Some things, other than Candy Crush, keep me awake at night. Lately I’ve been thinking about how confusing highlighting and contouring can be with the overwhelming amount of products out there. There are highlighters, brighteners, illuminators, concealers and correctors. There are liquids, powders, creams and wands. It makes my head spin. All I want is to have skin like J.Lo. Is that too much to ask? I went digging through the ridiculous amount of products I’ve purchased over the years that I thought would be THE ONE. Then I became more confused because they are all so different. After days of trying them all out on different areas, I want to try to minimize the pain that is the pursuit of glowing skin.
- Highlighters are generally products that contain a bit of fine shimmer to accentuate high points on the face, i.e.., cheekbones, browbones. They are most often in the form of creams or powders and can be the gold, pink or beige. Apply them carefully and remember that shimmer can accentuate pores. I have found that it’s best to avoid the T-Zone with these. My favorites are Benefit Watt’s Up, NARS Albatross, and Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand in Pearl.
- Brighteners usually refer to products that are lighter than your foundation shade, don’t contain shimmer, and are used to reflect light on areas that create a dark shadow. They are more sheer than concealer. An example of how to use one would be under the eyes but after concealer is applied, down the center of your nose (because they don’t contain shimmer like a highlighter) and your cupid’s bow. I like Yves St. Laurent Touche Eclat in Radiant Touch.
- Concealers do just what the name implies…conceal. They are generally more pigmented to allow for better coverage and can be used under the eyes, on blemishes and areas of darker pigmentation. For concealing under the eyes, it’s best to choose a color that is on the opposite side of the color spectrum from whatever you’re trying to cover, ie., blue-ish tones should choose pink, green-ish tones should choose peach. Once you conceal, then you can brighten (see above). For blemishes and pigmentation, choose the color that is the closest to your skin. My favorite concealer is Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. I also love the her corrector in Light Peach when I really have dark circles. See my post on how to use corrector and concealer here.
- Illuminators are products that can be used on larger areas and are usually mixed with your foundation or applied before for an overall complexion wake-up. They can be pink, gold, beige or bronze and are generally liquid. A great way to use one would be to mix with a matte foundation for a more satin or luminous finish. Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer has beautiful illuminators and many people like Benefit Moon Beam and High Beam (see my post with comparisons here).
I took a picture of some of them swatched next to each other so you can see the difference in finishes.
YSL Touche Eclat, Neutrogena Brightening Eye Perfector, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, Benefit Moon Beam, Benefit Watt’s Up, Benefit High Beam
My goal was to keep this post short and concise, which I clearly did not! I think I need to go pour a drink.
What is/are your favorite product(s) to highlight, brighten, conceal or illuminate?
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