You’re Not Doing Highlighter Wrong, You Just Need 100 Layers To Do It Right
Ok, so, I’m not expert at highlighter application. As you know I’m pretty heavy handed with blush! So, you can imagine I’m the same with highlighter. Typically highlighters have always played one important role in my makeup stash and that would be to stay safely in my makeup vault, only to be taken out on rare occasions to look at and stroke lovingly. I have a lot of pretty highlighters that have had absolutely no air time. They just sit around looking pretty, never to be used or worn. In recent years, I actually stopped buying them because I realized how wasteful I was being just collecting them.
I’m also quite scared of highlighting since I have a fuller face and I feel like adding a lot of glow to my cheeks and face makes my rounder face look even more fuller. Recently, I tried out the new Becca Champagne Split Duos and I struggled with them a little due to my heavy handedness but successfully created some very pretty, glowy looks with them.
But the fact of the matter is, I typically rely on shimmery blushes to achieve the effect a highlighter would give me.
Now, over the last year Instagram has become a major player and important role in the beauty and makeup world. You either really love Instagram or you’re an old fart like me and prefer reading blogs like a dinosaur. I understand the appeal of Instagram but I also prefer reading something that doesn’t contain 200 characters and a single photo with a ton of emojis. A longer post, lots of pics and swatches, and thoughts on a product sans 100 smileys and hashtags is a better option for me. But it really depends what type of person you are and what your preferences are when getting your makeup reviews and beauty news.
One of the things that amazes me about Instagram is how perfect everyone always looks in selfies. I take a selfie and I look like the biggest dork on the planet. And I’m cool with that because if nothing at all I’m a dork. But I do sit back and wonder how people look so incredibly flawless in their photos and most importantly how they get their highlighters to sparkle and shimmer so perfectly. Is it excellent lighting? A filter? Some extra camera add on?
None of the above.
Apparently, you need 100 layers of to get that gorgeous glow you see on Instagram.
Associate editor Julianne Carell from Glamour achieved that flawless glow by applying 100, yes 100, layers of Jaclyn Hill’s new Champagne Pop Split Duo. I know for a fact when I applied the duos with a heavy hand and looked in the mirror I positively glowed. Another words, if the lights go out tonight, I’ll glow. Honestly, if the zombie apocalypse hits tomorrow just make sure you have highlighter available and layer it on heavily. No matches needed, no generator, your highlighter will guide the way in the dark. I’m not saying it’ll replace fire to grill up squirrel but at least it’ll make for a fine reading light when the dead walk the earth.
Now, Juianne’s video made me feel good about something. That would be the fact that I felt like I couldn’t quite capture the glow on my cheeks that I’ve seen on Instagram. Now I realize that people have been packing on layers and layers of highlighter to get those uber flawless photos. But honestly, she reminded me that I’m likely not doing my highlighter wrong, I just need 100 layers to do it right.
Her video appears to be shot on an iPhone and isn’t the best quality but you can see very well from first to last application the dramatic change in finish.
It’s interesting to say the least.
Moral of the story?
I’m not planning on applying 100 layers of highlighter anytime soon! But don’t get caught up in the flawlessness of Instagram because sometimes it can be as misleading as ads you see in a magazine 🙂