Highlighter is magic for your skin. With just a few quick dabs, it delivers instant radiance — and, better yet, it’s hard to get it wrong. The lit-from-within, lumizing effect it can have on all skin tones, types, and textures gives it universal appeal.

Take it from a pro: “There is something about dewy, luminous skin that feels healthy and vibrant,” says makeup artist Misty Spinney, who adds that it’s one of her go-tos that she’ll often wear alone or alongside other makeup products, depending on the look she’s going for. And therein is the beauty of it: It can seamlessly fit into your routine, whether you’re a minimalist at heart or you prefer a little more pop. In that way, it’s just as (if not more) essential as other mainstays like mascara and concealer.

Here, she shares why it’s worth adding to your makeup lineup — and how you can make the most of it.

Why you should be using highlighter

For starters, you can use highlighter anytime, anywhere. Spinney recommends using it to help your skin look radiant year-round. “In the winter, it helps skin to appear and feel more hydrated and full of life,” she says. “In the summer, it brings sunkissed skin into an extra glow that feels fresh and vibrant.” The light-catching glimmer can help your skin — and by extension you — feel a little more ready to take on the day.

Not only that, but it offers versatility within your existing makeup routine, whatever that may look like. You can apply a lightweight, cream-based highlighter for a no-makeup makeup look. Or, paired with foundation, mascara, and other components of a makeup capsule collection, it serves as the icing on the hypothetical cake. “Regardless of whether you’re going with a full makeup application or the minimalist approach, applying highlighter takes any look to the next level,” says Spinney.

How to find the right shade

The ideal highlighter shade for your skin tone? You’ve got options, as the formulas are relatively sheer and can lend a different look, depending on what you’re going for. (For instance, you might prefer something more subtle, like a soft bronze hue, for daytime, or more eye-catching, like a glimmering silver, for a big event.) 

“For a more dramatic highlight, a highlighter with an opalescent finish feels playful and still elegant,” says Spinney. For more low-key makeup moments — when she’s looking for something a bit closer to natural skin tone, for example — she recommends rose-gold tones. Either way, highlighter will do the important work of elevating your look. Still want to be pointed in the right direction? Just take the easy, 3-minute NakedPoppy assessment to find what will work best for your preferences and go from there.

How to choose a formula

Highlighters aren’t created equal. There are creams and powders, which tend to be the most common, although liquids, sticks, and even serum-like formulas are out there, too; it often varies according to brand. 

The formula can offer different advantages for skin, according to Spinney, so you can let your skin type guide you. “Cream-based highlighters can feel more hydrating than a powder for those who have drier skin,” she says. “That being said, there are incredible powder formulas — and for someone who tends to have really hydrated or oily skin, applying a powder can be a better choice for a longer-lasting finish.” As a result, you can feel confident knowing your highlighter is working for you, and often in more ways than one.

Again, the 3-minute NakedPoppy assessment does all that legwork for you.

How to shop for highlighter

If you’re team cream, RMS Beauty features a huge range of cream-based formulas that combine radiance-boosting pigments with staying power. RMS Beauty Living Luminizer and RMS Beauty Master Mixer Highlighter both give skin a lit-from-within glow; the former has an opalescent tone that’s made it a makeup-artist staple, while Master Mixer is a luminous rose-gold that’s universally flattering.

If powder is more your speed, you can find highlighters paired with corresponding blush shades in Kosas Color & Light: Powder. Lily Lolo Sculpt And Glow Contour Duo pairs pressed-powder highlighter with complementary bronzer colors, while RMS Beauty Luminizing Powder comes in warm-toned, champagne hues that bring life back to dull or lackluster skin.

How to apply highlighter

When you’re working with cream-based highlighting formulas, all you need are your hands — easy and impactful. This step-by-step from Spinney can make it simple:

  1. Apply a small amount of highlighter to the back of your hand or to your fingertips.
  2. Using your ring finger, which tends to have the most gentle pressure, lightly tap the highlighter above your cheekbones and up towards your temples, down the bridge of your nose, onto your brow bones (just beneath your brows), on the inner corners of the eyes, and just above the cupid’s bow on the lips.
  3. Gently blend by making small, repetitive tapping motions with fingers.

For a powder, you can repeat the above but using a small brush, like Alima Pure Highlighting Brush, instead of your fingers and dusting it on those same areas. “For a really banging pop, double down with a cream and powder highlighter,” says Spinney. “It’s long-lasting and looks multidimensional.” (Cream first, then finish with powder.)

Most importantly, she says, don’t forget to blend it well.  “If you over-apply — which is common among beginners — you can use a makeup brush to tap along the lines of demarcation with a soft, downward motion to blend the edges,” she explains.

At the end of the day, the true beauty of highlighter is that there’s really no wrong way to use it, whether you want to dab it on your eyelids for a festive sheen or mix it with foundation for an added glow. And if that doesn’t make it a makeup MVP, we don’t know what would.

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