How to Highlight Your Face the Right Way

In the previous blog we talked about the Right Way to Contour Your Face.  Next, we will move on to Highlighting. Take a peek at the steps below for step 2 of a perfectly sculpted face!

Prep for Face Highlighting:

Apply a base. You will need foundation under your highlight and contour, whether you are doing a liquid highlight and contour, or a powder one, you will need a base.

Your base depends on the type of contouring and highlighting you are doing, If you are doing a liquid one, your base might be foundation. If you are doing a powder one, your base might be powder.

Start with your basic makeup application, like your foundation and concealer. Then you can do the contouring and highlighting as an extra step.

Option 1 - make a triangle shape under the eye.

How To Highlight Your Face:

If you want to use a highlighting concealer, like me, grab one that is two to three shades lighter than your foundation shade. Highlight under your eyes. For this there are two ways you can apply your highlight product.

Option 1: Start at the inner corner of your eyes and go down to your nose, then go up to the edge of your eye. This should create a triangle shape; then fill that in with products (no need to be cautious or heavy, you’re going to blend this in). Blend with a blending brush, a beauty blender, foundation brush, or concealer brush.

Option 2: Go all the way to your temples. Follow Option 1 but, but instead of going to the edge of your eye, you will go all the way to your temples.

Continue by drawing a thin, straight line down the middle of your nose. Now go to your forehead. Draw a straight line right above your nose, which means right in the middle of your forehead. Then draw two lines on either side of that other vertical line. These two lines will follow the shape of your eyebrows.  Again, perfection is not needed; you can be very haphazard with this part.  You’ll blend it every section at the end anyhow.

A translucent powder on a fluffy powder brush all over the face will work great!

For your cupids bow (just above you upper lip), just follow the natural lines of your face. For your chin, you can draw horizontal lines or vertical lines on the highest point of the chin.

For the sides of the face draw dots on the high points of your cheek bones, and go in a “C” shape twice down the side, and you’ll naturally hit all the high points. Blend, blend, blend, and blend. I cannot stress this enough when it comes to highlight and contour technique.

The idea is to make it look natural, not cake-y! Whatever brush or method you choose, make sure it is well blended because the concealer is two to three shades lighter than your foundation shade, so you don’t want white stripes all over your face. Set the highlighting. Grab a lighter powder than your regular setting powder, and lightly stipple it onto the concealer. Setting this will help your concealer not to crease.

Face Highlight Tips:

Highlighter should be almost the color of your skin, with just a hint of shine, in my opinion. Avoid anything with noticeable sparkles, which can look chalky or just plain unnatural. (Remember you’re not on stage!) Find a formula that mimics your skin’s texture so it just looks more believable.

If you have fair skin, a pearly shade works well, but those with medium and dark complexions need a warmer golden highlighter for a glow that looks natural, not pasty. Highlighter can be pressed or loose powder, cream (best applied with your fingers), or concealer. There is no 1 correct product for everyone; you may have to experiment to get the perfect one for you!  

Highlighting is especially important when you're contouring because it brings the light back into your face. But once again, you don't want to overdo it.

Quickly Highlight Your Face

A 30 second technique: lightly coat your pointer, middle, and ring fingers with highlighter, and then rub them against the same fingers on the other hand. Tap your fingers up and down your cheekbones, and then dab whatever’s left over on your brow bones, the center of your chin, and just one tap on the tip of your nose.

Boom! Done! Knowing your face shape is key; you don’t want to over exaggerate any part of your face. Lastly, don’t forget the blush on the apples of the cheeks to put a flush back in!!

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