End of Summer Shimmer
August means the wind down of summer. Even though it’s still in full swing, you are starting to think about school plans, fall events, wardrobes, etc. But it’s still summer, although now we have a little more vitamin D and color on our skin from the glorious sun.
This month always evokes thoughts of a bronze glow, metallics, and shimmer for me. One part of the summer that’s refreshing is wearing a lot less makeup and the ability to be a bit more natural. To get a “just back from Saint Tropez” radiant, glowing complexion, you don’t need much: bronzer, a breathtaking pink blush with gold flecks, and the perfect complement to both – a highlighter.
A highlighter will enhance naturally sun-kissed skin, catching the light on your best features, especially your cheekbones and right under your eyebrows on the bone. A good highlighter can accentuate the beautiful angles of the face and give you a more angled appearance if your face is rounder. There is a plethora of highlighters – just about all makeup brands have some version. They come in all types: liquid, stick, powder, and pressed, and range in varying depth of color. Some are very intense, opaque, and great for evening, and some have more translucent light-reflecting pigments, which is great for day.
One of my all-time favorite highlighters is the famous Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Radiance Perfecting Pen (one is sold every 10 seconds). It is quite pretty in its gold case, perfect for keeping in your handbag, even in the evening. It’s in a pen style, which also means you use most of it. I love packaging that doesn’t waste product. It brightens, smooths, and perfects. The soft brush applicator allows for precision. The formula has light-infused pigments, which smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It has the most radiant sheen and is good for under the eyes and on cheekbones. It even says on the Sephora website that it “gives your lips a natural-looking plump … It’s infused with hyaluronic acid to increase hydration and plump skin and vitamin E delivers antioxidant care to help fight the visible signs of fatigue, while ultra-fine micro-pearls boost radiance.” Bonus!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit has four intensely pigmented powder shades in Bronzed, Summer, Tourmaline, and Moonstone. They are fabulous and very velvety in texture. The color is opaque and has the perfect luminescent appearance on the skin. Stila’s Heaven’s Hue has three weightless, natural-looking highlighters: an opalescent pink called Transcendence, a nude pink called Kitten, and one called Bronze. Nars has a liquid highlighter called Illuminator, which comes in five shades. Its website says it’s deceptively sheer, and decidedly luminous. Benefit also has a liquid highlighter called Dandelion Shy Beam.
M.A.C.’s Studio Quicktrik Stick is a double-ended multiuse stick for highlighting, contouring, bronzing, or adding a pop of color. It comes in six different duo color combinations, ranging from deep burgundy to light champagne, also perfect for on the go.
Mr. Saint Laurent believed women were at their most beautiful under gold lighting. May you feel your most beautiful during the remaining days of summer with a little shimmer and gold!
