As many of you may know from my previous posts, I have quite dry skin. Even when my skin is well moisturised and prepped it can look slightly dull, therefore I opt for makeup with a radiance element. Sometimes I feel a foundation or tinted moisturiser (like my laura mercier tinted moisturiser) is too dewy for winter and certain times of the day, thats where a seperate highlighter comes in! A highlighter can be placed in specific areas and built upon to give a subtle glow or a stronger shine. There are lots of different types so I thought I would blog about a few of my favourite brands and what texture/products are best for certain areas, considering skin type and desired finish.
Pressed powder highlighters. These for me last the longest out of any form of highlighter. They are the best value for money as I find I never need to replace them, which shows me a little goes a long way. Powder highlighters can be built up to be quite intense. MAC mineralize skin finish is the shade 'soft and gentle' is a white/ silvery finish, a light dusting on the tops of the cheek bones will give that light reflecting element with some shimmer. It is water baked so if you did want to build this up there is no danger of it becoming cakey or not sitting right on top of your base. There is another shade called 'gold deposit' which is better for darker skin tones- it has a huge colour pay off so less is definitely more. MAC bring out limited edition shades regularly of this product as it is so popular. One of their latest collections 'Apres Chic' carries two new shades one being 'porcelain pink' which is very similar to soft and gentle yet slightly pinky toned and warmer. 'Stereo Rose' is more of a blush/highlighter with a pink finish to it and is best used lightly as a blusher.
Liquid highlighters such as Benefit high beam and MAC lustre drops. My favourite of all is by Chanel from the 'soleil tan de Chanel range' and it is called 'iridescent highlighting emulsion' (thank god it is easier to apply, then it is too say). For me liquid highlighters give more of a fresher glow. I sometimes add a drop or two of the higlighter to my foundation so you have an all over subtle glow. They are liquid so not as strong therefore are more of a day time radiance, these look great on the brow bone and on the top of the cheeks when going for a more natural look with less products. Liquid highlighters are my personal preference for holidays and when you have a tan or want that fresh sunkissed look.
Cream highlighters I believe are the strongest formula and will give the most glow and shine. The consistency is thicker than the others therefore more product is applied. My favourites are cream color base by MAC in colours such as pearl and hush. Illamasqua highlighter in gleam is also a personal favourite. I apply these to the tops of the cheeks with a stippling brush, I use a larger brush so the product spreads more evenly and really buffs into the skin. You have to be careful with cream highlighters as they can look cakey if you apply too much an I have found they aren't the easiest to blend in an start again.
Highlighter pens which are a creamier liquid are great for under eye circles. Ysl touche eclat is a prime example, yet for me they are too bright. I opt for the MAC highlighter pen, the colour radiant rose teamed with a light weight concealer is great for diminishing under eye dark circles. The pinky tone counteracts grey tones and cancels the colour out (not completley) but it definitely reduces the darkness. Liz Earle has a great concealer pen, the shades have more yellow based tones which means they are light reflective, they are a great natural highlight for under eyes, the tear duct area, on the brow bone, down the centre of the nose and on the cupids bow. If you find that like me the YSL touche eclat is too bright and glows too much, use it on the brow bone to make brows appear sharper and sleeker.
Last but not least; loose powder highlightere. My favourite is from MAC cosmetics which is their pigments. The colour vanilla is extremley bright and gives a quick highlight. This is a strong highlight, yet because it is loose powder it can be blended into almost nothing. This is the most versatile highlighter, you can use it on top of the cheeks, on the brow bone, in the tear duct area to open up and make eyes appear bigger and brighter. It can be used on the cupids bow to make lips appear bigger. If you find your eye makeup becomes to dark and matte you can sweep a small amount over the top which will tone the colours down and give a more glowing finish to eye makeup. Naked is also a good colour as it has warmer tones to it and is a more matte highlight, both are well loved by me personally and in my kit. Illamasqua pigment in aurora is similar, it has slightly more colour to it and I find Illamasquas pigments are much more glittery (especially in the brighter and stronger colours.) Aurora looks great on the top of the cheeks, I find it can photograph quite dark and orange toned when used on the brow bone.
I hope this helps give you an insight into which higlighter would be best for you depending on what sort of finish you want and which area you would like it for.
Fair of Face x
