Where & How To Apply Highlighter Makeup

A touch of highlighter can make all the difference in your beauty routine. Enhance your makeup with this guide on where and how to apply highlighter for a luminous look.  

Different Types of Highlighters

Highlighters take on many forms, with each serving different purposes and adding unique finishes to the skin. 

Many beauty aficionados love using a powder highlighter in their routine. They are buildable and easy to work with and add a wash of illumination to the skin. For a gorgeous dewy radiance, consider working with a cream-based highlighter. 

Can’t choose between the two? Get the best of both worlds with the Major Glow Crème & Powder Light Reflecting Translucent Highlighter Duo. This super versatile Patrick Ta highlighter palette was designed to allow you to use the products separately or together. 

Powders and creams are always a good choice. That said, another option worth exploring is a mist-based highlighter – like the Major Glow Highlighting Mist. This innovative highlighter by Patrick Ta evenly covers the skin with an iridescent, light-reflecting luster for a gorgeous, glossy finish. 

Highlighting isn’t just for your face. Body radiance formulas (like the Major Glow Body Oil and the Major Glow Body Balm) are especially great for adding a radiant glisten to your collarbones, shoulders, arms…basically wherever you want an extra touch of indulgent glowiness. 

Where to Apply Your Highlighter

Make the most out of your highlighter by knowing exactly where to apply it. While you don’t need to use a highlighter in all of the following spots at once, these are your options for letting your features shine: 

Cheekbones: The cheekbones are one of the best (and most common) places to apply highlighter. Doing so helps lift the face and accentuate your bone structure while giving your complexion that lit-from-within look. Diffuse your highlighter on the high points of your cheekbones, working the product back towards your temples. 

Brow Bones: Adding just a bit of highlighter to your brow bone can lift the brows and bring the attention to your eyes. Apply a light dusting of the product right underneath your brow bone and blend it out towards the tails of your brows. 

Nose Bridge: There’s no need to overdo it here – a subtle wash of highlighter down the bridge of your nose will create an illusion of length and structure while rounding out your illuminated look. 

Cupid’s Bow: Here’s a secret for poutier-looking lips: add highlighter right above the center of your upper lip. A touch of radiance will subtly lift the lips for a fuller appearance. 

Inner Corners of the Eyes: For brighter, attention-grabbing eyes, diffuse a small amount of highlighter into the inner corners of the eyes. 

Collarbones and Shoulders: Elevate your beauty look by bringing your highlighting makeup down to your collarbones and shoulders for a radiant, all-over glow. This stunning look is especially great for special occasions. 

How to Apply Highlighter

Perfect your highlighting routine with these tips and techniques. 

Choose the Right Shade 

Before you even get started on application, you need to make sure you have the right shade. The key to that naturally lit-from-within look? Choosing a highlighter shade that complements your skin. 

When choosing the best face highlighter for your complexion, you need to consider your skin tone, as well as the look you are after. You can never go wrong with a formula that is a few shades lighter than your skin tone – it’s your best bet for achieving natural-looking results. 

That said, don’t let that scare you away from experimenting with different shades to get your desired look. For a subtle touch of warmth, try a champagne shade. Looking for something a little more soft and sweet? Reach for a highlighter with pink tones.  

Reach for the Most Effective Tools

Choosing the best shade is only part of the puzzle – you need the application tools to match your formula, as well. 

When using a powder formula, you’ll want to reach for a smaller, more precise brush. This allows you to bring on the shine without going overboard. Use a small fluffy brush to blend and naturally diffuse the powder into the skin. You can also use an angled precision brush to pack the pigment into more precise areas (think the inner corners of the eyes or under the brow bone). 

If you’re reaching for a cream formula, a sponge will be your best friend. Use the sponge to pick up the cream, and then use pressing motions to work it into your skin. 

Tackling a more precise area? You can use the pointed end of the sponge – or just use your fingers to gently pat the product into your skin. You can also use your fingers to effortlessly add a bit of shimmer to your complexion when you need a fast, on-the-go solution. 

Application Techniques: Making the Most of Your Highlighting Formula

When choosing which highlighter you want to apply, consider the look you’re going for. In the Major Glow Crème & Powder Light Reflecting Translucent Highlighter Duo, the intentionally translucent crème highlighter is made to naturally illuminate while allowing your skin to shine through. Meanwhile, the powder delivers high-impact shimmer to the complexion for more intense results. 

Maximize your artistry by implementing Patrick Ta’s iconic cream-over-powder technique – perfect for any occasion when you want more eye-catching drama in your look. Doing so harmoniously blends both products for a multidimensional finish. 

Whether you’re using cream, powder, or both, the secret to natural-looking results is blending. Take your time to work the product into the skin with your tool of choice. This will eliminate any harsh lines and create a subtle diffused look so the product seamlessly blends into your complexion. 

Benefits of Adding Highlighter to Your Makeup Routine

The glow may be subtle, but the results are intense. By working highlighter into your routine, you not only add a gorgeous illumination to your complexion. You’re also creating the illusion of a lifted look, and drawing the eyes to the natural features that you want to accentuate. A highlighter is the finishing touch that brings your beauty look to the next level.