D.I.Y. highlighting guide for glowing skin
Items I use for my own highlighter: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +, MAC pigments in Pink Bronze, Tan, Pink Opal
Pigment swatches, Pink Bronze, Tan, Pink Opal. Great highlighter shades for dark, medium, and light skins.
Make Your Own: Liquid Highlighter [Super Quick Trick for Glowing Skin]
It’s not always easy finding the right shade and formula of highlighter to suit your skin type and skin color, because the shops usually only come out with 1 or 2 generic colors, and I find many formulas either too shimmery and sparkly, not pigmented enough, too greasy, or they set too fast to spread and blend nicely.
The solution?
Just mix your own.
And there’s hardly any mess or wastage involved. Of course, this post is only for those who might want to do a little D.I.Y. instead of purchasing a separate highlighting product. If you already own good ones like Becca’s or The Body Shop’s. or you have oily cheekbones and prefer powder highlighters, then this post isn’t for you!
You will need:
- A moisturizer that is not too thick and greasy, or that sets quickly or too matte. I used Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +, because it’s silky enough to impart a nice glow to the cheekbones and “dissolve” the pigments nicely, but it’s not too heavy or greasy. You can use any lotion that YOU like as long as it works with your skin.
- Choice of pigments or powder shadows in a shade that works for your skin tone. I have 3 color recommendations. You don’t need these exact products. Just something similar.
- Pale to medium-light skins: Example shade - MAC Pink Opal. Look for any pale shade that shifts a rosy pink when you rub it out. (I’m demonstrating with something I mixed up myself, and it’s just a slightly more matte version of Pink Opal.)
- Medium to tan skins: Example shade - MAC Tan pigment. Look for a metallic beige with a bronze cast. Nothing too orange or too yellow or you will look jaundiced.
- Darker skins: Example shade - MAC Pink Bronze. This is an interesting translucent bronze that shifts a rosy coppery-pink. It will not look chalky or ashy the way some lighter pigments will, and that hint of rose will just liven up the complexion better than a yellow or orange-toned bronze.
Don’t rub the moisturizer in!
For more intense sheen, dunk two fingers. But always test with one until you’re sure you want more shine.
You want to just dab and pat enough to incorporate the pigment into the cream so it can be blended out smoothly.
Don’t rub and rub until most of the highlight ends up on your fingers instead of your cheekbones. And DO NOT blend it down too low or too far into the inner cheek area or you will emphasize your pores and look greasy.
Tip: With what’s left on your fingers, rub along your brow bone because that’s all part of the package.
In the above image, I’m actually wearing medium-coverage foundation, concealer, and powder. The beauty of it is if you use a light hand, you create the illusion of fresh, almost bare skin just by adding a subtle highlight to the cheekbones and brow bones.
Caution: The only time I would say to be careful is if you have a lot of spots or uneven skin around the cheekbone area. Any sheen or shimmer instantly highlights skin texture and contours, so if you have spots and wrinkles there, this will make them way more obvious.