This Is How to Make Your Highlighter Look Insanely Dewy
Credit: Ryan Miller/Getty
Our makeup mantra for 2016? The brighter the highlight, the more glare to blind all your haters. Never have we ever found a formula we didn't like, and a dewy, skin-like finish is always preferred. "Highlighting brings dimension and light to the face, which you naturally have with no makeup on, but foundation can sometimes mute this out," says Patrick Ta, who created the above look for Chrissy Teigen. "It makes the skin look more alive, and I honestly think a fresh, luminous look is great year-round." On Teigen, the pro used a tapered eyeshadow brush to apply MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle ($33; nordstrom.com) on the high points of her cheekbones, down the bridge of her nose, and added a little on her cupid's bow. You can add a small amount just under the browbone as well, but make sure not to creep too far into the undereye area, and avoid the center of the forehead entirely.
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While some advise layering a balm or even Vaseline over the top to impart a hyper-real, almost wet texture, the pro has a less fussy way to achieve the effect. Ta advises concentrating the setting powder only on your T-zone, then applying the highlighter directly over foundation everywhere else (save for the bridge of your nose, which gets a touch of matte powder). Then, follow by misting a setting spray just on the sides of your face--Ta used a veil of La Mer's The Mist ($75; nordstrom.com) on the star. "This really helps to melt the color in, so it looks like it's part of your skin," he adds. "Leave the middle matte, but spray each side of the face so it hits the cheekbones and forehead."
