How to Apply Highlighter

Applying highlighter on your face like a pro

Last Updated: April 15, 2022 References Approved

Applying highlighter can give your skin a beautiful color boost and enhance your bone structure as well. Highlighter only takes a few seconds to apply because you only apply it to a few small areas of your face. However, just a few dabs of highlighter can brighten up your entire face. Even if you are new to applying makeup, learning to apply highlighter is easy.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Enhancing Your Eyes, Lips, and Chin

1
Apply highlighter to the inner corners of your eyes. Use a highlighting eyeshadow brush and get a little highlighter onto the tip. Then, take the brush and press it into the corners of your inner eyelids.^{[1]
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- You can apply a couple of layers if you want a more dramatic effect or just apply a light dusting for some subtle highlights.
2
Sweep highlighter onto your brow bones. The areas just below your eyebrows will catch a lot of light, so this is a nice area to highlight. Try sweeping highlighter over your brow bones, the areas just under your eyebrows.^{[2]
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- Try to keep most of the highlighter on the outer edges of your brow bone. You do no need to apply highlighter to your entire brow bone.
- You can also extend the highlighter down towards the creases of your eyelids for an extra eye brightening effect.^{[3]
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3
Add a dab of highlighter just above your upper lip. The area in the center of your upper lip is called your cupid’s bow and highlighting this area will draw more attention to your lips.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Christin Birckhead
Makeup Artist
Expert Interview. 14 April 2020.} Get a small amount of highlighter on your fingertip and press it onto this area.^{[5]
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- Don’t apply the highlighter to your actual lip, just to the area right above your lip.
4
Brush highlighter over the center of your chin. Highlighting the center of your chin can also help to draw attention to your lips. Try sweeping some highlighter onto the center of your chin.^{[6]
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- Be careful not to apply too much highlighter to this area. You only need a light dusting.
- If you highlighted your forehead, then try to keep the highlighter on your chin in line with the highlighter on your forehead.
- You can also apply highlighter right above your chin.^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Christin Birckhead
  Makeup Artist
  Expert Interview. 14 April 2020.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Enhancing Your Cheeks, Nose, and Forehead

1
Try applying foundation and concealer first. This will create a more even canvas for your highlighter. ^{[8]
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- Use a sponge or makeup brush to blend your foundation.
- If you have any dark circles or minor imperfections, concealer will add extra coverage to those areas and draw more attention to the highlighted area.
2
Apply highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones. Take a blush brush or a kabuki brush and use it to apply a bit of highlighter from your temples to the tops of your cheekbone in a C-shaped curve. You can apply one layer for a subtle effect or apply multiple layers for more intense highlights.^{[9]
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- It may help to apply blush to the apples of your cheeks first, and then start to apply highlighter where the blush has stopped.^{[10]
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  Expert Source
  
  Christin Birckhead
  Makeup Artist
  Expert Interview. 14 April 2020.}
3
Dab a little highlighter on the tip of your nose. Get a bit of highlighter onto your fingertip and then dab it onto the tip of your nose.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Christin Birckhead
Makeup Artist
Expert Interview. 14 April 2020.} Move your finger back and forth to blend the highlighter. Remember that you do not need much highlighter, just a small dab.^{[12]
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4
Brush some highlighter down the center of your forehead. To accentuate the center of your forehead, you can sweep some highlighter down the center of your forehead towards the bridge of your nose.^{[13]
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Research source} Start at the center of your hairline on your forehead and sweep straight downwards.
- If you want a more dramatic highlighting effect, then you can sweep the highlighter all the way down the bridge of your nose, but this is optional.

Expert Q&A

Question

Where on your cheeks should you apply highlighter?

Christin Birckhead
Makeup Artist
Christin Birckhead is a Makeup Artist and the Founder of Conceptual Beauty, a beauty service based in Washington, DC specializing in wedding services such as engagements and bridal parties along with fashion shows and executive headshots. She has over 20 years of makeup and beauty consulting experience. She is also the lead makeup artist for Ascender Communications and freelances with the local NBC news team in the DC metro area. Her clients include Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Cartwright, Armin Van Buuren, Hugh Jackman, Vashawn Mitchell, Richard Smallwood, Benjamin T. Jealous, Colin Powell, Wanda Durant, and Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Christin Birckhead

Makeup Artist

Expert Answer
Question

Can I just put highlighter on? I don't want to put concealer or foundation on or anything. Will it look weird

Theallknower

Community Answer

You apply it on the bridge of your nose, the groove of your upper lip, your cheekbones, under your eyebrows, and even the corners of your eyes. You do not have to wear other makeup if you don't want to.
Question

What areas should I focus on highlighting if I'm in a rush?

Community Answer

If you're in a hurry, you should try to highlight your nose, cheekbones, and a little on your chin and forehead. If you're really pressed for time, just do your cheekbones.

Warnings

Don't apply highlighter all over your face or it will make your skin look metallic. Only apply it on a few areas that catch the light.

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