This Glowy-Skin Giver Was Everywhere at London Fashion Week

Updated 01/28/18
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand: Models at Temperley London
Courtesy of Charlotte Tilbury

Forget what you thought you knew about highlighter: No longer is the aim a soft, barely there, subtly pearlescent glow. It's not about re-creating a post-Bikram yoga sheen, either.

Nope, if the London Fashion Week beauty trends are anything to go by, highlighter is going major for spring, and it's meant to be noticed. Thing is, as winter is fast approaching, we're keen to get in on this complexion-boosting trend early. Luckily that the product at the centre of this spring look is a new highlighter that arrived on the beauty scene this month—Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Beauty Light Wand (£29).

Seen everywhere backstage at the spring/summer 18 shows at LFW, Charlotte Tilbury's new highlighter is the product that gave the models at Versus by Versace their I-just-spent-three-hours-in-an-infrared-sauna glow. It's also the same tool that made the models at Temperley look like they had just bathed in a pool of light. And it's also the highlighter that has taken up permanent residence in my makeup bag.

What's the big deal? Keep scrolling to find out.

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand $29

I bet you're wondering what makes it so special? Well, I'll take it from the top. First, there's the formula itself. Unlike so many of its wishy-washy, barely-there peers, this highlighter shouts from the rooftops, in a good way. Rather than harsh silver or gaudy gold, it's this über-flattering shade of coppery rose gold that—as the diverse model lineups of the aforementioned shows prove—looks good on every single shade of skin. The consistency helps too; it feels more like a silky serum than a heavy cream, melding with skin and leaving behind an ethereal shimmer like that glittery filter on Insta Stories.

Frankly, it's a godsend for anyone frustrated with the way so many highlighters make their dark skin look ghostly or chalky.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand: Model at Versus Versace
Courtesy of Charlotte Tilbury

And then there's the applicator: At the top of the tube lies a sponge as fluffy as a hotel bathrobe. Simply swipe the highlighter on and use the applicator and it buffs and blends like an absolute dream. Can you tell I'm obsessed?

Up next: We question what "nude lipstick" means anyway and how you can find one that actually suits your skin tone.

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