Where to Highlight for a Sultry Summer Glow

If you aren’t in with the highlight trend, your skin is either enviably glowy by nature or leaning dangerously close to drab. From the red carpet to Coachella, shimmer is here – and in no way should it be restricted to full-face makeup looks. Shimmer is for summer!

Highlighting attracts and reflects light to enhance your best features, creating the illusion of dimension and definition. This makeup strategy allows you to control what you want to accentuate, which is precisely why A-list makeup artists use it so regularly. Trust us when we say that highlighting *needs* to be a part of your summer makeup routine – and only takes a sliver of time.

We’re breaking down exactly where to highlight for leveled-up radiance, and to transform your complexion into that of a sultry glowing goddess. Let’s get glowing!

Before we jump in, a word to the wise: not all highlighters are created equal. We love sparkle and shine as much as anyone, but shimmer pigments in most beauty products are made from skin-irritating plastic (Polyethylene). Polyethylene is banned for use in cosmetics but somehow makes it in as an ingredient thanks to a loophole in FDA regulations. When applying cosmetics to your face, the last thing you want is sharp synthetic shimmer near your eyes. Luckily, we found a safe, natural alternative that’s totally gentle: real gemstones. Think sunstone, moonstone, opal, and more – how’s that for luxurious luminosity?

We’re all for adding some glow to our faces. Our powder highlighters are packed with glorious shimmer and sparkle from these Mother Earth’s natural treasures: opal, moonstone, and pyrite to name a few. A base of skin-softening avocado and cocoa butters – mixed with rich color from fruit pigments – is an added bonus for nourishing your skin while you glow.

Start off with a fluffy, cruelty-free makeup brush to gently apply Gemmed Luminzer onto the highest parts of your cheekbones. Next, apply to the bridge of your nose and, if you really want to boost your glow, apply to your brow bones, cupid’s bow, and chin for added dimension. Voilà: there’s your lit-from-within summer glow. It’s that easy!

PRO TIP: Our Gemmed Luminizer collection is ideal for oily and combo skin, thanks to its key oil-absorbing ingredient: rice powder. This helps to ensure you’re getting the right kind of glow — not the sweaty, heat-induced shine that we all try to avoid.

Summer weather means showing some skin, and we’ve got great news: highlighting isn’t limited to just your face! You read that right — your body can also benefit from some added glow (like we needed to convince you!). We’ll break down ways to boost skin luminosity while locking in essential moisture and youthful suppleness.

For those days and nights that you opt to don a tank top or go strapless: your décolleté, shoulders, and chest are perfect places to add extra radiance. Adding shimmer to your chest, shoulders, and décolleté will reflect light and accentuate the curves of your skin. Plus, if you’ll be snapping day or nighttime photos, highlighting will look incredible (trust us).

Step one for creating an irresistible, natural glow is to pick a skin-loving liquid highlighter. Apply the ultra-lightweight, mega hydrating All Over Glow to your chest and shoulders as your shimmering, sheer base.

Next, we like to apply our Luminating Creme in Starlight: a liquid highlighter laced with warm undertones of gold and pearl. This product’s wand applicator makes using it super easy, offering precise control for the areas you want to accentuate. Dot and streak along the natural structure and protrusion of your collarbones and down your décolleté in a triangular shape, using your fingers or makeup sponge to lightly blend for a seamless, subtle glow.

Finish by applying the Luminating Creme of your choice to the top of your shoulders, and gently bounce-blend into skin with your sponge. The result? Added sparkling, sultry dimension that’s picture perfect.

PRO TIP: Our liquid highlighters are infused with ingredients like nourishing avocado butter, vitamin E, and aloe juice to combat the dehydrating summer heat.

Don’t have any fruit pigmented® products on hand? You can easily create your own DIY body highlighter by using a moisturizing base like Argan Oil, and adding some crushed highlighting powder or our Luminating Creme. Apply across your chest, down your décolleté, and to the tops of your shoulders as you would a moisturizer to accentuate your natural glow. The shine is subtle, which means the sky is the limit — you can apply to your legs, back, and arms to transform into a glowing intergalactic princess that looks out of this world.

Now that you know where to highlight, here are some tips for perfecting your summer radiance:

• Always start off with less — it’s way easier to add highlight than to take it away. If you need more, be sure to build your layers after the first ones have completely set.

• It’s important to follow the natural shape and structure of your angles and curves. Whether you’re highlighting your cheekbones or your collarbones, you’ll want to apply product where light will naturally hit those areas. It’s easy to get carried away, which can leave you looking far too shimmery (think disco ball), so following your natural bone structure will serve as a guide to ensure you’re applying the perfect amount.

• To help keep your highlight looking natural, be sure to prime your skin with a moisturizer or serum that’s best suited for your skin type. This will also help your glow stay put for the entire day.