Highlighters

Hi Friends,

To clarify, this post is not about the stationary products university students cling to during finals. This post is about one of the most overlooked (in my opinion) makeup products ever.  A highlighter is something that you put on specific areas of your face to cast a glow to your complexion. Sometimes the results are beautiful, and other times it goes horribly wrong.  I have amassed quite the collection of highlighters and the majority of these products are samples and thus do not reflect the actual retail size (or packaging for that matter).  

Stila eyeshadow in Kitten $23 at Sephora.ca

Yeah, yeah yeah. I know this is an eyeshadow. But it works so perfectly as a face highlighter (and in the brow bone).  See swatch below. This colour is a great peachy pink shade that really seems to compliment my skin tone leaving me looking refreshed and awake (which is a feat... trust me!). If you are looking to save money this would be my go to because it is so versatile. Looks great on the face, lid etc.

Benefit Sun beam $32 at Sephora (for full size)... sample size pictured here
This product is waaaay better when you have a tan. Right now my skin is much to pale to pull off this shade. However, come July or post vacation this puppy will be in heavy rotation. Sun beam is a nice bronze shade but still light enough that it acts as a highlight (ie. Not a bronzer). 

Benefit High beam $32 at Sephora.ca (for full size).... sample size pictured here

This is a pretty highlighter but a bit predictable. It also can be a bit too white in the summertime. I also tend to reach for powder highlighters and thus this puppy does not get as much love. I guess the name is fairly accurate as this little guy is not very subtle on the face. However, if you are looking for extreme highlighting this guy would do the job... probably should reserve this guy for nights when you are going to a ridiculous disco or something.

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl $36 at Sephora.ca (for full size).... sample size pictured here

I have had this sample for some time and pretty much never give it love. For a long time I thought this product was a primer and so I avoided this puppy as I had a BAD reaction to POREFESSIONAL. This product is pretty but seems to be fairly obvious (although more subtle than high beam) and wears quite nicely. I don't think I will be running out to buy the full size any time soon. 

bareMinerals All Over Face Colour in Pure Radiance $24 at Sephora.ca (for full size)... sample size pictured

This product is nice and has really awesome complex microshimmer (well thats what it looks like to me). I wore this to work today to see what would happen and it had faded away by my typical 10am bathroom break.  I loved the colour but the MESS this product creates is not worth it. I won't be buying the full size. 

LORAC Perfectly Lit Oil Free Luminizer $32 at LORAC.com

THIS. PRODUCT. Has me wanting to run out and buy the full size and find a backup or two. I included this puppy in my 2013 favorites for very good reason. I get compliments everytime I wear it, it's buildable, usually looks natural, makes me look awake and healthy. LORAC is no longer stocked at my local Sephora so I WILL be buying this online once the makeup ban is over (2 wks down, 2.5 months to go!).

Hard Candy Blush Crush in Pinup $7 at Walmart.com (likely more expensive in Canada)

This product is worth the price. YOU GET SO MUCH! I have had this puppy for a VERY long time. Lucky for me I invested in a sanitizer that cleans powder products so I don't mind holding on to this one. I will probably throw it out soon as the lid it cracked (thats what you get for cheap packaging). You can't really go wrong with this one. This puppy is a good way to dip your toe into the highligher pond if you are looking to experiment but don't want to spend too much. 

L to R: High Beam, Sun Beam, Girl Meets Pearl

Just some swatches so you can see what I am talking about. Note: My face is a couple of shades darker than my hands. I think that is because I have been taking A LOT of vitamin D lately to compensate from living in constant darkness of Canadian winter.  I also have a lot of freckles... this shot does not do them justice or explain the complications they cause with foundation application.

L to R: Hard Candy Pinup, Lorac Perfectly Lit, bareMinerals Pure Radiance, Stila Kitten

Hang on a sec, in this picture I am not loving LORAC. I promise it looks much different on my face with all the bells and whistles of my usual makeup.  

You might be wondering why I have so many sample sizes. I prefer sample sizes because there is less waste, it allows me to try many more products while spending less money, it allows me to avoid addressing my commitment issues head on. What I mean to say is I don't want to invest in a product I don't love. If I am shelling out 30 bucks for a product it had better be love and fireworks. For example, I will not buy the majority of the highlighters featured in this post.  I will have a lot of fun using them up and experimenting with different looks. Promise. 

 Which luminizer/highlighter is your fav and why? What should I check out?

Thats about it for me!
...and remember you're beautiful
XOXO



Note: All opinons are my own.  All photos are my own (unless otherwise specified).