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Highlighters may not be the latest fad in makeup, but it’s safe to say that that lit-from-within glow they offer is here to stay. Who knew that a little pixie dust could make such a dramatic difference? Today, even a lazy stroll in the makeup aisle or a single scroll while shopping online will showcase many options to choose from. Be it liquid, cream or powder highlighters, they do the job perfectly well - provided you know how and where to apply them. This is why here we are, digging up how to use a highlighter on the face for a dazzling look. Ready? Set. Glow!
What Are Highlighters Exactly?
Just like the name suggests, a highlighter’s job is to ‘highlight’ the features of your face, making them look more prominent. They also add a natural-looking dimension, which is especially useful when you’ve used a full-coverage foundation. These high-shine, light-reflecting products bring focus to the high points of your face and any other body part you want to highlight (more on that later) and the results TBH, are breathtaking.
Types Of Highlighters
There are different types of highlighters available on Nykaa. Depending on your skin type and aesthetic, choose a highlighter that will elevate your makeup game.
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Cream Highlighter
Cream highlighters are great for people with dry and dull skin. They are often mixed with other skin and makeup essentials such as a moisturiser and primer that work towards hydrating your face to bring out that inner glow, mixed with the highlighter, it adds that extra layer of shine.
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Liquid Highlighter
A liquid highlighter is great for a natural no-makeup makeup look as it gets absorbed into the skin and helps your glow from within. It evens out the pores and adds life to your matte skin.
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Stick Highlighter
A stick highlighter is great for people who carry makeup in their vanities to work, college, concerts, and even festive occasions. Not only is it handy, but it also offers precise application and blends seamlessly.
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Pressed highlighter
A pressed highlighter is great for people with oily skin. The micro-particles get absorbed by the oil on the face for a naturally glowing look without any of the sweat. Powder highlighters are also highly pigmented and buildable.
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Brick Highlighter
A brick highlighter offers multiple shade options for all your different moods. If you are a makeup artist or love doing makeup at sleepovers, weddings, and family gatherings, this brick highlighter offers a range that is undeniably golden.
Which Formulation Should You Pick?
There’s powder, there’s cream, there's liquid - which one should you pick? To put it simply, if you want an all-out glow, then powder highlighters are the best. Their pigment payoff is superior since they are more buildable. Plus, they’re perfect if you have oily skin. Cream or liquid highlighters, on the other hand, have a sheer coverage and are ideal for people with dry to combination skin. Lastly, based on your preference and skin tone, feel free to take your pick out of the many shades out there - from holographic to pearl finish, the choices will spoil you.
Where To Apply Highlighter?
Highlighters have a very simple application protocol - apply them where the light would naturally hit - this will give that natural-looking glow that we’re chasing. So, this would mean the top of your cheekbone, your brow bone, cupid’s bow, the bridge/tip of your nose, and more. Here’s why these parts look the best when glistening with a highlighter.
Cheekbones
This is the most common place on your face to apply a highlighter. Your cheekbones are naturally lifted and a little shimmer can make it shine under light, especially with flash photography. Dab some highlighter on the cheekbones and swipe it upwards towards the temple for a natural effect.
Nose
The bridge of the nose is also one of the highest points of your face, just like we contour the side of our noses to make it look slimmer, the bridge of the nose is highlighted for a natural shine.
Cupid’s Bow
Your lips naturally dip in the middle to create a beautiful bow-like shape that can be further highlighted with a little shimmer. Add a lip liner to your lips to add some depth and a little glitter on the tip of the bow for definition.
Underbrow Bone
This is an underrated part of your face since a lot of the attention goes to your eyelids and eyebrows. The bone under the brows is also slightly bulged making it a perfect spot to highlight and enhance your facial features.
Inner Corner Of Your Eyes
Elongate your eyes by adding some shimmer to the inner corner of your eyes. For a sultry look, add a cat eyeliner first with some black and then a shine on top.
Centre Of The Lids
You can add some highlighter to the centre of your eyelids and create a halo effect. This also allows you to skip eyeshadow and complicated cut-crease looks with just one swipe.
Chin
To create facial symmetry, add some highlighter to the centre of your chin. If you have a round face you can contour your cheekbones and highlight your chins for a slimming effect. If you have an oval face, add some highlighter to further accentuate facial symmetry.
But that is not it, you can use a highlighter to enhance any body part. Wearing an off-shoulder or deep-cut top? Apply some highlighter on your décolletage and collar bones. Stepping out in a dress or skirt? Run down some highlighter at the centre of your legs. This celeb-approved trick is perfect for the next time you’re stepping out for a date night or going to a party with the gang.
How To Apply Highlighter On Face?
There is one ground rule that you must adhere to - powders go on top of powders and liquid or cream goes on top of other liquid or cream products. If you’ve used a liquid or cream foundation or BB cream, make sure that you’re either using the highlighter in the same consistency. If not, set the makeup using a loose powder and then use a powder highlighter. This way, the highlighter will stay put and not skid or crease later.
There’s an easy way on how to use highlighter when done the right way. Before you find the right highlighter shade, start with your face prep to make sure the final result is poppin’.
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Cleanse
Start by cleaning your face to clear out all your pores and unclog them. Makeup lasts longer when it’s well absorbed into your skin.
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Hydrate
Use a moisturiser and a primer or a moisturising primer to prep your face. This way your makeup sticks to your skin, doesn’t melt off easily, and doesn’t enter your pores.
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Ace The Base
Start with your concealers, contours, foundation, and cream blushes. If you are using a liquid highlighter, use that too before you go in with your setting powder and powder blushes and highlighters.
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Time To Highlight
Apply highlighter to your cheeks, bridge of the nose, chin, under brow, and inner corner of your eyes. If you are wearing a deep-neck, off-shoulder, or a spaghetti top add some highlighter to your collarbone and décolletage as well.
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Blend & Set
Make sure you blend everything to avoid sharp lines. Finish it off with a makeup setting spray to keep everything in place.
How To Apply Powder Highlighter
Step 1: Take a fan brush or a small tapered brush and lightly brush it over your highlighter, tap off the excess.
Step 2: Keeping a light hand, sweep it across the high points of your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose. You may use your finger or a smaller brush to apply it on your cupid’s bow or brow bone.
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How To Apply Liquid Highlighter
Step 1: Take a small quantity of the liquid highlighter and dab it across the points you want to highlight. Then using your finger/brush/beauty blender, blend it out for a sheer, illuminating glow.
Step 2: You can ace a lit-from-within glow by mixing a little liquid highlighter with your liquid/cream foundation.
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How To Apply Cream Highlighter
Step 1: Just like your liquid highlighter, take some cream highlighter and dab it on the points you want to stand out.
Step 2: Using your fingers/beauty blender blend it out in a stippling motion.
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Parting Thoughts
Leave everyone wondering how you apply highlighter with this guide and get that on-the-glow look every time, making it more than a beginner’s fluke. Understanding your skin type, highlighter formulas, and shades can help you achieve that natural yet shimmery look that’s about to be the talk of the town for days.
FAQs
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How to use a highlighter?
Before you use a highlighter, make sure your face is clean and unclogged. You don’t want your makeup sliding off. Cleanse and hydrate your skin so the makeup including your highlighter sticks to your skin well. Apply cream highlighters first and then powder highlighters to build the formulation.
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How to use a makeup highlighter?
Apply highlighter to your cheekbones, under the brow bone, the bridge of the nose, the centre of the chin, the cupid’s bow, and the inner corners of the eye. Apply in small qualities and build your way up to a radiant face. Highlight the high points of your face for a natural look.
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What are the different types of highlighters?
The different types of highlighters are liquid, strobe, powder, stick, brick, and cream. Cream, liquid, and strobe highlighters are great for people with dry and dull skin. Powder highlighters are great to build and stick highlighters are great for touch-ups and carry-ons.
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What shade of highlighter should I use?
While choosing a highlighter, pick a shade lighter than your skin tone to highlight the high points of your face. The light hits the high points of your face first and a light shade will capture that light and brighten your face.
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How to apply highlighter?
Apply in small strokes and build the colour slowly. You don’t want to add too much and end up looking comical. Use a powder highlighter if you are a beginner as it is buildable and highly pigmented.
