Beauty Tube: Choosing the right highlighter/Illuminator for your complextion

Highlighter is one of the worst kept beauty secrets: Everyone knows that if you want to fake

a healthy glow, it's not really bronzer you're after - it's highlighter. Consider it concealer's sexy older cousin. While a good concealer can hide a multitude of late-night sins, highlighter uses reflective properties to distract the eye away from those sins. When well-executed, it lends an effect that amounts to having your own personal lighting team wherever you go, adding dimension to your face without delving into some pro-makeup artist epic contouring session. Available in powder, liquid, or cream forms, with or without shimmer, the amount of highlighters available are endless.

However, not all highlighters are created equal. Just like foundation, not every highlighter is made for every skin tone. Depending on what the product is, where you place it, and — not the least of your problems — what your coloring is, you can end up with a shiny, frosty, and dare we say it, somewhat stripper-ish effect. A pearlescent white highlighter just really isn't the best choice for naturally tan or olive skin.

Choosing the correct highlighter for your skin tone can be difficult, below are highlighters that I would recommend for different skin tones:

Pale to Fair Skin