Colour Me In: White -- A guide to basic highlighting

'Colour Me In' is a series of posts in collaboration with Alice of ArsyParsy, Tezza of Myteeefine and Amanda of Thai-Tales!

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Hoooray! It's Thursday again! We're one day away from the weekends, hang on tight everybody!

This week's focus colour is 'white' and with no doubt, the first make-up product I turned to were highlighters -- my ultimate favourite cosmetic product of all time!


Highlighters are light reflecting, no coverage cosmetic products which helps to accentuate the planes of our face and can also help to 'fake' that healthy, radiant glow! Strictly not to be confused with illuminators. 

Highlighters can be, and are usually more 'intense' with its light reflecting properties and should only be applied over the high planes of the face. 

Illuminators, on the other hand, are more subtle and luminious in finish and can be used to mix with coverage products such as foundations or tinted moisturisers for an all over dewy glow. Illuminators can definitely double up as a 'subtle highlighter', but never vice versa.

So how do we highlight?

1. Know your skin's undertone and pick a tone!
Just like foundations, highlighters are also available in a variety of undertones (such as pearly whites, golds and pinks) to cater to our individual preferences and complexions.

Whites = generally suited to both complexions
Golds = suited to warmer skin tones
Pinks = suited to cooler skin tones

2. Know your occasion and pick a finish!
If you're looking forward to a big event, you should definitely take into consideration whether flash photography will be involved or not.

Pearl finishes = ideal for day events with the intense and shimmery glow it offers. For evening events which usually does involve flash photography, pearl finishes do have the potential to fake an oily glow, rather than a radiant glow (and you don't want that!). 

Matte/satin finishes = more subtle and are more about creating dimensions of the facial planes. Such subtle finishes are generally suited for both day and evening events. Matte/satin finishes are quite hard to find, but can be substituted by a foundation 1-2 shades lighter than the skintone.

3. The basic highlighting guide with each finish.

Highlighters with pearly finishes are pretty intense, so I would suggest to only highlight on the highest planes of the face such as the cheekbones, brow bones, nose bridge (lightly) and cupid's bow.

Skip the chin, skip the 'triangle' highlighting method and skip the forehead with pearly finishes or you'll look overly pearly and shimmery!

As for matte/satin finishes which are much more subtle.. just go crazy with it! Highlight the centre of the forehead, brow bones, nose bridge, cupid's bow, chin and cheekbones.

For the cheekbones, you can go ahead with the triangle highlighting method (what Kim Kardashian does) for a more chiselled and sculpted look. This method will also brighten up your complexion and eye area, but make sure you conceal your dark circles well or it'll put emphasis on your dark circles instead!


4. A few affordable highlighting/illuminating products you may want to know about!

1. L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Concealer (works better as highlighter than concealer, satin finish) $26.95
2. Face Of Australia Mineral Therapy Illuminating Pearls (highlighter, slight pearly sheen) $14.95
3. Face Of Australia Mineral Therapy Liquid Illuminators (illuminator) $14.95
4. L'Oreal Paris Lumi Light Concentrated Primer (primer, but better as highlighter, light pearly sheen) $29.95

The only product from the list that I haven't tried yet is the Face Of Australia Liquid Illuminator, but I've heard so much good stuff about it so I thought I'd share that with you! :)


Your turn to share!

What is your favourite, go-to highlighting product?

Is it the well-loved Benefit High Beam? The YSL Touche Eclat Pen Highlighter?  

Don't forget to hop over to my dearest bblogger friends to check out their post! :)

• Amanda shares with us 3 of her favourite white products from the drugstore (which are not drugs, of course)
• Alice shares with you her thoughts on an eyeshadow pencil... can you guess? :P
• Tezza will be posting about nails -- adhesive tapes for fake nails, to be more specific!