Highlighter Application Techniques: Cream, Liquid, and Powder
If you've as of late walked around the drugstore beauty aisle, looked for makeup online, or looked at Instagram, chances are you've been inundated with highlighters. That's because highlighting (an age-seasoned professional makeup artist strategy) has turned into an everyday staple for the average individual — and good reason. Highlighting adds a natural-looking aspect to a full face of foundation by making your cheeks pop, yet it can act as a look completely all alone.
In any case, with such countless choices on the market, and what feels like hundreds seriously launching every month, you may not be certain how to begin your highlighting process. Consider this your guide to what highlighter is, which one's for you, and all the more importantly, the most ideal ways to apply it. Presently, get your brushes (or fingers) ready...this is highlighter 101.
What Does Highlighting Do, Exactly?
Essentially, highlighting is the exact inverse of contouring. When you contour, you use a color darker than your skin tone to create the illusion that certain features (like your cheek hollows, jawline, and sanctuaries) are pushed inwards to give an etched impact. Highlighter, then again, uses a shimmery shade that is much lighter than your skin tone to catch the light and accentuate your features, making them look more prominent. Light-reflecting items are not just used to feature and illuminate the skin, they assist with adding aspect to your face, which is especially useful when your features have been washed out by a full-coverage foundation. When combined with contouring, the impacts can dazzle.
Where's the Best Place to Apply Highlighter?
Use the feature in the most classic places; go a little above my cheekbone so it mirrors that wonderful light when you move. For the most natural-looking gleam, you'll want to adhere to the high points of your face, which is usually found where the light would naturally hit, for example, the tops of your cheekbones, your temple bone, the cupid's bow (or the little plunge above the focal point of your top lip), and along the extension of the nose. You can add a touch to the actual tip of your nose, too. Whenever you've got those basics down, you can get creative and step it up. If you have a broad face, you can place it in your sanctuaries because it changes and gives your face shape and contour.
Highlighters can be used in any area that you want to stand out. Wearing a low-profile top? Dust a little highlighter over your shoulders and collarbones. Rocking a sleeveless dress? Run a clamped down the front of your arms. What about a skirt or dress? A touch of highlighter down the focal point of your legs will look stunning. And regardless of whether body highlighter could seem like a ton for daily wear, it's the stunt your favorite celebs use to look radiant on the red carpet. So the following time you've got a wedding, fancy dinner, or a special occasion, check it out if you want to take your look to a higher level.
What Type of Highlighter Would it be a good idea for me to Use?
Just like eyeshadow, foundation, blush — or any beauty item — highlighter comes in infinite formulas. You can find highlighters that give you all different kinds of lighting impacts — from an unpretentious sheen to a polished-looking finish, or highlighters that look like opalescent pearls. Highlighters can try and make you look straight-up holographic. And those are just the finishes. Concerning color, there's every shade in the rainbow — and then some.
Highlighters can come in powder (squeezed or free), liquid, or cream formulas. Powder highlighters will convey a somewhat greater color payoff because of their being more buildable, and they're also awesome for individuals who have slick skin, as they don't will generally add any additional oils or emollience. Highlighters that come in cream or liquid form are usually more sheer, and they're great for those with combo or dry skin types.
• For Fair Skin Tones
When you're looking at colors and finishes, that decision is based on inclination. In general, cooler tones in pearl or silver shades, will quite often look more realistic on fair or lighter skin with pink undertones. They can also have a tomfoolery, modern impact on medium to profound skin with warmer undertones.
• For A Sunkissed Gleam
Peaches and pinks, then again, will more often than not work better on medium skin tones. Clear over your cheekbones, blending the bronze shade on the left into the lighter shade for a sunkissed shine.
• For Profound Skin Tones
Golden or copper shades are beautiful on more profound skin tones. Based on your skin type and the look you want, you can find the best highlighter for you. When you find your go-to, this is the way to get that gleam.
How to Apply Powder Highlighter
Priorities straight, if you're wearing liquid foundation or tinted cream and want to use a powder highlighter, you should set your base beforehand with a translucent powder. This will assist with ensuring that your highlighter will apply without a hitch and won't slide or crease.
If you're going in with a liquid or cream choice, go ahead and skirt this step, as they'll mix easily together. Recall this makeup dependable guideline: powders go on top of powders, and liquids and/or creams go on top of other liquids and/or creams.
When you're prepared, now is the right time to bring out your beauty toolbox.
Stage 1: Plunge a smaller, tapered brush softly into the powder, tapping off the overabundance to avoid oversaturating your cheeks in highlighter. Powder highlighters work best with a fan brush or small to medium-sized blush brush. A feathery eyeshadow brush will also work — basically, you just want something small for accuracy.
Stage 2: Then in a sweeping movement, dust the brush across your high points. Reminder: They're your cheekbones, temple bones, Cupid's bow, and the scaffold of the nose.
How to Apply Liquid Highlighter
Just like powders work best over powders, liquids, and creams work best finished (you got it!) liquids and creams. After you've applied your base, go straight in with a highlighter before reaching for any powders.
Tip 1: Begin by dabbing the liquid highlighter straightforwardly onto your high points, then sheer out those spots with your fingers or your foundation brush to mix them out.
Tip 2: If your liquid highlighter is packaged with a siphon applicator, just administer a small amount onto your finger and apply it to the high points of your face.
Tip 3: You can also use a makeup wipe. Looking for a greater amount of an all-over dewy luminescence? Blend a couple of drops of liquid highlighter straightforwardly into your foundation for an all-finished, lit-from-within sparkle.
How to Apply Cream Highlighter
The same anti-powder rules for liquid highlighters apply to cream highlighters. Twirl your finger into a cream, to warm up your face. This will assist it with blending better with the remainder of your makeup.
Stage 1: Using your finger, tap the highlighter just where you want to gleam.
Stage 2: For a seamless look, mix those spots out with the makeup wipe or brush you used to apply your foundation.