The Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter costs $30 and is a champagne-hued cream-to-powder highlighter that is designed to work on all complexions. Some reviewers find it to be a little pricey, while others find it to be versatile, subtle, and perfectly formulated. The highlighter adds a delicate champagne glow to the complexion and is easy to use. The formula is different and may move around makeup, but it does give a similar effect to other highlighters. Ultimately, whether or not the Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter is worth $30 depends on personal preference and budget.
Last year, many of us received a mini version of Benefit’s famous Watt’s Up highlighter as a birthday gift from Sephora. It was a great little surprise, though a straw poll of my friends and acquaintances reveals that only about half of my compatriots ever got around to trying it. I did try it, and I loved it. But loving a free sample is one thing, and loving a giant $30 stick of sparkly face goop is another issue entirely. Is Benefit’s Watt’s Up highlighter really worth buying in full size? I investigated …
Even after a year, I had not made a dent in my sample of Watt’s Up, so I really had no need to replace it. But then my suitcase was stolen, and the thieves got all my makeup, including my little sample. Then I was faced with the question: Do I replace it? I did.
The full-size Watt’s Up is quite different from the sample. Not only is the stick about four times as big in diameter, but it also comes with a tiny little blending sponge in the bottom.
The bigger size is nice because it is well-sized to cover a whole cheekbone, but I have to admit that the tiny sample size fits better in my makeup bag. This highlighter is really pretty big and takes up a lot of room in the case.
So then I tried it out. Here’s a photo of me before I started.
I applied the highlighter as instructed. I made a straight line down the center of my nose, added a bit to the center of the “Cupid’s bow” of my upper lip, and put a tiny bit on my chin. I also made a big, heavy C shape going from my browbone along the side of my eye socket and over my cheekbone. The larger product was a bit tougher to apply under the eyebrow than the skinny sample, but it was easier when it came to covering the whole cheekbone with one swipe.
Then I used the little sponge to blend, and here’s what it looked like afterwards.
Personally, I love it. The amount one blends is a personal decision. You could, if you so desired, leave it bold, sparkly, shiny, and dramatic, and that would look great. This time I blended enough that the results are very subtle, and in photographs, the results are less, “Ooh, highlighter!” and more, “Liz actually looks like a person who has cheekbones.” Of course, a person who knows a lot about makeup would instantly recognize the use of highlighter, but in my experience, the layperson just assumes that is what one’s cheekbones look like in real life.
Final assessment: Is Benefit’s Watt’s Up highlighter worth shelling out $30 for the full-size version? I’d say yes, especially since the product is so big I think I will never, ever run out of it, even if I use it as often as I intend to.
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I’m Iskra Banović, editor of Blufashion and the voice behind its fashion, beauty, and lifestyle stories. Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle are my playground, but I’m just as likely to share the messy side of it all, like the time I tested a “must-have” skincare gadget and ended up with glitter stuck in my hair. I love turning trends and everyday finds into something useful (and fun) for real people.
