This week I am talking highlighters and adding a gorgeous, healthy glow to your skin to really bring your skin and face to life. Highlighter can give your skin a more polished look whilst lifting and accentuating the contours of your face. I believe everyone looks better with luminous skin, even those with an oilier complexion, it is all about applying the product in the right place allowing the skin to shine in a way where we look healthy as apposed to well, sweaty!

So where best to apply? Use all of these application techniques for uber luxe skin or pick and choose where you want to glow for a more subtle approach:

One of the most effective and well known places to add highlight is to the tops of the cheekbones. As well as looking gorgeously glowy this will give the illusion of a more lifted bone structure and when teamed with a contour or bronzing powder will give you super chiseled cheekbones.
Apply under the brow bone to lift the brow, this is great if you are in-between brow appointments as the highlight will instantly make the brows appear more polished and distract from any pesky stray hairs.
Highlight the cupids bow of the lips before applying lipstick to make the lips appear fuller, be careful to highlight only along the natural lip line using a small brush to ensure lips look juicy and less so like a sweaty upper lip which is of course never a desirable look! Highlight can be applied down the centre of the nose, this will make the nose appear longer and slimmer. Be careful doing this if you are prone to oiliness as it can accelerate the look of shine.
Finally a dot of highlight applied to the inner corners of the eyes works wonders to brighten the eye area and widen the appearance of the eyes.

Highlighting products come in both liquid/cream and powder formulas, either have their benefits and I use both frequently both for myself and in my professional kit. I’d say for dryer complexions use a liquid as it will sink into the skin and give a more natural seamless finish. Using powder products on a dryer skin will be more likely to cling to any dehydrated skin thus accentuating it’s visibility. I recommend the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector’s, they give the skin a wonderfully natural highlight, they provide a sheen without being glittery and as a result photograph perfectly. My favourite shades are ‘Pearl’: a classic white based highlight, great for paler complexions and ‘Moonstone’ a warmer more golden highlight suitable for darker complexions or post holiday skin. Another liquid highlight fave is MAC's Strobe Cream, this is sold as part of their skincare line and so can be applied instead of moisturiser and offers an instant quick fix for dull, lack lustre skin. It contains vitamins and green tea and so will also encourage a natural glow as well as having cosmetic light reflecting properties. Apply all over the skin simply avoiding the centre of the face, or apply as mentioned previously to specific areas of the face you wish to accentuate. Both of these liquid products can be mixed with your foundation to turn a previously more matte foundation into one with a glossy finish.

In powder form I love Kevyn Aucoin’s Candlelight Powder, this product has the silkiest finish and is so creamy to touch it applies to the skin like a dream with the most gorgeous glow designed to mimic the natural luminosity of candle light on the skin. I have to say this is probably one of my most favourite products ever, I use mine every single day. It looks gorgeous linking back to last weeks post used on legs or the décolletage. I apply mine using a Real Techniques Setting Brush which is an ideal sized miniature powder brush enabling you to dust the perfect amount.

Get glowing girls! x

Get the Glow

POWERED BY SQUARESPACE