I recently put together a list of my top five products for shading, so it only seems right to follow with some products that will draw the eye – the highlighters.
When it comes to highlighter, you generally want to avoid product containing high quantities of glitter or shimmer particles. A soft sheen or pearlescent effect is generally enough for most needs, otherwise it can be too distracting and unless you want a touch of disco to your make-ups, generally looks pretty terrible in photographs and on camera.
Here are my top five highlighters…
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Honeypie Minerals – Pearlescent Powder
This beautiful loose mineral powder is fantastic for adding a subtle sheen to your skin. Apply over foundation to create a dewy base or use on its own to add highlights to your cheeks or collarbone, alternatively dot over matte eyeshadows for a little extra sparkle.
£3.99 or £5.99 from Honeypie Minerals
Living Luminiser – RMS Beauty
This award winning illuminator is a best seller everywhere. A sheer, multipurpose product that can be mixed or used alone, Living Luminzer looks great on all skin tones and is packed full of super skin-caring Coconut oil.
£30.00 from Content
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Ilia Beauty – Polka Dots & Moonbeams (I just love the name!)
A subtle highlighter that contains nourishing rosehip oil, Polkadots and Moonbeams (the name of which I guess is taken from the Frank Sinatra classic) gives a lovely dewy glow to the skin.
£30.00 from Content
Organic Glam – Illuminator
This is a lovely liquid highlighter perfect for those of you who don’t like a creamy formulation. Available in three tones – Pink Ice, Silver Ice and Warm Gold. The Warm Gold is a great choice for darker skin tones and all three look stunning on the cheekbones, collarbone or eyelids.
£19.96 from The Organic Pharmacy
Vapour Organic Beauty – Trick Stick
A sheer highlighter than illuminates the face and gives it a beautiful glow. Trick Stick contains soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients, making it ideal for even the most sensitive skins. Available in two shades; Dazzle (a shimmering gold) and Star (a platinum).
£16.00 from Naturisimo
Images courtesy of: Ilia Beauty, Vapour Organic Beauty, Organic Pharmacy, RMS Beauty and Honeypie Minerals
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Hi, there is a link the the organic pharmacy where you left out the “the” and it leads to a strange website.
Hi Charlotte, thanks for pointing out the typo – It has now been rectified :)
I don't really understand what illuminator does…can i wear it on its own with just concealer or does it need colour underneath? does it just make you shiny?
Hi
Good question! An Illuminator/Highlighter is a product used to add definition to a certain area by highlighting areas of the face on which the sun would usually hit first. It can also help to 'bring out' an area; i.e. making appear more prominent.
Usually applied above the cheekbones, brow bone, inner corners of the eye, cupids bow and sometimes the forehead – a highlighter should not be used in place of a concealer as they do different jobs.
In recent years there has been a trend for applying an illuminating product to the under eye (this is a bit of a bug-bear of mine) however this generally leads to the appearance of a reverse panda eye (pale look patches around the eye) or too much shine beneath the eye.
To sum up, stick to using a concealer under the eye and on any blemishes or dark circles and apply a highlighter/illuminator to the areas you want to highlight and draw attention to.
I hope this helps :)
L x