I'm Inclined to Agree With Cameron Diaz: This Highlighter Really Is Worth the Fanfare and Money

JB Lacroix/WireImage Cameron Diaz

I am not exaggerating when I say I think about the seminal 2006 rom-com The Holiday, and therefore Cameron Diaz, at least once a week. Rom-coms are not even my genre of choice but something about that movie is just irresistible — maybe it's Jude Law, the quaint British cottage, the white knits, the performances from the leading ladies. I don't know! It's just the perfect recipe for a comfort movie. I have a soft spot for Diaz, which often goes unfulfilled since she has retired from acting and focused on co-founding a wine brand. (Which is itself the plot of a rom-com.)

I carefully read through Diaz's recent interview with The Strategist, where I discovered that my go-to highlighter, Westman Atelier's Lit Up Highlight Stick, is one of the only two makeup products she uses. Diaz described the Lit Up effect as "a true glistening of your own skin… The sheen looks like you're just dewy, not like you're wearing makeup." She also called out some of the ingredients, like grape extract, which she finds to be"soothing, moisturizing, and firming" on her skin.

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Shop now: $48; nordstrom.com

The Westman Atelier Highlight Stick is available in three shades — lit (clear), nectar (peach pink), and brulee (bronze) — and costs $48. Yes, this is an expensive beauty product, but I can attest that it's worth the investment. Even though highlighters are a dime a dozen, it somehow still feels hard to find a good one. A highlighter is not interchangeable with glitter, sparkle, or shimmer; it can include those things, sure, but if you ask me, the best ones don't. When I talk about highlighter, I'm looking for one that's sheen and light. I want a product that brings dimension and dew to my face, and although it is makeup, I still want it to look like my skin (but better.) It's a tall order, I know — but if we're talking about colonizing Mars and cloning Barbra Streisand's dogs, then I should be able to expect the excellent-quality makeup products Westman Atelier delivers.

When using the Lit Up Stick, my technique is to rub pigment onto my finger and dab it along my cheekbones, on the tip of my nose, on my cupid's bow, and in the corners of my eyes. And let me tell you: After that quick application, I am a vision. It's a splurge, but take it from Cameron Diaz and myself, an admitted highlighter-snob — this $48 Westman Atelier Highlight Stick is the best on the market.

Courtesy Tamim Alnuweiri