If you have ever admired the light hitting someone’s face just right, making them look like a glowing angel, maybe they were wearing highlighter makeup. From subtle radiance to serious shimmer, light-reflecting makeup products are all the rage right now. They can brighten up dull skin tones and give the skin a healthy and natural glow. Highlighter is one of the essential makeup products in your makeup bag, as it amps up your beauty game. It comes in different sizes, textures, shades, and it is for all skin types.
Highlighter along with foundation can help accentuate your strengths and hide your defects. In this article, we will help you find the right highlighter for you so that your makeup is always on point.
What is a highlighter?
Highlighter is a light-reflecting makeup product with different textures like liquid, powder, stick & jelly. Highlighter enhances your complexion and gives the skin a natural dewy glow. Use them on the highest face points and features you want to pop or stand out more. For example, you can use a highlighter on your cheekbones, brow bones, inner corners of your eyes, bridge of your nose, collar bones & your cupid bow. It also reawakens your dull or ageing skin and accentuates your favourite facial features subtly and naturally.
Different highlighter textures
Liquid highlighter drops: These highlighters are very easy to use. A couple of drops of them in your foundation or moisturizer give you a glow-from-within look. Liquid highlighters are very pigmented and moisturizing. They don’t dry out the skin or don’t look cakey. If you mix one or two drops of liquid highlighter with your moisturizer, it’ll blend perfectly as your skin absorbs it to give you an overall glow.
Push up stick highlighter: These highlighters are the most user-friendly because of their precise application. Apply them on small surfaces, like the inner corners of your eyes. It also requires minimum blending and is travel friendly. In addition, you can do a touch up very quickly.
Compact highlighter: These are very much like a compact powder but shimmery. Powder highlighters are not as pigmented as liquid ones, but they are buildable. You can take a fan brush and apply it to your favourite high points of your face to make your face gleam and add dimension to it. These are often the ones that give you a striking luminosity.
Loose powder highlighter: Similar in texture to loose setting face powders, they come in containers. Loose powder highlighters can spill quickly & application requires precision. But they work very well as an alternative highlighter. All you need to do is take a fluffy or fan brush, then swirl it around and apply as needed.
Gel/ Jelly highlighter: The newest release on the highlighter makeup range offers a pigmented flush of glow. The wobbly consistency is satisfying. Jelly highlighter is a mix between liquid and cream and works great for a naturally luminescent glow.
Different highlighter shades for different skin tones:
Highlighters are available in all different shades & colours for different skin tones.
Medium to dusky skin tone: Since these skin tones have a warm undertone, people with medium or dusky skin tones or in between can go for bronze shades highlighters. A highlighter with a warm, lustrous undertone will be the best choice for this skin tone, as along with highlighting your face, it will give it a warm sunlit glow.
Dusky to dark skin tone: Rich rose gold or bronze variations look magical for darker skin complexions. Be focused on warm hues; one thing you must look out for is options that pack a ton of pigment and stay away from cool-toned, icy, opalescent colours, as they could make your skin appear dull.
Fair skin tones: Go for face highlighters with a frosty silver or pearlescent sheen. Steer clear of warm undertones like golden; instead, pick colours under the pinkish shade with a cool undertone.
How to use highlighters
For liquid and cream highlighters: Nothing can beat the beauty blender when it comes to cream and liquid highlighters. You lightly dab the beauty blender on your face while applying the highlighter so that it’ll go on beautiful and smooth. You can damp the sponge with water for better results and use a paper towel to squeeze out any excess liquid before applying the highlighter. Avoid using a sweeping motion to apply, and it’ll; disrupt the makeup & cause streakiness.
For powder highlighters: To apply powder highlighters, look for a soft fluffy brush and apply using a light sweeping motion. Don’t press the brush too harshly into your face otherwise. You’ll disrupt what you’ve already laid down. For smaller areas like your inner eye corners, your brow bones or cupid’s bow, switch to a small eyeshadow brush for more precise application.
Things to remember while using a highlighter
- Always follow the ‘less is more’ rule while applying a highlighter so that it’s glowy but won’t look oily on the skin under a bright light. Of course, you can always add more but taking off the excess product is challenging.
- It would help if you always used a highlighter after applying blush. As blush is more pigmented, it can cover up the highlighter.
- Remember to blend your highlighter well. The application shouldn’t look like a blob or a patch on your skin. Instead, it should create an intrinsic natural glow.
- If you accidentally have used too much highlighter, grab a clean brush or sponge & buff out the excess product.
- You can also apply a tiny amount of product to the centre of your forehead. It will help you complete the look and increase the glamour of the entire makeup look. Don’t do this if you have an oily skin type.
A highlighter can sometimes be used as an eyeshadow, too, as it highlights the eyes and makes them pop. So, if you are a fan of a dewy, naturally glowing makeup look, we suggest sharpening your highlighter makeup skills.
What began as a fun extra product to the basic foundation, eye and blush palettes, and highlighters have become significant products that you need to have in your makeup collection. Now that you know all the basics about highlighter makeup pick one out for yourself. Choose the one from a brand that you love. There are excellent brands like Lakme, Faces Canada, Sugar Cosmetics and many more. So, choose wisely!
