Which highlighter is best for all skin types?

Highlighter has long been the show-off of the make-up world. Sparkly and shimmery, wrapped up in gilded packaging, these illuminating powders and creams are designed with magpies in mind – and made for festive nights.2 But a great highlighter shouldn't be reserved solely for parties and nightclubs – in fact, this season's best new launches are destined to become a key component in your everyday line-up. The trick is simply to choose the right one.

Sure, there’s a time and a place for disco-ball shimmer, but to really trick the light, a softer stance is better, as make-up artist Celia Burton explains. “Balms and creams have a texture that’s much closer to the skin’s natural form – we don’t tend to look powdery naturally. So to use highlighters (or blushes) with this consistency keeps the skin looking human.”

How to apply highlighter

The joy of balm and cream highlighters is that you can simply dab them on with your finger – but if you prefer a brush, a small synthetic foundation or concealer brush works just as well. However, be aware that buffing with a brush is likely to shift any base products you’ve applied beneath. “If you have a heavy-ish base on, use a finger. If not so much, use a brush,” adds Burton.

While creams and balms can deliver believable gleam like no other, nothing rivals a powder when it comes to impact and staying power. “A powder is good for a more ‘make-up-y’ finish, which isn’t a bad thing,” says Burton. Using a fluffy brush, swirl yours over a base of foundation and setting powder to ensure an even, airbrushed effect.

Where to place highlighter

When faking a glow, It’s not just the texture you should consider – positioning is crucial too. “Highlighter should be placed where light naturally hits the face – the cheek, top of the cheek bone, brow bone, Cupid's bow and chin,” says Burton.

The finishing touch

Really, an iridescent highlighter atop a foundation is all you need for a year-round glow, but a pop of blush can take things into even brighter territory. “Try applying the highlight after your blush: layering the two together helps to take down any metallic frostiness and keeps it looking really natural,” says Burton. “Again, I like to use something nice and creamy like Glossier’s Cloud Paint for blush: it’s lightweight, buffs out beautifully and has the best shade range.”

From having more juice to cutting down on the booze, you have tried every trick in the book to make your skin glow. The long wait has probably left you wondering if you’ll get old by the time you manage to get your glow on-point. What if we said you could cheat your way to glowing skin? Yes, you can finally look like a dewy dumpling and get yourself that other-worldly glow with minimal effort. Enter: Highlighter – A light-reflecting product which makes your skin look ridiculously radiant as if you are dead serious about the 8 glasses of water a day rule.

The subtle shimmer can instantly transform you into a diva and make you get away even with little or no makeup. However, the key is to achieve a lit-from-within-glow sans going overboard and ending up resembling an illuminated walking bulb. The right highlighter can help you get the sheen that looks shockingly natural. So, are you ready to get your shine on?

How To Apply Highlighter

Before we help you choose the best highlighters for face, let’s show you how to apply one. Because you wouldn’t want to look like you were rolled around on a plate of glitter, would you?

Step 1: Firstly, wash your face with a cleanser and then apply a layer of lightweight moisturizer.

Step 2: You can now dab a layer of primer and if you are looking for a full coverage, follow it up with foundation and concealer.

Step 3: Now that your base is set, it’s time to go crazy with the highlighter. Dab a beauty sponge or brush on a highlighting formula and press it onto the high points of your face.

Step 4: The key areas to cover include your cheekbones, brow bones, cupid’s bow, and down the bridge of your nose.

Step 5: For the inner corners of your eyes and the tip of your nose, switch to a fine tip brush to ensure precise application of the product.

Step 6: For a seamless finish, blend out the product with your fingertips.

Best Highlighters

We took it upon ourselves to round up the best highlighters that you should add to your beauty closet to get the dewiest skin of your life.

• Highlighters For Different Skin Tones

1. Highlighter For Fair Skin: Kay Beauty Illuminating Highlighter - Frosted Ice

Here’s your one way ticket to my-skin-but-better kind of glow with the Kay Beauty Illuminating Highlighter. A few strobes of this lightweight formula with shimmery finish will leave you with a luminous sheen that you’ve secretly gawked at in the magazines. Besides, your skin will love the way Avocado and Mango Butter team up to smoothly glide and blend on your contours – you will know that with the way your cheekbones pop to unveil an even more gorgeous you.

2. Highlighter For Medium Skin: Makeup Revolution Highlight Reloaded - Raise the Bar

A good highlighting product should melt into your skin to seamlessly blend and lend you that youthful glow. Meet Makeup Revolution Highlight Reloaded - Raise the Bar that does just that and more. This ultra-pigmented formula is concentrated with shimmering pigments that instantly light up your complexion without leaving tell-tale highlighter stripes. For an intense, foil-like finish you can team it up with a setting spray.

3. Highlighter For Dusky Skin: Nykaa Strobe & Glow Liquid Highlighter - Gold Mine

Turn yourself into a glowing goddess with the Nykaa Strobe & Glow Liquid Highlighter. It’s lightweight formula blends effortlessly, dries down to diffuse light and leaves you with a natural looking dewy finish. Besides, this vegan formula is enriched with glided pearls to deliver pure luminescence that’s neither too sparkly nor sticky. Oh, and it comes with a dropper applicator which is a blessing for anyone who could do with controlled usage.

• Highlighters For Different Skin Types

1. Highlighter For Oily Skin: SUGAR Contour De Force Mini Highlighter

If you’re a glow getter like us but are worried about your skin acting up, don’t worry your time to glow has arrived. The dermatologically tested, SUGAR Contour De Force Mini Highlighter with its buttery soft, lightweight formula gives you the elusive lit-from-within look that you’ve been craving for without ruining your skin. Free from mineral oils and parabens, you can layer it on without risking breakouts. Yay.

2. Highlighter For Combination Skin: Palladio I'M Glowing Liquid Highlighter

Can’t stop fantasizing about a highlighter than can give you a dewy-finish glow? Same, which is why we have searched for the one that can make our dreams come true. The hydrating Palladio I'M Glowing Liquid Highlighter delivers a dewy multi-shimmer glow thanks to its shimmering pearl pigments. Plus, it’s infused with powerhouse ingredients like Aloe and Chamomile that smoothly glide on your skin to recreate a healthy natural glow. We see you shining!

3. Highlighter For Sensitive Skin: Ruby's Organics Creme Highlighter

Who says you are too sensitive for a little shimmer? You could do with a little glow too although what you need is a highlighter that is free from parabens, petroleum, alcohol, silicones, artificial fragrance, synthetic preservatives and the other bad guys. Enter: Ruby's Organics Creme Highlighter. Infused with Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter, it comes with a balm-like weightless texture that blends effortlessly to lend you a luminous glow. It’s the kind that can be easily tossed into your bag when you need the just-awake skin anytime during the day.

4. Highlighter For Dry Skin: Inglot Glow On Highlighter

A dollop of the right highlighter can make dry and dull skin look more awake and glowing. The Inglot Glow On Highlighter with its creamy base ensures effortless application to lend you that subtle glow. It’s totally mess-free and will help you create the much needed soft-focus look to give you more satisfying selfies. Besides, this one can also double up as a face primer. Talk about multi-tasking!

5. Highlighter For Normal Skin: Swiss Beauty Drop and Glow Liquid Highlighter

If you are settling for highlighters that ghost on you even before the end of the day inches closer, it’s time you ask for more. The Swiss Beauty Drop and Glow Liquid Highlighter with its long-lasting formula settles in your skin to provide a smooth, radiant finish. Oh and when we say radiant, we mean without the traces of obvious sparkle flakes. Plus, it promises to be waterproof so you can splash all you want, this one has chosen to stay committed.

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