Highlight Bling: Conceal, Highlight, & Other Shimmer Adjectives

Bonfires are not traditionally a time where you really need to go all out on your look. If anything, being lit only by the warm glow of a roaring fire and cuddling up in your hoodie (in my case stuffed-in and zipped-up in my leather jacket like some sadistic Italian sausage wrapper) is forgiving. Smudged eye liner and messy hair? Hot. Oily skin that is sort of red from maybe one too many glasses of vino? Sexy. Burnt ash flecks in your topknot? Okay, not that sexy but totally acceptable because it’s a fire and what do you expect? Gah.

So guess what? I was at a bonfire this weekend. I know, surprise. You may have peeped my rad new shirt from express.com on Instagram. If you know me well you will also know that I almost never dress weather or event appropriate BUT this is not the point or what I’m even getting at. The point is that I was basking in the red hot glow of this fire when this bro comes up to me and almost (ALMOST) touches my face.

Yeah. Don’t touch a girl’s made-up face. For starters, it’s creeptastic and I don’t want dirty beer soaked fingers smudging my makeup.

That sounds mean but it’s only because I get pimples way too easily for a 31 year old. Why can’t puberty just leave me alone?

So homie tries to touch my face, which I instantly  block then bob and weave like I’m freaking Sugar Ray Leonard, and says “you’re skin is so glowy…like you have some shiny makeup on it”.

Put away the gloves Liz because-Compliments. That was almost as rewarding as being told you have good eyebrows.

After that, my feelings of disgust regarding the face touching diminished. Still though, don’t touch my face, but the recognition of my highlight softened the mood slightly and I was able to retract my claws and respond like a normal human girl.  “Oh thanks! It’s NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, L’Oreal Magic Lumi Primer mixed with concealer, and NYX Illuminator dusted on top. I used my beauty blender to…” 

Normal response. 

So I figured I’d share my silly little secret of how my highlight brings all the boys to the bonfire and makes them consequently want to touch my face. ∗Mentally Insert Kelis GIF here because I don’t have time for that∗

You know that saying “it takes a village”? That’s how I feel about getting the perfect highlight. It takes a village (of makeup products) all working together to achieve the same goal (killer highlight) as one.

THE KEY is to conceal (highlight-one shade lighter than your skin) and add glow together and then add your powder illuminator to finish it off. That way you aren’t removing your concealer when you apply the liquid illuminator or layering on too many powder products. 

APPLY foundation as normal: I use NARS Sheer Glow because it begins the glow process and also has a very natural coverage. 

MIX a pump of liquid illuminator with one pump of your concealer of choice: I use Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Concealer in Light-Warm. * *This concealer is a full coverage that dries quickly but when mixed with this primer is much lighter and easier to blend giving a more natural finish. If you need more coverage, use less illuminator or conceal first, then add the concealer/primer mixture on top very gently. 

APPLY to the cheekbone, bridge of the nose, and chin and gently blend out with a damp sponge. Be careful not to rub it into your skin. Blend out to keep both the coverage and shimmer. 

FINISH with a dusting of NYX Illuminator in a sweeping motion just on the highest point of the cheekbones. My favorite shade is Ritualistic, which gives a gold tone. 

OTHER THINGS: The liquid concealer mixture also works well on hiding undereye bags as long as the highlight goes below the bag, not on it. It’s all about hiding shadows. Don’t worry, there will be a tutorial on that very soon!

What are your fave highlight/illuminate products? I have so many other that I love but this is currently my jam. Share!!!

♥Liz