Your Highlighter Questions Answered

I suspect this is one of the most asked questions in the SL Community, but the answer depends on your skin type and personal preference. My go-to would be a liquid highlighter set with a powder highlight. This technique ensures longevity and real colour payoff. However, if your skin type is dry, a liquid will deliver more of a glossy, fresh look. If you're on the oilier side, opt for a powder to avoid excess shine. For liquid highlighters, the Iconic London Illuminator and Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Light Wand are my go-tos, and for powder it’s the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Highlighting Powder.

It all starts with a good base. Ensure your foundation, concealer and anything already on your skin is blended thoroughly and properly set. This won’t just make any highlighting products applied on top look their best; it’ll also stop them sliding off during the day. To avoid stripping away the rest of your make-up when applying highlighter, I like using a small fan brush. They’re incredibly lightweight, so they can glide over your skin without disturbing any of your hard work underneath. Also, be sure to apply your highlighter in thin layers for the most natural-looking finish. You can always go back in with a bit more to build things up and intensify the glow if needed.

It’s all about your undertones. If your skin is fairer with cooler undertones, you don't want anything too warm as this will bring down the complexion, rather than lift it. So, opt for a champagne or pearly pink shade, as these create more luminescence – rather than a warm tint that you may otherwise get from your blush or bronzer in other areas of the face. For medium-toned skin with yellow undertones, a peachy shade will look really beautiful. Deeper skin tones should avoid shades that will give off an ashy look – so highlighters with a golden undertone work best. For this I’d recommend NARS St Barts, M·A·C Mineralize ‘Global Glow’ and Laura Mercier ‘Seduction’.

Don't forget in the corner of your eyes! This really makes such a huge difference in brightening up the face. It actually creates a bit of an optical illusion too. Don’t forget to apply it under the brow bone either, as it’s also a lovely spot for creating depth in the face. Additionally, the cupid’s bow and down the centre of the nose can also help lift your complexion.

If a fan brush isn’t for you, try a regular powder brush. Opt for a smaller size so that you can precisely navigate the product to the correct place and avoid getting shimmer all over the face. The BareMinerals Diffused Highlight Brush is perfect for this, as is a small blending brush like M·A·C 221S Mini Tapered Blending Brush if you’re working on the areas around the brow bone and eyes. Also, don't be afraid to spray your brushes with a bit of setting spray to allow for a more precise and intense application. Regardless of whether you’re using a liquid, cream or powder highlight, this step really helps with blending out the pigment. It allows the product to melt into the rest of your make-up for that glass-like finish.

To keep highlighter (and the rest of your make-up) in place, make sure you’re using a setting spray like the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray before and after you apply your make-up. Another tip would be to ensure your skincare has fully absorbed before applying anything on top. Sometimes, if your skin is still tacky or wet from skincare, it can cause your make-up to slide around later in the day.

If you want to set the skin but not lose your glow, just don’t powder in the areas where your highlighter sits. I tend to only powder under the jaw, around the nose, between the eyebrows and into the temples. This allows your highlighted areas to stay radiant, and other areas that may potentially look too shiny, stay matte.

I find a liquid highlighter works best for this because these products keep the skin hydrated – especially if you’re using a product that contains a kind-to-the-skin formula like Glossier, for example.

I tend to avoid this personally. If I want to add extra glow to my foundation, I’ll add an oil into my skincare routine for a really radiant finish. Remember, we don't need highlighter all over our face – instead, we need to use it to highlight the top points of our face to create lift and dimension. I do, however, sometimes mix a few drops of liquid highlighter into my body moisturiser if I ever need an extra shot of glow on my body.