Halo Glow Silky Powder Highlighter
SUMMARY OF REVIEWS
The e.l.f. Halo Glow Silky Powder Highlighter is a bright, reflective powder that several creators compare to Rare Beauty, with professional makeup artist Nikki La Rose calling it "really, really ultra glowy." It's described as buildable but best applied with a light hand, as it can look metallic if overdone; Abbey Yung finds it too bright for her current taste, while others praise its lasting power and subtle, natural finish. At around $8-9, it's widely considered a standout drugstore highlighter, though it's not an exact dupe for Rare Beauty.
FULL REVIEWS
POSITIVE
Variant: Soft Pearl Era
- “This e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Silky Powder Highlighter is the prettiest”14:40–14:47
- “A lot of people compare the Halo Glow Silky Powder Highlighter to Rare Beauty, but I think this one is better”14:44–14:50
- “It's not as shimmery and it just goes on a lot silkier and smoother on the skin”14:50–14:57
- “Soft Pearl Era is my favorite shade and I also love it cuz it doesn't break as easily as Rare Beauty”14:54–15:00
- Source: Best drugstore makeup top 3 in every category - Jun 6, 2026
Variant: Blush Money
- “If y'all have not seen these new ELF highlighters, you got to be living under a rock because these are so good”1:06–1:11
- “I love the Rare Beauty highlights because they give the most beautiful glow. And E.L.F. really honestly, I mean, they duped them”1:17–1:22
- “They literally look the same”1:39–1:41
- “This is, I think, eight or nine bucks. Really, really good”1:42–1:47
- “Has definitely been a standout favorite for me recently”1:46–1:49
- Source: Must-have beauty and skincare products for 2026 - Jan 21, 2026
- “You really are going to achieve like no one's going to look at your face and be like, I can tell a big difference. They're not”13:28–13:34
- “You're going to achieve a very similar look”13:36–13:38
- “They look like they're the exact same size”
- “Look how similar that is. Wow”14:00–14:05
- “What did I tell you? What did I say? I said it was gorgeous and now you believe me”14:13–14:20
- Source: Best drugstore dupes ever created - Apr 22, 2026
Variant: Blush Money
- “They are so beautiful and I love them”
- “They are a little more subtle than like a 2016 blinding highlight”20:07–20:14
- “This one is subtle but it's not like so subtle you wouldn't see it”20:33–20:37
- “That is so beautiful”
- “They're bomb”
- “Save your money because they have duped Rare Beauty, but they are so good”34:05–34:09
- “Really, really beautiful”34:09–34:13
- “Just like natural, stunning highlighter”34:09–34:16
- Source: Best new drugstore makeup finds 2026 - Jan 11, 2026
Variant: Soft Pearl Era
- “This is beautiful on the skin”5:57–6:01
- “You can see it adds a nice touch of highlight”6:00–6:05
- “It is sparkly, it's gorgeous, and if you want a little bit of glow, it does do a great job of doing just that”6:02–6:10
- “It did last throughout the day. I didn't have any issues with not seeing it by the end of the day, and I felt like it was very subtle and pretty good overall”6:10–6:17
- Source: Drugstore makeup review - Mar 7, 2026
Variant: Soft Pearl Era
- “There's not huge chunks of sparkle in this, but it's definitely like more on the metallic side if you build it up”13:56–14:03
- “You just need to be light-handed”22:29–22:32
- “If you go in with like a lighter hand, it's actually quite nice. It's pretty”
- “That highlighter is really pretty. It definitely adds a nice glow. You just need to be light-handed, so keep that in mind”22:24–22:31
- Source: Trying new drugstore makeup and found some gems - Apr 22, 2026
- “Beautiful alternative, I would say, to the Rare Beauty. They are really wet, stunning looking”37:43–37:48
- “In my opinion, it's just a little more magical. It's just got that oomph. But the price point is three times the price. So, it should be for that price point. It's not an exact dupe. It's not better than the original, but it's really beautiful on its own”37:53–38:06
- “I would say that's one of the best highlighters at the drugstore, period. When you're not comparing it to something else, they are beautiful. Totally worth it”38:08–38:12
- Source: Best makeup under $10 that perform like high-end - Feb 10, 2026
Variant: Blush Money
- “These are really, really ultra glowy just like the Rare Beauty”37:44–37:49
- “Less is more”
- Source: New drugstore makeup releases reviewed - Jan 6, 2026
MIXED / NEGATIVE
Variant: Soft Pearl Era
- “It's very bright and reflective. Like this is a pop for highlight”30:02–30:08
- “It's just not something that I feel is like my taste in highlighter at this point in time. In 2016, I would have eaten this up. But now in 2026, I really only reach for highlights that are either very sheer and glossy or really soft and diffused”
- “It's just a bit too bright for me, but if that's what you're looking for, it'll give you that and it wears well”30:54–30:58
- Source: I tried 27 new drugstore beauty launches - May 17, 2026
WHAT CREATORS SAY
- Consensus
- 4.2 / 5 from 8 creator reviewsGrailPeople ratings based on creator reviews.
- Features
- Glossy (5) · Sheer (2) · Long-wearing (2) · Good packaging (2)
- Value
- Value for money (4)
- ⚠ creators flagged issues with shimmer (1)
Product details
Details
- Type
- highlighter
- Finish
- shimmer
- Shade
- Soft Pearl Era
- Key ingredients
- —
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