Have you ever looked at someone’s makeup and thought, “Wow, their skin looks amazing?” Chances are, they’ve mastered the art of highlighting. Highlighting is like giving your face its own personal spotlight, accentuating your best features and creating a radiant, youthful glow. It’s a makeup technique that adds dimension and light to the face, making you look healthier, more awake, and even more sculpted. Whether you’re aiming for a subtle shimmer or a dramatic, “lit-from-within” look, this comprehensive guide will equip you with all the makeup tips for highlighting you need.
Understanding Highlighting
Before we dive into the “how-to,” let’s quickly understand the “why.” Highlighting essentially plays with light. By applying lighter, often shimmery, products to strategic areas, you create an illusion of those areas being pushed forward. This contrasts with contouring, where darker shades create depth and shadows.
Choosing the Right Highlighter for Your Skin Tone
Just like foundation, finding the right highlighter is crucial. The key is to complement your skin’s undertone:
Fair Skin: Look for pearly or champagne shades.
Light to Medium Skin: Peachy golds or rose golds work wonders.
Olive to Tan Skin: Go for warm bronzes or golden copper hues.
Deep Skin: Rich bronzes, coppers, and even golds with a reddish undertone look stunning.
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment! Swatch different shades on your hand to see what complements your skin best.
Highlighting Products for Different Skin Tones
Types of Highlighters: Find Your Perfect Match
Highlighters come in various forms, each offering a unique finish and application method:
1. Powder Highlighters
- Best for: Beginners and oily skin
- Pros: Easy to blend, buildable, and long-lasting.
- Cons: Can emphasize texture on dry skin.
2. Cream Highlighters
- Best for: Normal to dry skin
- Pros: Creates a dewy, natural-looking glow.
- Cons: Can crease on oily skin if not set properly.
3. Liquid Highlighters
- Best for: All skin types, especially for a luminous finish
- Pros: Highly pigmented, blendable, and can be mixed with foundation for an all-over glow.
- Cons: Can be tricky to work with for beginners.
Makeup Tips for Highlighting: Where to Apply
Now, let’s map out the strategic points where highlighter works its magic:
1. Cheekbones: Apply along the top of your cheekbones, blending upwards towards your temples for a lifted effect.
2. Brow Bone: A touch of highlighter under your eyebrows instantly brightens your eyes and makes you look more awake.
3. Inner Corner of the Eyes: This brightens up your eyes and makes them appear wider and more alert.
4. Bridge of the Nose: Apply a thin line down the bridge of your nose to create the illusion of a slimmer, more defined nose.
5. Cupid’s Bow: Highlighting the cupid’s bow (the dip above your upper lip) defines your lips and makes them appear fuller.
6. Chin: A dab on the center of your chin adds fullness and balances your features.
7. Collarbone: For an extra touch of glamour, apply highlighter along your collarbone to accentuate your décolletage.
Pro Tip: Remember, less is more! Start with a small amount of product and build up gradually for a natural-looking glow.
Highlighting Techniques for Different Looks
Mastering different highlighting techniques lets you customize your look:
1. Subtle Shimmer: For an everyday glow, use a small, fluffy brush to apply a powder highlighter lightly to the high points of your face.
2. Intense Glow: For a more dramatic effect, layer a cream or liquid highlighter under a powder highlighter.
3. “Lit-From-Within” Skin: Mix a few drops of liquid highlighter with your foundation for an all-over radiant finish.
4. Strobing: This technique involves using highlighter more liberally to create a sculpted, luminous look. Apply highlighter to all the key areas mentioned above and blend well.
Pro Tip: Always blend your highlighter seamlessly into your skin or foundation to avoid any harsh lines or streaks.
Common Highlighting Mistakes to Avoid
Even with the best makeup tips for highlighting, mistakes can happen. Here’s how to steer clear of common pitfalls:
1. Using the Wrong Shade: A highlighter that’s too light or dark can look unnatural.
2. Applying Too Much Product: Start slow and build as needed.
3. Skipping the Blending: Blended edges are key to a seamless finish.
4. Applying Shimmer Everywhere: Focus on the high points of your face for a balanced look.
Expert Tips for Flawless Highlighting
- Prep your skin properly: Exfoliate and moisturize to create a smooth canvas.
- Choose the right tools: Use soft, fluffy brushes for blending.
- Work with your skin type: Oily skin types may prefer powder formulas, while dry skin types may find cream or liquid highlighters more hydrating.
- Set your makeup: Use a setting spray to keep your highlighter in place all day long.
A Woman Highlighting Her Cheekbones
Conclusion: Shine Bright with Confidence
Highlighting is more than just a makeup step; it’s a way to enhance your natural beauty and radiate confidence. By understanding the different types of highlighters, application techniques, and common mistakes to avoid, you can master the art of highlighting like a pro. Remember, the key is to choose products that complement your skin tone and blend, blend, blend! Experiment, have fun, and let your inner glow shine through!
Looking for more makeup tips to enhance your features? Check out our guides on makeup tips for thin lips and makeup tips for contouring for a complete makeup transformation.
- MEGA GLO HIGHLIGHTER: This pressed powder highlighter helps you achieve a luminous glow. Buttery, buildable formula melts onto the skin for a weightless feel & effortlessly blended application.
- GLOW AHEAD: Formulated with micro-fine pearls, this highlighter creates a multi-dimensional, light-catching effect while Vitamin E, Murumuru Seed Butter, Shea Butter & Argan Oil work to nourish the skin.
- LIQUID HIGHLIGHTING WAND: Get glowing in seconds with a wave of this magic highlighting wand for dewy, radiant skin.
- CREATES LIT-FROM-WITHIN GLOW: The lightweight liquid formula is infused with hydrating squalane to create that lit-from-within glow.
- ULTIMATE GLOW: Are you ready for the ultimate glow-up with the Revolution Reloaded Highlighter collection? An array of highlighter shades that will leave you with an irresistible glow
- SILKY FORMULA: A pigmented powder that helps to provide a radiant complexion and high-impact finish with a super-flattering shimmer
- 【3D Flash Texture】KYDA highlighter palette with pearl and shimmer powder, immediately gives the face a three-dimensional display effect when applied. Using baking powder technology, no-flaking, blends well and fits skin nicely, you can have high shine face makeup, showing a charming look.
- 【Smooth Powder】The delicate and silky glitter powder can be colored with one touch, showing natural colors. Highly pigmented baked pressed powder that blends easily and evenly, with high glow for a natural shimmer finish.
- Get ready for Jumbo impact with our new Jumbo Multi-use Face Sticks highlighter. This weightless formula is buildable, so don’t be afraid to layer. Comes in a twist up stick, no need for a sharpener
- 6 pearl pigment infused shades: Ultra-smooth, pearl finish stick highlighter delivers a show stopping glow in just one swipe. Twist-up and swipe on cheek, nose, and face for an instant all over glow
- Glow Enhancing Make Up: Instantly hydrate and luminize your skin for an all over, natural glow with Lumi Glotion; This liquid face and body highlighter delivers an illuminating color tint to enhance your skin’s natural glow
- Hydrating Makeup Highlighter: Our glow lotion is infused with glycerin and shea butter for all day hydration; Available in 4 shades for all skin tones, the glow drops can be worn alone, under foundation, or on target areas for a more luminous effect
- Blush and Highlighter Duo: This highlighter and blush combo instantly sculpts, defines, and highlights in one sweep. Each duo has two levels of intensity for color that compliments every skin tone
- Get Glowing: These soft, buildable shades blend to a perfect finish, enhancing cheeks with ultra-reflective, micro-fine pearl pigments for a luminous, radiant glow. Layer together or use alone
- 【Easy Application】: Apply Highlight Palette with a brush to collar bones;corner of eyes; bridge of nose;cheek bones;under chin;under brows to enhance your features,perfect for creating a natural or glam look.
- 【Available in 4 Shades】: Baked Highlighter Powder Palette Range from 2 different glowing colors - Light Gold and Polarized pink purple - that to cater your skin tones .
- Fairy Highlight Powder: This fairy highlight is suitable for whole body, the highlight powder is naturally delicate and has good adsorption, which fits the skin well after use. The glitter effect lasts for a long time making you sparkle every day.
- Variety of colors: We can provide three Polvo De Hadas colors, which are gold, pink, and white, and there are three colors of packaging. Consumers can choose the right product according to their preferences. It can be used for cheekbones, eyelids, eyebrow bones, lips, hair, clavicle, shoulder, leg, etc.
- 【Instantly Enhance Your Skin's Natural Glow】This is a liquid face and body highlighter that delivers an illuminating color tint to hydrate and luminize your skin for an all-over, natural glow.
- 【Multi-Dimensional Shimmer】Illuminate your features with this intensely pigmented liquid highlighter that delivers a multi-dimensional shimmer effect. Available in 4 shades for all skin tones, wear it alone, under foundation, or use with Erinde Matte Liquid Blush for a brighter finish and a perfect look.
