You’re one step closer to getting that golden hour glow.
Aside from making us look dewy, radiant and lit-from-within, highlighting products can also help make your favourite features pop – cheekbones look sharper, lips fuller, eyes brighter and nose narrower. Knowing where to put it (and how) is key to getting that perfect no makeup-makeup look, so follow our five need-to-know tips for an instant glow-up, brought to you in partnership with the new L’Oreal Paris Wake Up and Glow collection:
1. Prep your skin.
It doesn’t matter how much highlighter you pile on, if you haven’t prepped your skin properly it won’t have the intended effect. Before applying makeup, make sure you use an exfoliator to slough off the dead, dull surface cells and then add a moisturiser so you’re starting with a smooth and plumped-up surface.
2. Less is more when it comes to achieving truly luminous skin.
If a dewy complexion is your ultimate goal, ditch the heavy foundation and opt for a lighter formula or a tinted moisturiser such as L’Oréal Paris Bonjour Nudista Awakening Skin Tint to let your natural skin shine through. For an all-over glow, add a few drops of of L’Oréal Paris Glow Mon Amour Highlighting Drops to your moisturiser or foundation.
Student/athlete Zoe Hobbs, @zoe__hobbs, rates the L’Oreal Paris Bonjour Nudista Awakening Skin Tint.
3. Get the right tools for the effect you’re trying to achieve.
When using a pressed powder highlighter, experts recommend a fan shaped brush to sweep powder loosely over the key spots on your face where the light would naturally hit. A highlighting palette such as L’Oréal Paris La Vie En Glow Highlighting Palette is good for both beginners and pros – it means you’ll have more than one powder to play with, which can be good for layering shimmer or trying out different shades on different areas of the face.
Mai FM’s Lily Taurau, @lilytaurau, is a fan of L’Oreal Paris La Vie En Glow Highlighting Palette.
4. Perfect your technique.
Highlighting is all about enhancing your best features. Once you’ve applied a base that suits your skin type, use a highlighting product one shade lighter than your natural skin tone on the high points of your face. If you need an added boost of colour, choose a bronzer and blush with a more matte finish (we like L’Oréal Paris Back to Bronze Matte Bronzing Powder and L’Oréal Paris Life’s A Peach Blush) to keep shine focused solely on the high points.
For marketing and brand experience assistant Rachel Winter, @rachelwinterw, it’s all about the L’Oréal Paris Back to Bronze Matte Bronzing Powder.
5. Know the best places to apply highlighter.
There are some very definite zones which are prime for highlighting – we break them down below:
- Cheeks – For high impact, apply your highlighter above your cheekbones (imagine this line being from the top of your ear to the outer corner of your eye) pressing it onto the skin for a denser application of product.
- Eyes – To make eyes appear brighter, apply highlighter to the inner corner of your eyes and in the centre of your eyelids. To disguise dark undereye circles, add some highlighter drops to your concealer to pat gently under the eye using your ring finger for a brightening, light-reflecting effect.
- Brow bone – Create definition by blending an illuminating highlighter along your brow bone just under your eyebrows. To give the impression of a more arched brow, concentrate the highlighter on the ‘under-arch’ area.
- Nose – Change the dimensions of your nose instantly by applying subtle highlight down the bridge of the nose to the tip – this line will make your nose look narrower than it really is.
Aspiring journalist Silke Weil, @silkeyy, loves the L’Oréal Paris Glow Mon Amour Highlighting Drops.
* This article is brought to you by the L’Oreal Paris Wake Up and Glow collection. Shop the L’Oreal Paris Wake Up and Glow range now at Farmers stores, Farmers.co.nz and leading pharmacies nationwide.
