5 PLACES YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR FACE

In our eternal quest for radiant, illuminated skin, we’ve decided that just highlighting our cheekbones simply isn’t enough on the days when we want to look a little more glam. Luckily, we’ve spent some serious quality time with our (extensive) highlighter stash and have discovered a few unsuspecting places to pop on shimmer. Ahead, find the four spots that can up your highlighter game and give your face a major glow up. 

Highlighter Placement #1: Top of the Forehead

Highlighting the top of your forehead prevents the face from looking flat (a common beauty blunder associated with too much bronzer) and brightens up the entire face. Application here should be very sheer and look natural rather than powdery. One of our favorite techniques is to mix in some liquid highlighter with foundation and tap it on with a makeup sponge. NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator our go-to pick for some lit-from-within shimmer.

Highlighter Placement #2: Below Your Brow Bone 

While you may not have racked up eight hours of sleep last night, popping some highlight below your brow bone and above your eyebrow arch will make you look wide-eyed and well rested. Focusing highlighter around your eyebrow can give the appearance of a mini eye-lift. We love Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener. It’s an easy-to-use pencil with a creamy consistency and amazing glow. 

Highlighter Placement #3: Center of the Eyelid 

Whether you did a full-on smoky eye or are going the more neutral route, the eyelid is an unsuspected spot to highlight — but it makes a big difference. We recommend a powder for this step, like the YSL Couture Highlighter. Use a flat brush to pack product on the center of your lid and in the inner corner of your eye. This trick will make your eyes twinkle — no joke. (Primp tip: If you want a foiled look, spray setting spray on your highlighter and then apply.) 

Highlighter Placement #4: The Cupid’s Bow 

The ‘V’ of your cupid’s bow is also a great spot to pop on some highlighter; it creates the appearance of fuller lips. Apply it with your finger and use a soft touch. When the light catches, your pout will look especially plumped.  

Highlighter Placement #5: All Over Glow 

A bronzer-highlighter duo? Count us in. IT Cosmetics CC Radiance Ombre Bronzer is an easy and natural way to amp up your overall illumination. It’ll give you warmth and sparkle around your cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. Use a buffing or blending brush to diffuse the product and achieve subtle radiance. 

RELATED POSTS:

WHY YOU SHOULD MIX HIGHLIGHTER WITH FOUNDATION

The search for perfect-looking skin has our constant attention — we invest in fancy foundationsskin-smoothing primers and magical blending sponges. But little did we know that creating a flawless makeup base has less to do with these methods and a whole lot more to do with what we mix our foundation with. Ahead, we broke down exactly how to achieve the look by mixing highlighter with our favorite foundation formula, and we can guarantee that the results are better than any other method out there. 

STEP 1: Pick the Right Liquid-Based Highlighter

Picking the right illuminating product is key to making this makeup mix a success. First and foremost, choose a highlighter that has more of a sheer finish, as opposed to a glittery, shimmery one. You’ll need a lightweight formula like the Dermablend Glow Creator Highlighting Drops that will blend seamlessly with your foundation to leave a natural, subtle glow.

STEP 2: Mix It Up

Mix equal parts foundation (our current favorite is the YSL All Hours Longwear Foundation) and highlighter on the back of your hand. The total combination should equal a dime-sized amount. If needed, add more to make sure you have the right amount of coverage. Just be careful that you don’t end up with thick, cakey makeup.

STEP 3: Blend, Blend, Blend

Dot the mixture on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin and smooth it all over the face (we recommend working from the center and blending outward) with a blending sponge or foundation brush, until your makeup is evenly distributed around your face and neck. Make sure to blend well, so that there are no streaks or splotching. Your makeup should look like second skin. For a next-level glow, feel free to add more strategically placed highlighter on the high points of your face when you’re finished with the rest of your makeup.

Read More:

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

HOW TO USE HIGHLIGHTER SPRAY FOR A LIT-FROM-WITHIN GLOW

At this point, all beauty junkies worth their weight in mascara know their way around highlighter and can differentiate between a powder formula that packs a punch and a cream formula that adds just a little something. Every once in a while, however, a new product enters the category that causes even the most devoted and experienced to pause and investigate. Cue highlighter sprays, a new take on the (now) classic beauty product. It offers shimmer rather than glitter, and differs from pigment-infused sprays meant to be spritzed all over. Spray highlighters are meant to be applied to a concentrated area, which can be difficult to achieve at first spritz. That’s why we tapped celebrity makeup artist and brand founder Patrick Ta to share his best tips and tricks for mastering the look.

It’s All About Focus

The key to getting a lit-from-within glow is concentrating the highlighter on specific parts of the face. Ta’s Major Glow Highlighting Mist works well for this thanks to its super-fine mist, which offers sheen rather than sparkle. When applying, “make sure you target certain areas of the face,” says Ta, whose go-to spots are the tops of the cheekbone and “C” around the temple.

Distance Is Key

To ensure you don’t look like you dipped your cheek in glitter, it’s important to get the distance right. Ta recommends six inches from the face, which will ensure you’re getting the benefit of the product without overdoing it. If you do go a little overboard, however, just use a clean beauty sponge to dab away excess product.

Use Your Resources

If you need help targeting specific areas, use a sheet of paper to block off the area you want to highlight — similarly to creating a wing using a business card. This will help to keep the highlighter in one place and concentrated in the areas you want to glow. If you want to be a little fancy (and have some extra coin to spend), pick up the Patrick Ta Beauty Major Glow Setting Fan, which can be used to help place the highlighter and set the mist.

It’s Not Just For the Face

According to Ta, the best way to finish off any look is to bring the highlighter down to your neck and décollatege, which helps everything to look cohesive and blended. You can spray the highlighter directly for an extra pop of glow, or buff it in using a brush for a diffused, sun-kissed look.

Read More:

HOW TO COMBINE LIQUID AND POWDER HIGHLIGHTER MAKEUP FOR A BLINDING DREAM

CLEAN BEAUTY– WHAT IS IT AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

SELF-SOOTHING PRACTICES EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

HOW TO COMBINE LIQUID AND POWDER HIGHLIGHTER MAKEUP FOR A BLINDING DREAM

In the makeup world, foundation and bronzer have always gotten most of the glory. They’re go-to staples that people turn to for coverage and color. However, today we want to talk about highlighter, which has been stealing the spotlight lately.

In our opinion, highlighters are just as important as the two aforementioned makeup products because they deliver luminosity and brightening qualities that can completely transform your complexion. To show our devotion to highlighters everywhere, we’re breaking down the basics of both liquid and powder illuminators so you never have to question their roles in your life again.

A Tale of Two Highlighters

First and foremost, let’s be clear that liquid and powder highlighters are not the same, and therefore serve different purposes. Liquid illuminators are typically more pigmented than powder formulas and should be used to accentuate or brighten specific spots on the face. You know the strobing craze that’s been hitting the beauty scene? Liquid illuminators are perfect for that!

Powder illuminators typically have softer application and deliver more of a sheer, shimmery finish. These types of products work well over foundation or blush to lend your skin that all-over dewy look.

Liquid Highlighter

When using a liquid highlighter, make sure you use a blending sponge or finger to work it into your skin. After applying foundation — before you reach for concealer — dot the liquid along the areas of the face that are naturally hit by the sun (the top of cheekbones, bridge of nose, brow bone, Cupid’s bow, etc.).

Make sure to not go overboard and apply thick streaks of the formula, as it will look too drastic. The key is for the liquid to blend into skin naturally and subtly.

If you’ve got a bad case of under-eye bags or dark circles, simply dot highlighter under the eye area and in the inner corners, blending downward toward the lower cheekbone. This will brighten your eyes and make you look more awake (even if you’re running on a couple hours of sleep).

Product Recommendations: NYX Born to Glow Liquid IlluminatorMaybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting ConcelearYSL Touche Éclat

Powder Highlighter

When using a powder-based illuminator, use either a medium-sized fluffy powder brush or an angled powder brush for application. After applying foundation, dust highlighter on the cheeks, chin, nose and top of forehead. Because the application is less localized than that of liquid highlighter, the result is more of an all-over dewy glow, as opposed to a contoured one. You can also swipe a little along the top of the brows to accentuate their shape!

Product Recommendations: L’Oréal True Match Lumi Powder Glow IlluminatorMaybelline Mineral Power IlluminatorNYX Illuminator

Mixing Liquid and Powder Highlighter

This is a practice for the more maximalist makeup guru out there, but minimalist beauty lovers, hear us out. Start by applying a liquid illuminator or drops — our current favorite certainly has to be the Lancôme Teint Idole Custom Highlighting Drops in Rose Glow — to your cheekbones, down your nose and on your cupids bow. One to two drops is all you’ll need for this, and blend it out with your fingers or use a stippling brush. Next, lightly apply the center shades of Lancôme Bronze & Glow Palette in It’s Time To Glow overtop with a fan brush for the silkiest, sparkliest and softest touch. Your highlight will be officially blinding and beautiful, garnering double takes from far and wide (insert smirky emoji).

SHOP THIS STORY