How To Apply Highlighter For A Fresh, Natural Glow

A good highlighter can elevate any look – irrespective of your skin tone or type, whether you use it on bare skin or with a full face of makeup. The trick to making the most of it is product choice and how you place it on the face. 

Below, we explain how to apply highlighter to get the most stunning, fresh-faced glow.

Choosing the right highlighter

Cream highlighters look the most natural and are great for dry or mature skin. Powders offer longevity, so they’re ideal for oily skin types. Many liquid highlighters on the market are great for mixing with foundation or face cream. 

In terms of shade, choose one that matches your skin’s undertones for the most natural effect. For example, highlighters with a golden tint look beautiful on warmer skin tones, while more silvery ones suit cooler skin tones.  

But if you choose a sheer formula, you can get away with almost any highlighter shade. 

Try: The Ever Bronze Compact Powder has three different colours, from light to medium to deep, to suit all skin tones. Each palette contains two shades to give your complexion a natural luminosity and sun-kissed effect. This bronzer also enriches with safflower to help intensify the tan.

How to apply highlighter

How you apply your highlighter depends on the formula you choose and the effect you want to achieve. For example, powders are best used with a medium-sized fluffy powder brush or a fan brush for a more precise application. 

You want to place it on areas that naturally catch light – on all the high points of the face, which will slightly differ for every face shape.  

For a subtle effect, lightly dab on the tops of the cheekbones, just under the arches of the brows, the inner corners of the eyes and on the cupid’s bow.  

If you want a bit more, blend your cheek highlighter up towards your temples and sweep a little along the bridge of the nose and just above the jawline, too. Want to amplify the shine? Layer your highlighters. Apply a cream formula first, then set it with a powder highlighter in a similar shade.

You can also highlight your body. There is a little shine on the collarbones and tops of the shoulders, and the décolletage looks beautiful. 

Follows with a hint of Joli Blush to light up your face.

Other ways to amplify your glow

Let your skincare do half the job

Your skincare routine already shoulders many responsibilities – it protects, treats and prevents damage. But there’s one more thing it’s perfect at – offering a layer of all-over glow.  

For instance, Double Serum’s plant extract-rich formula works hard to fight signs of premature ageing. But when you apply it, you will also notice how it instantly makes the skin look radiant and juicy.  

Similarly, SPF with a bit of tint, like the UV PLUS [5P] Anti-Pollution SPF 50 Rose, also has a glow-inducing effect. The sunscreen has a lightweight, easily-absorbed gel texture for an instant rosy glow while protecting your skin against 5 pollutants encountered in everyday life. Please don’t waste it. Get as much luminosity as possible from your skincare before moving to make-up.

Apply a radiant-finish foundation

Another trick to add glow before you even reach for your highlighter? Choose a foundation with a luminous finish like the Skin Illusion Foundation. The foundation is formulated with red jania extract and Light Optimising Complex to instantly revive radiance.

Layer up your highlighter

Can’t seem to get enough glow? Feel free to layer your highlighters. For example, use a cream first on the high points of the face and then sweep a powder highlighter over it. This will make it last longer and create a more dramatic effect. 

Try a wet brush

If you like powder highlighters, boost their shine by wetting your brush with a setting spray (Try Fix’ Make-Up) before loading it with the highlighter. This technique isn’t for the weak-hearted – it will create an intense, metallic shine that will surely catch the light, especially if you’re being photographed. 

Powder strategically

When you’re setting your make-up, avoid applying powder all over. Instead, preserve the glow from your skincare and foundation, and place the powder only along the T-zone or greasy areas. 

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