Dazzle the dancefloors at NYE parties this year with makeup that shines. 

Here's some tips and tricks to help:

1. Define and shape with facial contouring

As the name suggests, this is all about complementing and tweaking your natural facial features with shadowing and highlighting, to get those air-brushed celeb looks.

(1) Makes your facial feature stand out, by giving it light and shade.
(2) Makes you look younger by covering the spots and freckles.
(3) Get a vibrant, healthy look.

But before we proceed, let’s check out two types of products. There are cream or liquid type highlighter, which works great on a small area, while may not be ideal for a larger area like cheek and forehead. The powder type is the most useful and versatile, as it can be used by beginners as well as professional makeup artists. It can create seamless gradation for a natural look.

What you need

1. Concealer, powder, foundation: 1-2 shade lighter and 1-2 shades darker than skin tone
2. Highlighting products
3. Good-quality makeup brushes: Big, fluffy highlight brush/powder brush to work on broad area; Eyeshadow brushes to work on smaller details.
   
   

Where to apply highlighter; 3-step guide

#1 The T-zone Highlight

Highlights are be applied to create more definition on your face, and the T-shaped area above your eyebrow and center of your nose is the most important part of adding highlights. Tip: be careful not to make a broad line on your nose as it would make your nose look bigger (unless that's the look you're going for!).

#2 Under the eye/top of the cheek

This is a very important part of the face, drawing attention to the eyes. Brightening up this area will make you look younger and fresher. 

#3 Center of the chin, center of eyebrow and side of nose

To even things out with the upper side of the face, just take a small portion of the highlight shade and apply it on the top of the chin.

Extra spots: between eyebrow and eye & the Inner corner of eyes

This step is optional, but if you’d like to go the extra mile and make your makeup look flawless, it worth a try! Just use a small brush and carefully apply the highlighter shade a little by little.

After applying the highlight shade as depicted in above steps, take a clean brush and buff off any unnecessary product from the face, blur any visible edges to make it as natural as possible, and check under natural light!

Recommended brushes for contouring and highlighting

Chikuhodo Z-3 Contour Brush: $33

Highlighting and contour brush from the Z-Series, the most popular series of Chikuhodo. The flat, densely packed bristle of this contour brush will make contouring easier than ever. Easy to get the constant result every time. Designed by the master brush maker, Tesshu Takemori, the founder of CHIKUHODO.

Chikuhodo Z-2 Highlight brush: $61 #Best seller

Made out of the highest grade natural hair, the Z-series uses the softest, fluffy natural hair for the bristles. This makeup brush by Chikuhodo will give your skin a heavenly touch. The pointed tip of the bristle will give you perfect control on where to apply your highlight, no matter how thin or broad the line is. Its volume let you flawlessly blend as well. The all-time best seller of the highlight brush!

Chikuhodo T-5 Highlight Brush: $44 

Slightly thicker and richer in volume compared to the Z-2 highlighting brush. T-5 Highlight Brush. T stand for “Takumi”, which means “master artisan” in Japanese. Distinctive white bristle is made of the highest grade natural Goat hair. Created to make the most natural gradation.

Browse all our contouring and highlighting brushes.

2. Highlight your body parts

Did you know that highlight product can be worn not only on the face but on body parts as well? Applying glittering highlight is the best way to shimmer your way into the party scene.

Highlighter or illuminator with glitter will be your best friend on this journey. But be careful when applying the highlight to your body; Your face and the body should glow equally, one shouldn’t out-shine another. Remember, it is easy to add later on, but very hard to go one step back and remove what you already have applied.

Shoulder

If you’re going to wear a dress that shows off some sexy shoulder, make it draw more attention by highlighting the high points of the shoulder, where the light would naturally hit and shine.

Collarbones

Gently place a very thin line of highlighter following the natural protrusion of the bone. The trick is to apply only on the top of the natural shape of the bone, and to give it more enhanced, structured look.

Line front/back of the arms & legs

Draw a thin line on your arms and legs, depending on your dress. This will make your limbs look healthier. Depending on your skin tone, shimmering gold or silver pigment is especially great for legs.

Recommended brush for highlighting your body

Koyudo H014 Heart Powder Blush Brush, $30

The shape of the bristles of this cult-classic Koyodo brush, a combination of goat and polyesyter, fits the natural curve of the body, and give you satisfying result with just one stroke.

Happy Holidays and New Year celebrating!

Written by Namiko Fujiyama
Translated by Hiro Kano