Problem: Your favorite highlighter is MIA, possibly due to your cat, despite lacking opposable thumbs, hiding it somewhere in your condo.
You turn over every inch of the place looking for it, peering under every piece of furniture and checking each of your cat’s favorite hiding places, but still can’t find it.
WHERE IS THAT DAMN PAN OF MAC SOFT AND GENTLE MINERALIZE SKIN FINISH?!
Er…not that I’ve ever experienced this. We’re talking hypothetically, of course. 🙂
Solution: You reach for a shimmery peach, coral, beige or white eyeshadow instead.
Yup — that’s right. Because your eyeshadow can double as a face highlighter!
Here I’m using MAC’s Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Lorelei, a shimmery golden beige from the new MAC Alluring Aquatic collection.
After I’m done applying blush and bronzer, I swirl a clean finger in the pan, and gently rub it on my upper cheekbones…
…down the bridge of my nose (goofy face is totally optional!)…
…and on my Cupid’s bow.
And that’s it! Instant highlighting, all from a pan o’ eyeshadow. 🙂
Generally, whenever I do this, I like to use colors that I would also use to spotlight my brow bone or the inner corners of my eyes, like good ol’ MAC Shroom or Ricepaper.
But really, any eye-brightening shimmery beige, gold, pink or bronze eyeshadow should work.
Give it a try sometime, and let me know what you think.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Happy hump day, my friend. 🙂
Divya says
May 7th, 2014 at 8:04 amYeah Ricepaper and Nylon have been serving this job pretty well for pretty long, but the eyeshadow in focus here from the collection is way too expensive for way too little product! Id rather reserve it for just my peepers 😛
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Judith says
May 7th, 2014 at 8:14 amI do it as well. I remember picking up the trick on what not to wear. Carmindy does it all the time!
Denise Robinson says
May 7th, 2014 at 8:15 amGreat tip! My cats are always hiding things from me too 😛
Nora Gouma says
May 7th, 2014 at 8:20 amI also do the same…lol…You look so fresh and pretty dear…..xoxoxo…..^_^
Erin says
May 7th, 2014 at 8:50 amI’ve often used Stila Kitten on the cupids bow! Just using the excess on the brush post eye lid wash!
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Brooke @ Blushing Noir says
May 7th, 2014 at 8:53 amI’m loving your eye look here! Sultry!
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Rhea says
May 7th, 2014 at 8:59 amI do this sometimes as well, I have yet to get a good powder highlighter- I will soon going to stop by sephora, but I sometimes use one of the sheen/gold shadows from the naked pallete or my beloved L’oreal golden shadow. It’s easy and multi-purposeful!
Glossedonbeauty.blogspot.com
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Alison M says
May 7th, 2014 at 10:09 amI never think outside the box like this. There are so many highlighter-esque eyeshadows that I like more than actual highlighters. Game. on.
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Fancie says
May 7th, 2014 at 10:09 amI love this idea! I actually thought about it making a nice highlight because it looks a lot like Whisper of Guilt. I think Lorelei might be a bit warmer with less white though. I want it now lol
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Ankita@corallista says
May 7th, 2014 at 10:47 amI’ve done this with MAC Ricepaper on occasions when I couldn’t find my cheek highlighters! I love your makeup here, the navy blue eye shadow is gorgeous on you!
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Sherri says
May 7th, 2014 at 11:15 amDuring my last visit to the MAC store, the guy there put on the Full of Joy lavender blush with the eyeshadow Seedy Pearl as the highlighter. The combo is gorgeous!
Kiss & Make-up says
May 7th, 2014 at 11:23 amOh I do this too, and vice versa, and same thing with blush as eyeshadow and vice versa 🙂
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Amie F says
May 7th, 2014 at 12:03 pmOh my goodness! Your makeup looks amazing in this post! So beautiful, Karen. I hope there will be a post with details. : )
Allison C says
May 7th, 2014 at 12:25 pmGreat idea! Now why didn’t I think of this. Wonderful use of all those shadows that are too shimmery for my eyes 🙂
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Taylor says
May 7th, 2014 at 1:23 pmTHIS EXACT THING IS HAPPENING TO ME RIGHT NOW. (The missing makeup, not the highlighter.) I’ve been missing my brand new MUFE cream blush for weeks and I can’t find it anywhere!!! My cat is suspiciously quiet about the whole affair….
Chelsea says
May 7th, 2014 at 4:22 pmI used to do this all the time with the lightest shade from my Lancome Coral Crush palette! I threw that away (it was 3 years old or so, and I have incredibly sensitive eyes, it was a sad day for all my makeup when I purged my collection a few weeks ago…) but it was the perfect, shimmery pale pink for my skin.
Poo@beautyandmakeupmatters says
May 7th, 2014 at 6:14 pmI have done this quite a few times with my INGLOT eye shadow.. and I really like how eye shadow double up as highlighter and for contour as well.. 😀
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Gina says
May 7th, 2014 at 9:53 pmI do this a lot lol! MACs Motif eyeshadow is my favorite, especially because its like 3 different colors in one. Gorgeous!! Shroom is another favorite of mine.
Whitney says
May 8th, 2014 at 12:59 pmI love the eye shadow you are wearing! Any chance we can get a run down of what shadows you used?
Karen says
May 8th, 2014 at 1:57 pmHi Whitney,
It’s the new Tom Ford Unabashed Compact along with some other things. Here’s a link to the post with a full breakdown: Blue Monday, Take 2: A Face of the Day With the Tom Ford Unabashed Eye and Cheek Compact
Melissa R says
May 11th, 2014 at 5:17 pmI actually do that with my Urban Decay shadow in X when I want my cheeks to stand out like boom chacka wa wa ! Very Nars Orgasm like 🙂
Wendy says
May 16th, 2014 at 11:40 amKaren, I love your makeup here but I love the earrings too, so simple and chic. Where did you get those earrings?
LAYLA says
May 24th, 2014 at 7:17 pmI actually bought just this one eyeshadow from this collex for highlighting only. I love it.
Elysia says
May 26th, 2014 at 7:04 pmI LOVE your eye’s here! Quick tutorial on what you did? Did you use fathoms deep?
Danielle Rivera says
June 16th, 2014 at 10:30 amI can’t believe I haven’t thought to try this trick before! I feel kind of silly, because I use my bronzer as a matte color in my crease quite often, but have never picked up on this trick. What are some of your favorite eyeshadows to use as highlighter?!?! I am so intrigued now 🙂
Jennifer says
March 22nd, 2021 at 3:33 pmLol I just saw this post of yours today. Yes some people don’t realize makeup doesn’t have to be for the area intended. It’s multi purpose. Back in the day before most highlights… I would say in 1996, when I was in college, I noticed celebrities with gooey faces and I tried to get that by making my own magic. I used light shimmery eyeshadow as my highlight. I remember looking at a celeb pic and just noticing where their face shined and copied it. I loved it and did it daily once I discovered it. I was in love with the glow! Love your post about this!!!