NYX Buttermelt Highlighter Review 2026: Worth Buying?

Glowy skin still rules makeup trends in 2026. Cream blush, dewy foundation, and soft shimmer sit on almost every vanity right now. The NYX Buttermelt Highlighter landed in the middle of this glow wave and people have strong feelings about it.

Some reviewers call it the best drugstore highlighter under fifteen dollars. Others say it disappears the moment they blend it. Both groups are partly right, and that gap is exactly why this review exists.

I tested this powder across several weeks, in daylight, in office lighting, and under flash. I tracked how it looked at hour one and hour ten. I also compared it against cheaper and pricier options sitting in my drawer.

In a Nutshell:

• The formula is soft and buttery. NYX blends mango butter, shea butter, and almond butter into a pressed powder. The texture feels creamy on the fingertip and it spreads smoothly across cheekbones without dragging.
• The glow is a satin sheen, not a laser beam. This is the single biggest misunderstanding about the product. Influencer videos promised blinding shine. Real world results give a soft, lit from within finish instead.
• Nine shades cover a wide range, from light champagne to bronze gold, plus a minty green, a holographic lavender, and a multichrome black topper. Fair, medium, and deep skin all have workable picks, though pale cool toned skin can struggle.
• Wear time genuinely holds up. NYX claims twelve hours. My tests showed strong glow through hour eight and a softer but visible finish past hour ten, with almost no fallout on the cheeks.
• The compact is small and stiff. Five grams of product sits inside a chunky clear case that feels heavier than it looks. The lid takes real effort to pop open the first few times.
• Price sits at twelve dollars, which puts it in the middle of the drugstore range. The value is fair, not spectacular.

What Is the NYX Buttermelt Highlighter?

Last update on 2026-08-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

The NYX Buttermelt Highlighter is a pressed powder highlighter from NYX Professional Makeup. It launched as part of the wider Buttermelt family, which already included a bronzer and a blush.

Each compact holds 0.17 ounces of product, or roughly five grams. That amount matches most drugstore highlighters and beats some pricier options.

NYX built the formula around three butters. Mango seed butter, sweet almond oil, and shea butter give the powder a soft, slightly creamy feel that separates it from chalky budget highlighters.

The brand markets a twelve hour wear claim with transfer resistance and no fallout. Those claims mostly hold up, which I confirmed during my own wear tests later in this review.

The finish varies by shade. Most shades deliver a pearl shimmer that reads as a sheen on skin. Two shades, the lavender and the black, carry a topper finish with visible glitter particles instead.

NYX intends the product for cheekbones, cupid’s bow, brow bones, nose bridge, collarbones, and shoulders. Many users also apply it as an eyeshadow topper, and it performs well there.

The formula is vegan and cruelty free. It also contains fragrance and limonene, which matters for anyone with sensitive skin.

This is a mass market highlighter with a premium feeling texture and a modest payoff. That combination defines the entire experience.

Unboxing Experience and First Impressions

The Buttermelt Highlighter arrives in a slim cardboard sleeve with a shade sticker on the front. Nothing fancy, but the print quality feels clean and modern.

Pull the compact out and the packaging surprises you. The case uses clear plastic with a swirled, almost holographic top panel and shiny lettering.

It looks like a Y2K compact from a 2003 department store counter, in the best possible way. Several reviewers called it the prettiest thing NYX has released in years, and I agree.

The first frustration hits immediately. A security sticker wraps the seam and peels off slowly, often leaving residue behind.

The second frustration follows right after. The lid grips tightly, and the first three or four openings need genuine thumb pressure.

Open it and the pan design earns applause. NYX pressed a swirled star pattern into the powder, and it looks almost too nice to touch.

The compact is smaller in person than photos suggest. Anyone expecting a wide, palm sized pan will feel a small letdown.

The scent arrives next. A soft tropical fragrance, mango leaning, rises from the pan. Most people find it pleasant, but fragrance sensitive users should note it.

First impressions land strongly positive on packaging and mildly negative on usability. The case looks beautiful and behaves stubbornly.

Shade Range Breakdown for All Skin Tones

The lineup covers nine shades, and the naming follows one long butter pun. Here is how they actually behave.

05 Bright and Butta is a light champagne. It suits fair to light skin, though very pale cool toned skin can read slightly yellow.

10 Glaze it Butta gives a light bronze glow. Medium and tan skin get the most natural result from this one.

15 U Butta Werk is a frosty pink. The base color carries real pigment, so a heavy hand can push it toward a shimmery blush.

20 Butta Mint delivers a minty green sheen. It sounds strange and it works surprisingly well over olive and warm skin, where it cancels excess redness.

25 Butta Than Gold is a light gold. This shade flatters the widest range of medium tones.

30 Butta Bling leans light copper. Tan and deep tan skin get a warm, expensive looking result here.

35 Butta in Bronze offers bronze gold richness. Deep skin tones should start here.

40 No 1 Butta is a holographic lavender topper. Reviews split hard on this shade because the reflect leans peachy pink rather than violet on many people.

45 Butta in Black is a multichrome black topper. It looks dramatic in the pan and applies as a subtle iridescent veil.

Deep skin tones have fewer strong options than medium skin tones. That imbalance is a real gap in the range.

Top 3 Alternative for NYX Buttermelt Highlighter

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e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter

Last update on 2026-06-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

wet n wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder

Last update on 2026-08-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter

Texture, Formula, and Key Ingredients

The texture is the strongest part of this product. Press a finger into the pan and the powder gives slightly, almost like a baked highlighter.

Mica sits at the top of the ingredient list, which is standard for shimmer products. Titanium dioxide and synthetic fluorphlogopite follow and create the pearl effect.

The butters appear lower on the list. Mango seed butter, sweet almond oil, and shea butter soften the powder and stop the chalky feel that plagues cheap highlighters.

Octyldodecanol and ethylhexyl palmitate act as emollients. These give the powder its slippery, spreadable quality on skin.

Silica and magnesium stearate improve adhesion and blendability. Corn starch adds a soft focus quality to the finish.

Fragrance and limonene sit near the end of the list. Both can irritate reactive skin, so patch testing makes sense for sensitive users.

The formula is vegan and cruelty free, which NYX confirms across the Buttermelt range.

One texture warning matters. The powder is soft enough that finger application can cause hard pan over time.

Use a brush from day one and the pan stays healthy much longer. A light misting of setting spray on the brush also helps intensity without damaging the surface.

How It Applies on Skin

Application depends entirely on your tool choice, and that fact defines this product.

A fan brush picks up very little product. The result is subtle, natural, and easy to miss in soft indoor lighting.

A small dense brush changes everything. Pack the powder on and the glow becomes obvious and pretty.

A finger delivers the most intense payoff. The warmth melts the butters and the shimmer grips the skin far better.

Damp application works well too. Spritz your brush lightly and the sheen turns wet looking and reflective.

Blending behaves inconsistently across shades. The gold and bronze shades blend cleanly with no harsh edges.

The frosty pink shade behaves differently. Multiple users reported that heavy blending erases the glow and leaves only base color behind.

Layering over cream products improves results dramatically. Applied over a dewy foundation or a cream blush, the shimmer clings and looks brighter.

Applied over a heavily powdered face, the highlighter can sit on top and cling to dry patches. Skin texture becomes more visible in that scenario, especially on the cheeks.

The topper shades need a tacky base. A glitter primer or a dab of balm underneath keeps the sparkle in place.

Wear Time Test Across 12 Hours

NYX promises twelve hours of wear. I tested that claim on three separate days.

At hour one the glow looked strong and smooth. No patchiness appeared along the cheekbone.

By hour four the shimmer had settled into skin. It looked slightly more natural and slightly less intense.

Hour eight showed the first real fade. The sheen remained visible but the sparkle had softened noticeably.

At hour twelve a light glow still survived on my cheekbones. It no longer looked freshly applied, but it had not vanished either.

Transfer resistance impressed me. My phone screen picked up almost nothing after long calls.

Fallout under the eyes stayed minimal. That result beats many shimmery drugstore highlighters that shed within an hour.

Oily skin changed the timeline. On humid test days the glow merged with natural face oil by hour six and looked greasy rather than luminous.

Dry skin held the finish longer but showed more texture. Flaky patches caught the shimmer and became more obvious.

The twelve hour claim is broadly honest for normal and combination skin. Very oily skin should expect a shorter, less controlled result.

Pros and Cons of the NYX Buttermelt Highlighter

Here is the balanced summary after weeks of testing.

Pros

• Buttery, soft texture that never feels chalky or gritty on the skin, thanks to the mango, shea, and almond butter blend inside the pressed powder.
• Genuine long wear performance with visible glow past hour eight and light glow at hour twelve on normal to combination skin.
• Almost no fallout or transfer, which keeps under eye areas clean and stops shimmer from migrating across the face during the day.
• Nine shades including unusual options like minty green, holographic lavender, and a multichrome black topper that most drugstore brands never attempt.
• Gorgeous packaging with a swirled pan design and a clear Y2K style compact that genuinely looks more expensive than twelve dollars.
• Vegan and cruelty free formula at an accessible mass market price point.

Cons

• The glow is far softer than influencer videos suggest. Anyone chasing a blinding highlight will feel disappointed on first use.
• The compact opens with real difficulty during the first several uses and the security sticker peels off badly.
• Some shades pull ashy on deeper skin tones, especially the lighter champagne and frosty pink options.
• The pan is small and looks noticeably tinier in person than in product photography.
• Fragrance is present and noticeable, which rules the product out for many sensitive skin users.
• The frosty pink shade can fade to nothing when heavily blended, leaving only flat base color behind.

What This Highlighter Does Not Do Well

Honest reviews name the failures clearly, so here they are without softening.

The product does not deliver an intense metallic strobe. If your reference point is a wet look chrome highlighter, this powder will underwhelm you every single time.

Some users reported that the highlighter nearly disappears once fully blended. That complaint appeared repeatedly for the frosty pink and light champagne shades.

The formula does not sit well over dry or textured skin. It clings to flakes and makes fine texture more visible under strong light.

Shade accuracy misses in places. The lavender topper reflects peachy pink on many skin tones instead of the promised violet.

Deep skin coverage is thin. Only two shades genuinely suit deep complexions, and several lighter shades read ashy rather than warm.

The packaging fails on function. A compact this stiff frustrates anyone doing quick makeup on a commute.

Pigment control is inconsistent. Some shades carry so much base color that light hands are mandatory.

The product also photographs better than it looks in person, which explains the gap between online hype and real world reactions.

None of these flaws make the highlighter bad. They simply mean the marketing set expectations that the formula cannot meet.

Best Application Tips for Maximum Glow

A few adjustments transform the results from disappointing to genuinely pretty.

Start with a dewy base. Apply the powder over a hydrating primer or a cream product rather than over heavy setting powder.

Skip the fan brush unless you want subtlety. A small dense brush picks up far more product and delivers visible shine.

Dampen your brush lightly with setting spray. This single trick doubles the intensity and creates a wet looking finish.

Use your ring finger for the strongest payoff. Body heat melts the butters and presses the shimmer directly into skin.

Layer in thin passes rather than one heavy sweep. The formula builds well and stops harsh edges from forming.

Pair the highlighter with the matching Buttermelt blush. The two products share a similar base and blend into each other cleanly.

Apply to high points only. Cheekbones, brow bones, nose bridge, and cupid’s bow catch light best.

For eyes, press the powder onto the lid with a flat brush. It performs beautifully as an eyeshadow topper.

Prep dry skin first. Exfoliate and moisturize the night before to stop the shimmer from catching on flakes.

Store the compact upright and never tap it hard. The pressed swirl pattern chips easily.

How It Compares With Other Drugstore Highlighters

Comparison shopping makes the value clearer.

wet n wild MegaGlo costs less and hits harder. Its intensity is stronger, though the texture feels drier and more powdery.

Maybelline Master Chrome delivers a true metallic finish. That product wins for anyone who wants obvious, reflective shine.

e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter offers a completely different effect. It creates an all over luminous base rather than a targeted highlight.

Against Fenty Killawatt, the Buttermelt formula feels similar in softness but weaker in payoff. Fenty costs roughly three times more.

Against ColourPop pressed highlighters, NYX wins on texture and loses slightly on pigment intensity.

The Buttermelt Highlighter competes best on finish quality rather than on brightness. It looks like skin, not like product sitting on skin.

The shade range beats most competitors in creativity. Very few drugstore brands sell a minty green or a multichrome black highlighter.

Packaging beats nearly everything at this price. The clear swirled compact looks genuinely premium.

Choose Buttermelt for a natural, expensive looking sheen. Choose wet n wild or Maybelline for maximum sparkle at a similar or lower cost.

Who Should Buy It and Who Should Skip It

Match the product to the person and satisfaction goes up sharply.

Buy it if you prefer a soft, natural glow. This formula flatters skin without shouting for attention.

Buy it if you have normal or combination skin. Those skin types get the best wear time and the cleanest finish.

Buy it if you love unusual shades. The green, lavender, and black options bring genuine creativity to a drugstore aisle.

Buy it if you use highlighter on eyelids too. The formula performs excellently as an eyeshadow topper.

Skip it if you want a blinding highlight. Nothing about this powder produces laser level shine.

Skip it if you have very dry or textured skin. The shimmer emphasizes flakes and fine lines.

Skip it if fragrance bothers your skin. The tropical scent is noticeable and the formula contains limonene.

Skip it if you have deep skin and want a perfect match. Only the bronze and copper shades work reliably.

This highlighter rewards realistic expectations. Approach it as a soft glow product and it performs well above its price.

Price and Where to Buy in 2026

Last update on 2026-08-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

The Buttermelt Highlighter retails at twelve dollars for 0.17 ounces. That places it firmly in the mid range of drugstore highlighters.

Ulta stocks the full shade range including the newer black topper. Availability there tends to be the most reliable.

Amazon carries multiple shades, often around nine dollars during promotions. Prices there fluctuate more than at beauty retailers.

The NYX website sells all nine shades directly and runs frequent sitewide discounts. Sign up offers often knock twenty percent off.

Target and Walmart carry a reduced selection. The unusual shades rarely appear on those shelves.

Some limited shades sell out quickly. Butta in Black had major stock problems after launch and still moves fast.

Compare cost per gram before buying. At twelve dollars for five grams, the value sits close to ColourPop and well below Fenty.

Watch for bundle deals with the matching bronzer and blush. Those sets often deliver better overall value.

Buy from an authorized seller. Counterfeit drugstore makeup has become a real problem on marketplace listings, and the fakes often smell wrong and perform badly.

Final Verdict

The NYX Buttermelt Highlighter is a good product with a marketing problem.

The formula genuinely deserves praise. Its buttery texture, low fallout, and long wear beat most competitors at this price.

The glow disappoints anyone who watched viral videos promising blinding shine. The real finish is a soft satin sheen, and that gap drives most negative reviews.

Packaging looks beautiful and functions poorly. The stiff lid remains an annoying daily reality.

Shade range shows creativity but leaves deep skin tones underserved. NYX should expand that end of the lineup.

Value lands at fair rather than exceptional. Twelve dollars buys a competent, pretty highlighter with real flaws.

My personal rating sits at 3.8 out of 5. The texture earns high marks and the payoff pulls the score down.

I still reach for it on days when I want subtle radiance. I reach for something else when I want dramatic shine.

Buy it for everyday glow. Look elsewhere for a statement highlight, and you will avoid the disappointment that so many first time buyers describe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the NYX Buttermelt Highlighter good for oily skin?

It works, but with limits. The powder wears cleanly for around six hours on oily skin before mixing with natural oil. Setting powder underneath and blotting through the day extends that window considerably.

Does the Buttermelt Highlighter have a scent?

Yes. The formula carries a soft tropical fragrance that most people describe as mango. The ingredient list includes both parfum and limonene, so fragrance sensitive users should patch test first.

How many shades does the Buttermelt Highlighter come in?

Nine shades exist as of 2026. The lineup runs from light champagne through gold, copper, and bronze, plus a minty green, a holographic lavender topper, and a multichrome black topper.

Is it truly a twelve hour highlighter?

Mostly yes. Visible glow lasted through hour eight in my tests and a softer sheen survived at hour twelve. Skin type changes that result, with oily skin fading faster than dry or combination skin.

Can I use the Buttermelt Highlighter as eyeshadow?

Absolutely. The soft texture presses onto lids beautifully and the topper shades look excellent over darker eyeshadow. A tacky eye primer underneath improves intensity and stops fading.

Is the NYX Buttermelt Highlighter cruelty free and vegan?

Yes. NYX confirms the entire Buttermelt range is vegan and cruelty free. The formula contains no animal derived ingredients and the brand does not test on animals.

Which shade suits deep skin tones best?

Butta in Bronze and Butta Bling perform best on deep skin. The lighter champagne and frosty pink shades often read ashy and are worth avoiding for deeper complexions.