Everything You Need To Know About Highlighting.
Guerlain Highligher
By: Alisa Cozza
Makeup’s biggest trend since contouring has been highlighting. What exactly is highlighting you might ask? It is when you apply shimmer to certain areas of your face or body that reflect light, creating beautiful contouring while emphasizing bone structure. Whether you are a seasoned pro or just a beginner entering the world of makeup, highlighting is a simple trick that will immediately spice up your look. that anyone can master.
Highlighters come in a variety of powders, creams, and even liquids. Select the formulation that you think will work best for you. However, if you are using powders, apply with a soft, fluffy brush or, (once more comfortable) you can use your finger. For the creams and liquid versions, applying with your fingers tends to work best followed by light blending with a brush.
Next, it is critical you choose the color/colors that will impeccably compliment your skin tone. Selecting the wrong color can be the difference between a wonderful, radiant glow and looking like you’re doing a revival of the Rocky Picture Horror Show. Here are a few of our top picks by skin tone.
Fair Skin Tone
If you have a light skin tone like Reese Witherspoon, you will want to choose a shimmer with a pearl pigment. Colors with silver and able pink undertones will be the best choices to illuminate your skin tone. Try using Guerlain’s Meteorite Pearls with it’s signature beautiful pink brush or the Nars Mulit-Stick in Copacabana.
Guerlain Meteorites Pearls
Guerlain Meteorites Powder Brush
Medium Skin Tone
This skin tone will definitely have the advantage of a wider variety of selections to choose from. Think Jennifer Lopez–if this sounds like you, pick a color that exudes a champagne or pink pigment. We suggest trying Guerlain’s Meteorite Compact, The pearls are finely pressed to form a beautiful mosaic of light-enhancing and corrective shades. Together, they create a subtle and natural effect by giving every skin tone just the right amount of light and correction. This meteorite palette of corrective matte shades-refreshing pink and light-catching mauve-gently balance the complexion, while the pearls temper the shades’ intensity and blend harmoniously for perfectly tailored luminosity. The complexion glows with purest light and the skin looks soft, smooth, delicate and beautifully natural.
Guerlain Meteorites Compact
Dark Skin Tone
If you fall under the warmer skin tone like Zoe Saldana, you want to steer away from the paler colors and head on over to richer colors with peach and/or gold pigments. Try the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit or Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector in Topaz or Rose Glod.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit
Deep Skin Tone
The ever so beautiful Lupita Nyong’o, is the perfect example for this skin tone. With such a rich skin tone you will want to use a gold or bronze pigment, these colors will create a glow like no other. Seduction by Laura Mercier is the perfect shade of bronze to illuminate your features.
Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powder
Ready, Set, Glow: How to Apply Your Highlighter
Highlighter Diagram
Before applying your highlighter, take a moment to really examine your face and bone structure. The highlighter should be applied to the top of cheekbones, down the bridge of nose, the inner corner of eyes, under the arch of eyebrows as well as along the brow bone, and cupid’s bow (the indent on your top lip). After examining your face, apply your makeup as usual. The highlighter should be applied after applying the rest of your makeup– consider this the “cherry on top.” You can use one color as your highlighter or use a variety of (complimentary) colors that can be layered on top of each other to achieve the desired look. But, don’t go overboard– a little goes a long way.
-AC
Photography by GG
