Well, I have done it. I have officially slaughtered one of my first (and favorite) highlighters – MAC VANILLA!
Many of you have asked me what the best highlighters are to not only start your collection with, but also which ones look best with lighter skin tones. For those of you who read the blog with darker skin tones, these can also function well for you when used on the lid and paired with a darker color in the crease for an uber sexy neutral eye.
My tried and true top highlighters are:
Vanilla: Velvet 
/ Peachy ivory with reflects
Vanilla is the BEST as far as I’m concerned for those with a fair skin tone and any eye color. It applies extremely well and blends out a majority of other eyeshadows in MAC’s line. Vanilla can be testy though – I noticed it does not play well with certain shades in terms of blending (i.e. Bronze, Plumage, etc.). However, if you have a red-based shade like Cranberry, Star Violet, Brown Script, Vanilla effortlessly dissolves harsh lines. As many of you may already know, this is a signature staple in my collection and one that is used on the site frequently.
Blanc Type : 
Matte 2 / Creamy beige
How I love you, Blanc Type! A slightly deeper and more tan-based highlighter, Blanc Type blends out browns from every corner of the color spectrum. As part of MAC’s Matte2 collection, this is the highlighter of choice for me when working with other Matte2 shades (i.e. Handwritten, Tete A Tint, Copperplate, Fig. 1, etc.). This is my back-up to Vanilla when I find Vanilla isn’t able to blend out an eyeshadow.
Orb: Satin / Sof
t peachy-beige
A soft pinky-peach beige color, Orb is ideal for warm skin tones and is one I am finding myself using more and more lately. I like to use it on the brow to warm up a look or blend away harsh lines when I incorporate pigments into my look. This is gorgeous when used over some of MAC’s paintpots and also creates a perfect neutral eye when used on the lid, or with a deeper brown in the crease (like Saddle or Mulch!).
Bisque: Matte /S
oft muted pink beige
Bisque is another pink beige matte shade that functions much like Orb in my routine. It has more of a tan base, is a little deeper in color than Orb and looks especially great when paired with Espresso as a neutral combination.
Ricepaper:
Frost / Peachy gold with shimmer
Ricepaper is a light gold-muted yellow shade with a beautiful application and finish. I don’t use this one often on the brow bone or as a blender, but I LOVE using it on the lid with a brown like Swiss Chocolate in the crease. Ricepaper has this lightening effect when used all over the lids, and even on the lower lashline.
Tags: best mac highlighters for fair skin, mac bisque review, mac blanc type review, mac highlighters for blue eyes, mac highlighters for green eyes, mac orb review, mac ricepaper review, msc vanilla review, top mac highlighters, which mac highlighters for fair skin
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Thank you, this post is very enlightening!
You are most welcome, Claud – happy to help!
I have all of these, except Bisque, and I agree with everything you said! I think Vanilla will be the first one I hit pan on. Still being new to MAC, I haven’t hit pan on any of them yet. I really like Orb, too…you don’t hear a lot about that color, but I think it is a great one!
Right on, Christina!
If you already have Orb, you don’t really need Bisque in my opinion, so you’re not missing out on much!
Orb was my very first MAC shadow (along with Quarry). I don’t use it much any more (I should – I want to use it up and B2M it). It’s a perfectly find colour but I’ve since found so many others that I prefer (Blanc Type, Phloof, Vapour and Dazzlelight). I keep meaning to buy Vanilla and Ricepaper but I’ve been consoling myself with reasonable dupes up til now). I also really like Brule, which I got in the Caviar Dreams quad (WnW’s Brulee is so good that I’d never have bought MAC’s Brule but for this quad).
Good morning my dears!
I want to thank you for most helpful post!
I am considering to start with a next eyeshadow pan of 28 colours, and i realized a totally miss out of highlighters and blending colours. With MAC …the first instinct was to grab as many colours as you can
So thank you and keep up the good work!!!
These colors have really helped me blend out my shadows so well. Thank you so much for this! Would “Gesso” be considered a highlighter as well? I’ve been thinking of purchasing that one, but then wasn’t sure!
You’re so welcome, Lisa!
Yes, Gesso is most definitely great as a highlight color. When I blend out eyeshadows with Gesso, I keep it light, but when I want more of a highlight to the brow bone, I apply it a little heavier. Great both ways!
This post has helped me a lot on what colors to use for blending. Thank you. I was wondering if you could do a post on Mac”s Paint Pots. You mentioned in this post that Orb looks great with some of Mac’s Paint Pots. I purchased my first paint pot (Painterly) for quick eye color but I really don’t know how to use the paint pots. I’m looking for quick ideas for the morning. Regards cathy
Hi Cathy!
Yes! It has been a common request and I do plan to do more in the future about paint pots. Thanks for asking!