Your No-Glitter Glow Guide

The bare glow is: a modern, chic way to glow under holiday lights. The bare glow is not: chunky glitter, overpowering highlighter, or anything that distracts from you. It’s the season when everyone wants to shine a little brighter, so here are our best tips- straight from our storied education team and fresh face expert, bareMinerals Global Makeup Nikki DeRoest, for hydrating and highlighting your way to a luminous natural look. 

Use a hydrating serum to highlight

Nikki is obsessed with SKINLONGEVITY Vital Power Infusion Serum and applies it before her skincare in the AM and PM. So what does this have to do with glitter? Well, she also dabs this lightweight serum on the high points of her face as a highlighter that’s free of glitter or pearl. 

Yes, a highlighter palette is worth it

Six highlighter shades may seem like a lot, but once you know how to choose a highlighter shade, it starts to make sense. One way to choose a highlighter is to harmonize it with your overall makeup look. If you’re wearing navy shadow and mauve lipstick, gold highlighter may look a bit off; a sheer lavender will bring the whole look together. Love gold? Pair it with on-trend sunset makeup. 

In the industry, this technique is called ‘color harmony,’ and it’s the exact reason we put six different shades in our holiday-exclusive Stellar Glow Palette. The top row has your cooler shades, and the bottom row is all warm. 

Nontouring: the nontrend

Nontouring is the idea of emphasizing your highlighter overall instead of your contour. It’s a more natural look, and while it’s a hot topic now, it’s been around forever because of the gorgeous ‘lift’ it gives a complexion. To nontour, just apply your highlighter shade first. People with deeper skin tones can often stop here. On lighter skin tones, adding a bit of contour as a second step will finish the look. 

The secret glow-starter

It’s easy to equate “glow” with a single product, whether that’s a face bronzer or highlighter, but a glowing complexion really starts with the skincare you choose. Prep with a super hydrating serum like ETERNALIXIR Skin-Volumizing Oil Serum or AGELESS GENIUS Smoothing Serum and follow with COMPLEXION RESCUE DEFENSE Radiant Protective Veil before your makeup, and you’ll end up with a really glossy, hydrated look. 

It’s all about contrast

Accentuate an all-over glow by pairing it with a matte lip. For a precision highlighter look, try starting with a matte or natural finish foundation to really get a pop. 

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