How and where to apply highlighter on the face correctly: step-by-step application diagram with photos and videos

What is a highlighter and what is it for?

Highlighter is a cosmetic product whose main purpose is to “attract” light rays and reflect them, creating the illusion of skin illuminated from within.

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Highlighter gives the skin radiance, making it more fresh and rested, and also allows you to contour your face.

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The basic rule of contouring is this: darken everything you want to hide, highlight everything you want to emphasize.

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This is exactly what a highlighter is for: it is used to highlight areas of the face that you want to emphasize, as well as to divert attention from problem areas. For a detailed diagram of face sculpting, follow the link.

In addition, highlighter helps hide wrinkles, correct skin texture and give it a healthy color.

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Thanks to the highlighter, you can visually enlarge your eyes and give them greater expressiveness, emphasize the line of your eyebrows, visually make your nose smaller, and also add volume to your lips.

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Where did it all start? From the history of highlighter

The contouring craze began in 2012 with the help of Kim Kardashian, but black and white correction techniques were known long before that.

As early as the 1500s in Elizabethan England, stage actors contoured their faces using chalk and soot to make their faces more expressive. In the 19th century, electric lighting appeared and it became pointless to use chalk and soot for sculpture: they were too noticeable under bright light bulbs. In order to make the face more expressive and sculpted, the actors began to apply a special composition based on animal fat to the skin: it can be considered a prototype of a highlighter.

Contouring reached a new level in the 1920s, when great film actresses - first of all, Marlene Dietrich - began to actively emphasize their facial features with makeup.

And in 1945, Max Factor created the first detailed make-up instructions on how to compete a face depending on its shape: we still use these schemes today.

Using highlighter for every face type

Photo - Face correction using cosmetics
The rules for using highlighter are extremely simple for each face shape, you just need to shade it very well. On a round face, you need to pay special attention to the cheekbones and the area under the eyes; we paint it with triangles.

If you have an oval face , then simply apply it in the same way as blush - under the eyes in small circles and blend. For a rectangular shape, it is necessary to use semicircles under the eyes, but the square can be slightly improved with rectangular stripes under the lower eyelid.

In what cases is it appropriate to use shimmer? In any makeup that requires a contrasting combination of light and shadow, if the face is imperfect (long or wide nose, protruding chin, wrinkled forehead, etc.), if you need to refresh yourself a little (outwardly), after a sleepless night.

RECOMMENDED READING : roll-on blush.

How to use highlighter?

Highlighter is a product that requires many nuances to be taken into account when using it. Texture, shade, method of application - all these factors matter, so each stage should be described in more detail.

Where to apply highlighter?

There are six main areas where highlighter can be applied. The choice of one zone or another depends on the goal you are pursuing.

Eyes

To visually enlarge your eyes and give them shine, apply highlighter precisely to the inner corners (you can directly with your finger), and then blend it out. You can also create fashionable smoky eyes with a shining highlight. To do this, place a dot in the middle of the eyelid with a powder or liquid highlighter.

Cheekbones

To give your skin a fresher look, apply highlighter to the highest points of your cheekbones.

This will create a beautiful glow that will be noticeable when you turn your head, and will also help make your face more prominent. Apply with fingers or a brush.

Forehead

If you want to add freshness to your face, apply a little highlighter to your forehead, to the area between your eyebrows. However, if you have oily skin, it is better not to resort to this trick: you can easily overdo it with glitter and end up with a “sweaty” forehead effect.

Nose

Using a highlighter, you can visually shorten your nose and make it thinner. To make it more graceful, sweep the highlighter from the bridge of your nose to the tip (but you don’t need to touch the tip itself).

Eyebrow area

If you want to visually lift your brow line, apply highlighter along the top line and also add a little product under the brow. Blend (it’s easiest to do this with a brush). This action will also help to visually open your eyes even more. For daytime, choose products with a matte structure, and for evening wear, choose products with glitter or shimmer.

Lips

Using a highlighter, you can easily add extra volume to your lips. Add a little highlighter to the dimple above your upper lip and centered underneath your lower lip.

In summer, highlighter can also be applied to exposed areas of the body - on the collarbones, décolleté, and even on the legs. Use a wide fluffy powder brush for this.

Highlighter as a base

A liquid highlighter or primer with reflective particles is also often used as a base to give the skin a subtle glow (that same effect of skin illuminated from within). An important condition: such a highlighter should not contain large shining particles, otherwise you will not get radiant, but seemingly oily skin. A suitable option for use as a base is Alliance Perfect liquid highlighter from L'Oréal Paris. Apply all over your face except the T-zone to prevent a subtle glow from turning into an oily sheen throughout the day. If your skin needs additional correction, apply foundation on top.

For a video tutorial that will help you instantly make your skin glow, look here:

How to apply highlighter?

When you choose what to apply highlighter with, focus on its texture and your personal preferences.

Liquid and cream highlighter is most conveniently applied with fingers, a sponge or a synthetic bristle brush. You can use a brush to apply foundation or concealer (read more about different types of brushes in our guide).

Dry highlighters are easy to apply using a large fluffy or fan brush in a thin layer. Or use a blush brush.

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For more information on how to apply different types of highlighter, see below:

Skin texture and type: choose consciously

When figuring out how to choose a highlighter color, don’t forget one more important point, without which it’s unlikely to make the right choice. We're talking about the texture of the product itself, as well as your skin type, as this really plays a role. If you don't take into account all these indicators, then in the end you may simply not get the result you would like, so it's worth your time.

Photo from the site: peopletalk.ru

The highlighter has a liquid consistency and is ideal for normal as well as dry facial skin. Most often, it is made on a water basis, so it does not dry out the skin further, creating even greater problems. Such products are applied pointwise and extremely easily shaded over the entire surface of the face, leaving only a light veil of glow and shimmer.
For mature and aging facial dermis, it is better to choose a creamy highlighter texture, even if it is noticeably dry. It is this product that can fill wrinkles in such a way that it remains completely invisible, provided the product is of high quality. Most often, quite a lot of pigment is added to these products, so they also set the tone, and not just add sparkle.
If you are a true fan of an ideal, natural and natural appearance, this does not mean that you have to give up cosmetics. Apply compact or loose powder highlighter and you will always look perfect. This option is not suitable for creating contours, and for spot application it will be completely useless, but for oily dermis it will be just the perfect remedy.

The ideal highlighter option for those who simply adore an active lifestyle and are constantly on the move is a highlighter stick, which you can very easily and simply throw in your purse and take with you anywhere, be it to a club, a restaurant, or a social gathering. reception or dance evening.

How to choose a highlighter shade?

It’s not so easy to understand the shades of highlighter: the tube can contain either a translucent liquid or a dense product with a peach hue. When choosing a color, it is important to take your skin tone into account.

If you have fair skin, highlighters with a delicate pearl sheen will allow you to create a soft result without an “icy” effect. They add radiance to the skin with delicate pearlescent particles.

If your skin is dark or tanned, look for options with golden pigment (like champagne highlighter), as well as warm copper and bronze highlighters.

Pinkish shades are suitable for those with skin with a reddish undertone.

The highlighter always contains shining particles - golden, bronze or silver.

To find out which option is best for you, take a simple test. What jewelry suits you best? If silver or platinum, choose a highlighter in a silver or pale pink shade.

How to choose a highlighter with the right “finish”?

One of the most important characteristics of a highlighter is the shine it leaves behind. A lot also depends on this parameter:

Shimmer highlighter contains glitter, the size of which may vary. Large shimmer is only suitable for evening makeup, as in daylight it will look too unnatural.

The satin highlighter has such fine shimmering particles that it creates the most natural effect of illuminated skin: it can even be used in office makeup.

Highlighter with an HD effect usually contains reflective components that diffuse the light. It gives you a photoshop effect, so use it as a base for your foundation to create perfect skin.

To understand how large glitter the highlighter contains, apply the product to the back of your hand and blend to zero. A product with a satin effect will disappear without a trace, while a highlighter with shimmer will leave sparkles.

Tips from makeup artists for applying highlighter

Before applying highlighter to your skin, you should moisturize it and do your base makeup. The illuminator is applied at the end of the entire makeup, since it is at this stage that areas that need highlighting or highlighting are identified. Apply highlighter in a minimal layer.
If there are small wrinkles in the corners of the lips, you can hide them with the help of a highlighter; to do this, you need to put dots in the places where the folds form. Highlight a seductive swoosh above your upper lip with a dot of shimmer and lightly blend it out.
Applying the product in the area of the nasolabial folds in thin lines and carefully shading it will blur their boundaries, you will be surprised at how soft the curves of your face will become.

Highlighter for the face: what not to do in makeup?

What not to do with highlighter is one of the main questions when handling this decorative cosmetic product, since its inept use can ruin even the most sophisticated makeup. So:

You shouldn’t apply highlighter too much, because you risk looking doll-like and unnatural;
do not use highlighter instead of powder or other concealer, with rare exceptions, and the texture and tone of the chosen product should be taken into account;
do not use different shades of highlighters at the same time in your makeup, remember that for daytime makeup a neutral, light tone is enough, and for the evening version you can choose brighter and more contrasting colors;
Do not apply highlighter to problem areas of the skin where inflammation is observed, acne is present or oily shine appears, because the product will only emphasize these skin imperfections even more.

Highlighter and concealer: what's the difference?

Even though highlighter and concealer are products intended for different purposes, they are often confused. Concealer is a foundation that helps hide skin imperfections: dark circles and “bruises” under the eyes, age spots and local redness (we discussed the properties of concealer in more detail in a separate beauty dossier).

If you use highlighter for the same purpose, it will only make the problem worse. To ensure that both makeup products look appropriate and complement each other, first apply concealer, and then highlight the prominent points of the face with highlighter.

However, there are situations when a concealer or corrector can take on the role of a highlighter. If you accidentally bought a concealer or corrector that is too light, use it to highlight your cheekbones, highlight the corners of your eyes, or visually narrow your nose.

How to remove glitter?

Glitter is a capricious product that is sometimes difficult to wash off with usual means. If you were unable to remove the glitter in the usual way, try removing it:

micellar water (some products in this category can be effective, it all depends on the manufacturer and composition of the product);
a two-phase oil-based makeup remover or hydrophilic oil (such products are usually used to remove stubborn makeup; they do an excellent job of removing glitter); Japanese hydrophilic oil Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil
vegetable oil, such as olive oil (regular edible oil can help gently and effectively remove glitter from your face).

When removing makeup with glitter, you should adhere to general recommendations: often change dirty sponges so as not to smear shimmering particles on your face, and also apply glitter in makeup in a special way: on a primer or base, and then fix it with a spray to fix the makeup. Under the influence of makeup removers, the base begins to “melt”, and the glitter is washed off with it without any problems.

Types of highlighter

Liquid, cream or dry: how do you know which highlighter is right for you? Read the recommendations below.

Liquid highlighter

If you are just starting to use highlighter and are afraid to apply too much, give preference to this product format: it is not so easy to overdo it. You can also mix liquid highlighter with foundation for the most natural look. Liquid highlighter is also indispensable for creating the effect of dewy skin. However, please note that this texture is incompatible with powder products.

Highlighting serum

The highlighting serum is ideal for girls with dry skin, as this product perfectly moisturizes.

Cream highlighter

Cream highlighter is designed to “treat” large areas of the face. It is more convenient for them to correct the cheekbones, nose and jawline. It absorbs well and stays on the skin for a long time.

It should be applied with your finger or a cosmetic sponge over foundation. Often such cream products are produced in the form of highlighter palettes with different shades: this multifunctional product can replace highlighter, blush, and even eye shadow.

Dry highlighter

Their structure is more similar to mineral powder. Ideal for girls with oily skin (we wrote about other nuances of using highlighter in this case here).

Dry highlighters can be applied either over regular powder or over foundation. It can also highlight cheekbones, nose, eyes, lips - it will look appropriate in any type of makeup.

Highlighter pencil

Highlighter in the form of a pencil or stick is one of the most convenient options for contouring the face. It is easy to apply and shade. And thanks to its convenient format, it fits in any handbag.

Rating of highlighter manufacturers

A good result in makeup can only be achieved by using high-quality cosmetics. We have made a selection of the most famous highlighters based on reviews on forums and online stores. There are options for every taste and budget.

Catrice High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder and Catrice & Marina Hoermanseder (Catrice) - dry highlighter for a typical and thick face from a German cosmetics manufacturer. It is characterized by ease of application and natural pearls in its composition. Many people say that the glitter in it is too huge and upon closer examination they are clearly visible. Available in 2 shades. The Hoermanseder series belongs to a limited collection - these are reflective blush in balls.

Smart girl Incredible Hollywood (Smart Girl) is a fairly budget option from Belarus for creating a soft glow on the face. It is recommended for use on thick skin: it contains strong absorbents and antioxidants. These are jojoba oil, macadamia oil and pearl particles. Can be used for body shading.

Essence Blossom Dreams Rainbow Highlighter (Essence) is an iconic light highlighter for all complexions with a soft creamy texture. It literally shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. Exceptional, not suitable for dark or tanned faces - it will look flashy and vulgar. It goes on softly, very naturally, and blends out perfectly. Available in 2 versions: liquid (described above) and dry (Essence Prismatic Rainbow). The closest analogue of this luminizer is MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (MAC).

NYX Professional Makeup Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator (Nix) is a highly professional cosmetics from an overseas manufacturer. This is a liquid fluid to give your face and body a glorious natural glow. The product can be mixed with other cosmetics, creating the result of a shiny haze.

Revlon Highlighting Palette (Revlon) is a highly professional stick from the famous cosmetics brand. The palette includes 5 shades for correction. Each can be used separately - in the form of blush, powder or concealer. Or - together and get a wonderful result of iridescent shine. For those who like more affordable cosmetics, we also suggest trying My Must Haves Highlighter Powder from Essence. It's no crappier, and costs about half as much.

Maybelline Master Strobing Stick Illuminating Highlighter (Maybelline) is a liquid highlighter from the famous company. Allows you to paint even the most problematic areas. It contains silicones, so the product blends out perfectly and applies evenly. Although it is not suitable for daily use, it clogs pores.

L'Oreal Alliance Perfect (L'Oreal) is an impeccable liquid highlighter for every complexion. It has the usual shine, and each comes in a variety of multifunctional shades: pearl-silver tone and beige-pink. This is absolutely enough to create a regular glow. On dark and tanned girls it looks catchy.

H&M Highlight cream delicately highlights the areas under the eyes and on the forehead, but is not suitable for sparkling contouring. Its cost is within 20 bucks. This is a stick with liquid cream and a professional brush made of unnatural wool. Available in gold and pearl shades. As an alternative for dark skin, you can try Diorskin nude air Glowing Gardens from Dior.

SLEEK MakeUP Barekissed Illuminator is a semi-professional luminizer for anti-aging techniques (shading the skin around the eyes, disguising bruises and age spots). Its structure is dense-liquid: slightly denser than cream, but lighter than a pencil.

Highlighter Eva Mosaic (Eva Mosaic) is the most inexpensive light reflector for facial skin of all those described above. It is sold in the Eva and Magnit chain stores and is a thick baked stick. Despite its affordable price, the forums say that it creates a very well-deserved result of overflow. A similar thing can be achieved with the more expensive option from Pupa – Highlighter Bronze.

By choosing the right highlighter, you can immediately solve the problems of “not getting enough sleep” eyes and noticeable bruises. We advise you to buy two versions of the product at once - liquid for thorough correction and dry for working out small imperfections.

Products with highlighting effect

If you don’t have a highlighter on hand, you can replace it with some other products, one of which will definitely be in your cosmetic bag. Or do exactly the opposite: use your highlighter as eye shadow, blush or powder.

Shadow highlighter

If you want to add a little sparkle to your eyes and highlight them, use eye shadow with a highlighting effect. They usually have a peach or silver tint.

Place a small amount of pigment on the applicator or you can apply the pigment directly with your fingers. Blend all over the eyelid or along the lash line. Highlighters with gold particles are especially suitable for girls with blue eyes.

You can also blend them onto the top of your cheeks or add them to the area under your eyebrows.

Corrector-highlighter

We have already told you that a corrector or concealer is not at all the same as a highlighter, and their functions are completely different. But there is one area where one product can really replace another: use a concealer a shade or two lighter than your skin to “highlight” the high points of your face. In addition, you can trust the unique Touche Éclat concealer-highlighter from YSL.

Initially, shimmering particles are included in the composition in order to use light reflection to distract attention from skin imperfections. But they also allow you to use such concealers instead of highlighter.

Blush highlighter

Blush with radiant particles is a great solution to make your face fresh in a couple of seconds. In this case, you should choose the shade of blush based on the characteristics of your skin. A universal option is blush in delicate pink and peach tones, which will help give a delicate color to your skin and hide fatigue.

Bronzer

Bronzer allows you to give your skin a tan effect. In addition, there are bronzers with a highlighting effect that will help correct certain areas of the face.

Bronzers can also be applied to the body. To give a more natural shade, it is better to mix it with your body cream. By the way, you can learn how to make your face more tanned from this video:

Powder highlighter

To lighten individual areas of the skin, apply highlighting powder in several layers, or spread a thin layer over the entire face. It is distributed in a thin layer and does not look unnatural. A worthy option is the collaboration between Maybelline New York and Puma. The product helps create a slight cool glow on the skin with a metallic tint.

Lipstick with shine effect

Lipsticks in light shades (from pale pink to peach) with shining particles can be used as a highlighter. Apply it in the same way as any other highlighter stick. A great example is lipstick from the Vice collection from Urban Decay in the shade Bobby Dazzle.

Strobing with highlighter

Strobing is a fashionable makeup technique, the main task is to give the face a healthy and radiant look by carefully highlighting the prominent areas with a highlighter. Find instructions on how to repeat this look in our video.

Another beauty fad that involves using highlighter is shoulder strobing. Read more about this trend here.

Three main mistakes when using highlighter

You cannot use highlighter where nature provides shadow: in the subzygomatic and temporal areas, on the wings and on the tip of the nose. Where the highlighter should be applied is shown in the diagram.

Avoid applying highlighter along the jawline. This way the face will look as if it is illuminated from below, it will become heavier and more voluminous, and the effect of a double chin may appear.

If you overdo it with highlighter, an unpleasant “greasy” shine may appear on your face. To prevent this from happening, apply a small amount of the product, regardless of its texture.