Highlighter and concealer - what's the difference?

The cosmetic industry does not stand still - today more and more new “narrow-purpose” products appear on the market. Their names, as a rule, are Latin, so it is not always easy to understand what is what and why. Let's try to figure it out, highlighter and concealer - what is the difference and why are they needed if you already have foundation and blush.

If girls 15 years ago for a “serious” make-up, foundation, eye shadows, mascara and lipstick were enough, but today the cosmetic bags of some young ladies are swollen to incredible sizes. Jars and tubes are filled with substances of different colors, all this is applied pointwise to different places on the face, eventually forming the perfect skin color.

What is a highlighter, concealer, corrector and bronzer, the blogger tells:

Concealer has been on the market for a long time. This is a corrective tool that complements foundation or BB cream. Its task is to disguise pointwise minor flaws on the face. These are pimples, redness, acne marks, scratches.As a rule, the concealer is quite liquid and is packaged either in a narrow tube with a thin nose or in a bottle with a narrow applicator to make it easy to apply. There are also professional concealers that have a thick consistency that are applied to the face with a brush. These products have different shades, but, as a rule, they are close to the main skin tones. For experienced makeup artists, color concealers are available that can correct even serious facial problems and are suitable for people of different ethnic groups.

Highlighter (English - "highlighter") - a tribute to modern trends in makeup. The ball is ruled by well-groomed and radiant skin - accordingly, the highlighter is designed to make the skin "glow". This tool is applied to certain areas on the face - this is how the effect of "sculpture" is achieved, relief zones are highlighted. The face acquires regular and pleasant features. The skin itself, on which the highlighter is applied, looks healthier, fresher and more radiant. They produce liquid, compact, creamy highlighters of different shades - white, pink, bronze. Without these tools, it is difficult to imagine even a minimal modern make-up, so manufacturers often make 2-in-1 packages. Such a set will help you always look great.

Correctors are available in several versions:

• Pencil - very convenient for those who have spotted pimples. Often such a pencil contains medicinal substances - for example, tea tree oil.
• stick - Looks like a lipstick. With this tool, you can cover a wider area - for example, the freckle zone.
• Liquid - Good for dry areas and delicate skin around the eyes.
• Creamy concealers - usually produced in a palette of different colors.

The basic rules for applying this tool on the face are as follows:

• Concealer is applied AFTER foundation! He must disguise those shortcomings that the tone could not cope with.
• If you need to cover the circles under the eyes, before applying the concealer, you need to apply a cream base under the eyes. It will fill in small wrinkles, so that the concealer does not settle into them. So you can hide the first signs of aging of the skin around the eyes.
• If the product is applied pointwise, it does not need to be poked into the center of the pimple. The concealer is applied with repeated movements in a circle - from the edges to the center. So it will turn out to blend the tool more evenly.

Colored concealers will help to cope with various problems on the face. The fact is that each skin "trouble" has its own shade. Specialists, using the color wheel, have developed a system of color correctors, each of which drowns out a particular flaw with its own color. So:

• Orange - suitable for hiding blue, for correcting the color of the skin under the eyes.
• Violet - Eliminates yellowness on the skin.
• Green - hides all the imperfections of the red color. These are pimples, blood vessels, scratches, allergic rashes.
• Pink and yellow - also suitable for hiding blue spots.
• Dark shades of concealers (brown) are used to sculpt the face, like a bronzer. They stand out cheekbones, forehead, chin line.

This remedy can also be liquid, creamy and compact (dry). A highlighter usually contains a shimmer - shimmering particles that reflect light and give the skin a delicate glow.There is also a separate compact shimmer, which is also considered a subspecies of the highlighter. Highlighting the skin is one of the final touches of the make-up. First, a foundation is applied, then corrective concealers, then the face is sculpted with a bronzer or other means. Then the highlighter is applied. The dry product is applied with a brush and shaded. Liquid and creamy are applied by hand and gently driven into the skin with fingertips.

Points on which “illuminator” is applied as standard:

• Cheekbones. A small amount should be applied to their highest points. This visually tightens the face, gives it a playful glow and sculpts.
• Place under the eyebrows. Even in the Soviet magazines "Worker" they wrote: when the eye makeup is finished, you need to apply the lightest shadows to the entire area from the moving eyelid to the eyebrow. Today, makeup artists simply advise highlighting this area with a drop of highlighter - this will emphasize the bend of the eyebrow.
• Inner corners of the eyes. Also a very "old" point - before it was always highlighted with light shadows. This technique gives the look a glow, eliminates signs of fatigue, makes the eyes even more expressive.
• The back of the nose. Can be applied along the entire length.
• Corner above the upper lip. Quite a drop is enough to apply on the “birdie”, right above the lipstick / gloss. This will make your lips look plumper and more defined.
• Forehead. From the bridge of the nose to the center of the forehead, as if drawing an inverted triangle.
• Chin. Makeup artists advise applying highlighter not to the center of the chin, but to the dimple under the lower lip. This will give relief to the lips and stretch the oval of the face.

The rule here is this: we apply the product if we want to highlight and emphasize the zone.If, for example, a girl is unhappy with her nose or the shape of her lips, there is no need to put glowing dots there.

Like any other makeup, highlighter should be applied in daylight - or whatever day you will be wearing this makeup. This is the only way to achieve the desired effect.

The shade of the “illuminator” (as this remedy is also called) should be selected depending on the natural skin tone. For girls with olive skin or slightly yellowish, peach, creamy shades are suitable. Girls who are naturally pale can brighten up their whiteness with pink or pearl. Red-cheeked and ruddy ones need to “cool” the color, so it is better for them to use blue, greenish, mint shades. For tanned beauties - golden colors.

A couple of life hacks from experienced makeup artists:

• If your ideal foundation is a bit dull, you can put a few drops of liquid illuminator into it. It will revive even the most matte tone.
• Just a little highlighter added to the concealer - and the area under the eyes will shine with freshness.

Since both of these tools are magic wands, manufacturers often combine them into a set or even into one package. Consider the most popular 2 in 1 products and the best of the best solo concealers and highlighters.

An American brand tool that can be purchased online at a ridiculous price, literally 2-3 dollars. At the same time, it is recommended by many beauty bloggers and buyers. In one small package - two products at once: a light liquid concealer and a white highlighter. Each one has its own applicator.

concealer lays down very easily (as stated in the reviews), it can even be applied over powder.It does not roll, does not clog into folds and very well covers the darkness under the eyes.

highlighter weak: it is suitable for beginners. Light color suggests that it is ideal to use it for the area around the eyes - put a luminous dot in the corner, brighten the area under the eyebrow. Many girls have noticed that this highlighter is perfect as a base for shadows - just drive a little bit into the upper eyelid before applying the pigment.

Illuminating concealer. Designed to correct the area around the eyes. The tool is a pen with a brush at the end. It is necessary to twist the lower part so that a drop of the product appears on the brush. Customers noted the convenience in application - the product is spent sparingly and easily shaded.

Coverage is average, it is suitable for correcting a slight lack of sleep, and most likely it will not cope with obvious bruises. The main complaints of customers are related to highlighting. What with him, what without him - there is almost no difference. As a highlighter, the tool almost does not work.

Very inexpensive and popular Polish remedy. Illuminating concealer that can be used on the face to correct and highlight certain areas. Many buyers noted that it hides skin imperfections well, copes with pimples and scratches. Stays on pretty well all day.

How the highlighter works, but is more suitable for very light makeup and is useful for lovers. A full-fledged make-up with facial contouring cannot be done with such a tool. Makeup artists still tend to think that 2 in 1 is not serious. The best option is separate funds.

Excellent coverage, matte finish and very light texture.In addition, the tool has water-repellent properties - you can even cry with it, without being afraid to stay "in a negligee." It is applied to pimples, wreaths and other imperfections on the face after foundation and is necessarily fixed with powder. Without a layer of powder, the concealer will peel off quickly. Under the eyes, the corrector should be applied to the tone.

It looks like lipstick. The composition contains pigment, caring components and oils that “treat” circles under the eyes not only from the outside, but also from the inside. The tool is recommended to be applied pointwise, and then smeared with your fingers. The concealer has a lot of good reviews, but often customers write that the corrector "floats". Due to the presence of oils in the composition, it feels greasy and “takes on” shadows and mascara in the form of prints. Requires mandatory fixing with powder.

In any form (balls, compact powder, CC-highlighter in the form of a pencil), the famous "meteorites" are classics for "expensive" makeup. They give a delicate glow and a healthy look. "Meteorites" can be used as a powder and as an independent highlighter, applying with a brush to the desired points. Customers note that you need to get used to the product: it is not so easy to cope with the application, but the effect is worth it.

Illuminizer in champagne shade, famous among all those who are not indifferent to cosmetics. Gives a mirror shine, slightly moist product. It is applied with a brush, and with different brushes in different ways. You can make a strong glow, or you can make it very delicate. Pairs well with bronzer. The only downside is the price.