STYLE BY MELI

I would say that the majority of my clients request one of two things when it comes to their skin.  Either they want a very matte finish (mainly those that tend to have a more oily skin type) OR the opposite extreme which would be that they want that extra glow to their skin with a shiny, dewy finish.

The Benefits of Glowing Skin:

-  The skin appears incredibly youthful, fresh, and dewy which ultimately translates into the appearance of a beautiful and flawless complexion.  (Who doesn’t want that?)

-  It typically photographs magnificently given that it’s done correctly and placement is essential.

-  Although the whole face can have this look, when the highlighting effect is emphasized on the cheeks, it magically accentuates the bone structure of the face.  I cannot stress enough how essential this is in creating what I call, “the perfect face.”  A face is ALWAYS more physically attractive when the cheekbones are defined.  The beauty of makeup is, you can actually visually change (or enhance I should say) the shape of the face tremendously and create this definition with the right cosmetics and correct product placement.

Let’s look at the beautiful Jennifer Lopez, which “highlights” this skin glowing effect…

Although her whole face appears to have a healthy glow, if you pay extra close attention to this image, you will see that the main emphasis is on the tops of the cheekbones and the brow bone area (under the eye brows). These are the main focal points you want to be highlighting the skin for the best visual impact.

How to Achieve This Look:

For the Makeup Beginner:  The easiest way to add a “glow” to the face is to purchase a shimmery bronzer that is a shade or two darker than your natural skintone or powder with a golden shine to it, preferably in a loose form.  (In my professional opinion, loose powders tend to adhere to the skin much more smoothly and naturally although a pressed version is also acceptable).  For application, use a big fluffy brush to apply softly onto the entire face.  That’s it, quick and easy!

For the Makeup Advanced:  For those that are already wearing makeup and have a basic knowledge on makeup application, I want to focus more on the placement and choosing the right product(s).

With product selection, I advise picking up a highlighting powder and also considering a liquid or cream based luminizer.  I personally use both.

With the the liquid/cream luminizer, you will incorporate this step as a part of your foundation application regime.  Although a thin layer can be applied onto the entire face, I highly recommend placing it on the tops of the cheekbones and brow bone area.  This can be done before or after the foundation, but ABSOLUTELY before any powder application comes into play.  Afterwards, you would set all your cream/liquid products with an all over powder.

To take it a step further, you can now emphasize the highlighting effect even more by finishing it off with a powder highlighter, again same placement: top of the cheeks and brow bone area.

My Skin Highlighting Combo:

1-  Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer (#3) :  I LOVE this product!  I like to apply a tiny amount of this (a little goes a long way) along the top of my cheeks after I apply my liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer.  I typically apply this with a brush (currently using the MAC #282 SE from this past holiday’s brush set) or sometimes I will blend with my fingers.

2-  NARS “Albatross” :  Upon setting my face with an all over powder, I use a MAC #165 brush (unfortunately, this was a limited brush) and dust this highlighting powder again on the tops of the cheeks.

[Do you have any additional tips for achieving this look or favorite products that you like to use?]