Highlighter & Contour

They do two different things. Contour makeup creates the appearance of depth, usually around the hollows of the cheeks, jawline, and sides of the nose. Highlighter makeup catches the light and brings attention to the high points of your face.

You don't need both every time. A touch of highlighter can be all you need for an everyday look. Add contour when you want a little more shape.

Start with the finish you like.

A liquid highlighter tends to look fresh and skin-like, especially when tapped on with your fingers or a sponge. Highlighter sticks are easy to swipe on and blend out, while highlighter balms give you a softer, more natural-looking sheen. Powder highlighter is great when you want more control over the intensity.

For a quick everyday routine, a stick or balm is an easy place to start. If you like building your glow layer by layer, try powder.

The tops of your cheekbones are the classic spot. That's where you'll see the glow most easily.

You can also add a little to the inner corners of your eyes, the bridge of your nose, brow bone, or cupid's bow. For everyday makeup, you don't need all of them. Pick one or two areas and keep the rest of your face soft.

An illuminator usually gives a more diffused glow, while a highlighter is used more precisely.

Think of illuminator as a soft layer of light across the skin. Highlighter is more targeted, like a little extra brightness on your cheekbones. The two can overlap, too. A lot comes down to where you apply the product and how much you use.

It's mostly about the way the light shows up on your skin.

A dewy highlighter gives that fresh, almost wet-looking effect with little visible sparkle. A shimmer highlighter has fine reflective particles for a noticeable sheen. Glitter highlighter has more visible sparkle and catches the light more dramatically.

For a clean everyday look, dewy or fine shimmer is an easy choice. Save the glitter for when you want the glow to be part of the statement.

Apply contour first and blend it out well. Focus on the hollows of the cheeks, jawline, or sides of the nose, depending on where you want more definition.

Then add highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones and other high points of the face. Keep both layers light at first. You can always build more, and a softer hand usually looks more natural.