WHAT TO USE WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE HIGHLIGHTER
I don’t know about you but I love my highlighters. I’m a night owl and a workaholic so sleep-deprivation has become normal to me. My secret to always looking refreshed? Highlighter! So the other day, as I desperately scrambled through my makeup bag looking for highlighter (that I had left at home) I decided I needed to improvise.
Just because it doesn’t say “highlighter” on it doesn’t mean you can use it as a highlighter, right? I did a little experimenting and these are the products I came up with.
Moisturizer
The wrong moisturizer can make your skin look shiny in all the wrong places. But when that same moisturizer is used sparingly on the high points of the face, it suddenly gets a second chance at life. You need only a tiny bit to create a sheen. As the last step in your makeup routine, top your foundation with a little moisturizer by tapping it onto your cheekbones and anywhere else you want dewiness. It should go without saying that this gives your skin a double dose of moisture too.
Concealer
If you have a concealer on hand that’s just a little too light, don’t be so quick to toss it in the trash- you can actually make it work as a satiny matte highlighter. Even if they don’t contain shimmer, colors lighter than your skin tone but in the same family will draw the eye to that area while still looking totally natural.
Primer
Layered on top of your makeup, a silicone-based primer will create a soft-focus glow that’s much more subtle than a traditional highlighter, which makes it the perfect tough for the “no-makeup” look. Try a primer that’s intended to enhance radiance. Just blend a bit into the usual areas- the high point of your cheek bones, the bridge of your nose- and revel in your pearly, lit-from-within complexion!
Lip Gloss
Balms are fair game too. Basically anything clear or shimmery is just as well-suited to highlighting as anything actually meant for highlighting. Dab a versatile balm, like the never-fail Rosebud Salve (only $6), onto the tops of your cheekbones for a dimensional effect that positively glows when the light hits it. Full disclosure: This technique is pretty much unrivaled in the quest for other-wordly radiance, but it can get a little sticky, so it’s best worn on those hair-up days.
Eyeshadow
What’s the difference between a powder or cream highlighter and an eyeshadow in the same shade? Umm, nothing. If you can’t seem to find the right highlighter shade for you, try delving into eyeshadow- there’s way more variety, so you can experiment with different tones and amounts of shimmer.
So next time you catch yourself in a bind, without your favorite highlighter, try out these tips. Let me know how they work for you! Do you have any other tips?
