I Tried The Best-Selling, TikTok-Viral e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter, and It Totally Lives Up to the Hype

It seems that the days of full-face glam makeup are long gone. Since the pandemic, the focus has shifted toward minimal and natural-looking beauty looks to help you look like the best version of yourself, and I've fallen hard for the aesthetic. For the ultimate glow-up, I took a beauty queue straight from TikTok and purchased the e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter.

Through the social platform, the liquid filter has amassed 126.8 million views and counting (and initially accumulated a waitlist of 75,000 people), captivating beauty enthusiasts like myself who want to attain that "your skin, but better" look. The Halo Glow Liquid Filter's versatility makes it so special—and the $14 price tag doesn't hurt, either. I prefer to use it as a standalone base or to mix it with my skin tints and foundations to add radiance. However, it also works as a highlighter on the high points of your face, or as a glow-inducing primer as well. It has also held a well-deserved spot at the top of Amazon's best-seller chart for Face Highlighters & Luminizers.

To buy: $14; amazon.com.

The vegan formula is enhanced with squalane and hyaluronic acid for a splash of hydration and finely milled powders that blur away imperfections for a "soft-focus look," and it suits normal, dry, oily, and combination skin types. It's also cruelty-free and doesn't contain triclocarban, phthalates, triclosan, nonylphenol ethoxylates, or parabens.

You can choose from eight shades, from fair to deep—the fair/light shade pairs beautifully with my light skin and olive undertone. The formula also includes a heavy amount of ultrafine shimmer that keeps you looking dewy but never greasy. 

I use the large doe foot applicator to dot the liquid glow booster all over my face and a wet sponge with some foundation to blend it into the perfect complexion base. The finish is glowy and very sheer, so if you're looking for a complexion product that will cover blemishes or spots, this isn't it. However, it layers beautifully with other cream, liquid, and powder products while feeling lightweight. I just dot on a little concealer wherever I need the extra coverage, and I'm ready to go.

For $14, you can't go wrong with the Halo Glow Liquid Filter from e.l.f. It's a literal glow-up in a bottle. Get yours at Amazon before it sells out again.

To buy: $14; amazon.com.