Highlighting is a makeup artistry technique that involves using lighter shades of makeup to create contours, enhance features, and give your skin a radiant, illuminated look. Whether you’re aiming for a subtle glow or a bold, radiant face, mastering the art of highlighting can transform your everyday look. Below, we’ll dive into the various highlighting techniques, the tools you’ll need, and how to apply them effectively.
Understanding Highlighting
Before delving into the techniques, it’s important to understand the purpose of highlighting:
- Emphasize Features: Highlighting can make certain facial features, like the cheekbones or brow bones, pop out more.
- Create Depth: It adds dimension to your face by casting subtle shadows and defining contours.
- Illuminate Complexion: It brightens your skin, making it look fresh and awake.
Essential Tools for Highlighting
To achieve the best results, here are the tools you’ll need:
- Highlighter: This can be a cream, powder, or liquid highlighter. Choose based on your skin type and personal preference.
- Brushes or Sponges: Depending on the technique, you might need a flat-top brush, a stippling brush, or a sponge.
- Primer: Applying a primer before highlighting can help your makeup stay in place and gives you a smooth canvas to work with.
- Setting Spray: This will help your highlighter last longer.
Techniques for Applying Highlighter
1. Highlighting the Highs
- Areas to Highlight: The tops of the cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose, the brow bone, the center of the forehead, and the chin.
- How to Apply: Using a small, fluffy brush, gently sweep the highlighter in an upward motion towards the temples for the cheekbones and a straight line across the bridge of the nose. For the brow bone, apply it starting at the inner corner of the eye and sweeping upwards.
2. Contouring with Highlighting
- Areas to Contour: To define your cheekbones, highlight the hollows just below the cheekbones. For the jawline, apply the highlighter under the jawbone.
- How to Apply: Using a brush with a bit of a pointy tip, gently pat the highlighter onto the areas you want to contour. This will give you a more sculpted look.
3. Under-Eye Highlighting
- Areas to Highlight: Just under the eyes, along the socket area.
- How to Apply: Gently tap a small amount of highlighter onto your under-eye area. This will help to brighten and open up your eyes.
4. All-Over Face Highlight
- Areas to Highlight: Apply the highlighter all over your face for a natural, dewy glow.
- How to Apply: Use a sponge or a large, flat brush to blend the highlighter evenly across your face.
5. Under Chin Highlight
- Areas to Highlight: Under the chin.
- How to Apply: Take a small amount of highlighter and pat it just under the chin to elongate your face and give the illusion of a stronger jawline.
Tips for Successful Highlighting
- Choose the Right Color: For fair skin tones, opt for a rose or beige highlighter. For medium to dark skin tones, choose a highlighter with a golden or warm tone.
- Start Light: Apply a small amount of highlighter and build it up if needed. It’s easier to add more product than to blend away excess.
- Blend, Blend, Blend: Proper blending is key to a seamless and natural look. Use a clean brush or sponge to blend the highlighter into your skin.
- Experiment with Techniques: Feel free to try different techniques to see which works best for you and your face shape.
Highlighting is a fun and creative way to elevate your makeup routine. With a bit of practice and experimentation, you’ll be able to achieve a beautifully illuminated face that complements your unique features. Remember, the goal is to enhance your natural beauty, so go with what feels best for you.