onto your hand, though the product is completely different. When blended out, it only has a very subtle pigment and iridescent glow that doesn't give such a dramatic tint or veer into glittery territory (for which, we're grateful).

So far, it's the peau de soleil shade that I've been keeping on hand, though because my skin is so fair, I have a feeling the peche shade would flatter my skin tone best as each shade is designed to play to undertones rather than skin tone specifically.

It's thanks to its sheer formulation that I also enjoy wearing this product on its own, on WFH days when I'm not wearing any makeup but still want to look dewy when I look in the mirror (or join a virtual meeting). I don't tend to add highlighter over my makeup these days, since all of my products are pretty glowy anyway, but keeping it on hand for end-of-day pick-me-ups has definitely been my favourite way to use these drops.

Like all Westman Atelier products, this makeup product is pumped with skincare ingredients like vitamin C, which claims to brighten and protect your skin; plus tsubaki oil to firm, hydrate, and gently retexturise the skin; and soothing and nourishing avocado oil.

There's no doubt the Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded Tint Drops are a luxury product — the $100 price tag gives that away immediately. It's also not a must-have item in my routine, though it's certainly a nice to have. What I will say is that the Lit Up Highlight Stick, $82, has lasted me over a year and still has plenty of product left (and I expect the drops will last just as long). The two products have a similar effect — the stick is perhaps more balmy but it is almost $20 cheaper — so if you're still wanting to get in on the Westman Atelier glow but have less to spend, that may be a good option for you, too.