The Different Kinds Of Highlighters You Need

The world of contouring can sure be tough; especially with so many brands popping up these days and just the sheer amount of highlighting tutorials online are enough to frazzle us. Thus begins the hunt for the best kinds of highlighters to get. Gone are the days when highlighting was as simple as just making your skin glow, it now comes in different shapes and sizes, and not to mention, different textures that will easily confuse. We’ve narrowed the wide range of highlighters to three categories, so you’ll know which ones to get on your next haul.
1. Powder


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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, $97. theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, $36.90.

Powdered highlighters are the easiest kinds to use; whether it comes in the form of pressed or loose powder, it’s a great place to start for those of you who are just beginning to dabble in the art of making your skin glow. However, you have to be prepared to invest in good brushes, as you won’t be able to just use fingers to apply this one. A fan brush, kabuki brush or an angled face brush should do the trick for general highlighting on your face, but for the trickier spots like your brow bone, cupid’s bow or the tip of your nose, you might need a smaller and more precise brush.
 
2. Liquid

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Becca Jaclyn Hill Collection Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Champagne Pop, $58. Benefit High Beam Face Highlighter, $46.

Liquids can be tricky, but the payoff is usually greater than that of cream or powdered texture due to it’s thick consistency. You can definitely play around with this one, mix it with your foundation and you’ll get a dewy glow all over your face. We’d say that liquid highlighters are best used when you’re heading for a night out, as it provides a more even and consistent glow.
 
3. Cream

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Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator, $64. Nudestix Sculpting Pencil, $37.

The texture might get confusing initially, but you’ll get used to the soft touch that the cream highlighter provides. Not only that, it glides on almost effortlessly with just the use of your fingers, or it can also be directly applied on your face, as seen for the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick and Nudestix Sculpting pencil. The texture’s usually rich and thick, so a few strokes of it will do the perfect job. The best part of cream applicators? No need for brushes, and plus, they hardly make a mess, unlike liquid ones. You’ll never go wrong with these.