Gloss or Glow?

Much to the horror of a lot of my friends, I never found myself bit by the highlighting bug, I could appreciate the glow but never felt the need for the glow. This was , however, until I discovered the right kind of glow for me, as soon as I found the right kind of highlighting beauty products for me, I totally understood the glow love and I too was hooked!

For me, I was always a bit intimidated by the beaming highlights, whenever I tried them I always found that they didn't look quite right, and now looking back I think it's because the rest of my makeup would be somewhat understated and soft. It was a big contrast for me, to have subtle makeup and then a blinding highlight, it just didn't quite work. Nowadays I'll reserve the more impact-full highlighters for a night out, when I'm all glammed up. On a day to day basis however, I prefer to stick to something more subtle, something that catches the light softly and makes the glow look more natural.

Cream products have become my go-to for a softer more subtle highlight, they're so quick and easy to apply and I think give a gorgeous glow that doesn't ever look too much or overdone. I'll often use a cream highlight on my eyelids if I'm in a hurry and don't have much time to spend on my makeup, it adds a lovely shimmer to my eyes, and who doesn't love a double up product! My favourite cream highlighter right now is Cosmic Dancer by Ilia, it comes in a cute compact, very travel friendly, stick format that you can apply directly on to your face, or pick up product with a brush of sponge if you prefer. Cosmic Dancer is a beautiful soft golden illuminator that is blended with Vitamin E, Rose Hip Oil and Castor Seed Oil that makes this such a creamy soft and nourishing product.

In keeping with the theme of products doubling up and having multiple uses, I was so intrigued by the Make Face Gloss, I couldn't wait to try it out and see what the hype was with going for a gloss over a glow! I already loved the look of glossy lids, and it was the thought of creating cranberry toned glossy lids in Autumn that initially made me buy this product, but using a gloss on my face (apart from lips) was something very new to me. This colourless product is designed to be applied like a highlighter and creates the most healthy, dewy, soft-focus finish. A little really does go a long way, you only need the tiniest amount of product to create such a beautiful dewy finish. If you use too much it can feel a bit tacky, but it's all trial and error with a new product isn't it! It's a really interesting product and I can totally understand why it's fast becoming a favourite product to use instead of a normal highlighter, it just makes you look so healthy and youthful.

 Left- Make Face Gloss. Right Ilia Cosmic Dancer Illuminator