In the world of beauty and cosmetics, highlighting and contouring has become amazingly popular (seriously, it is alllll over Pinterest & YouTube). This beauty technique involves applying darker and lighter shades of makeup to certain areas of the face to create definition. Applying darker shades is referred to as contouring, while applying lighter shades is highlighting. Contouring and highlighting can create the look of a stronger jawline and more pronounced cheekbones. It’s amazing how a little well-placed makeup can change the look of one’s face.
These Moisturizing Highlighter Sticks focus on the highlighting areas of the face that you’d like to “pull toward you.” Primarily, highlighters are used on the cheekbones and under the eye area. These highlighters are made with moisturizing ingredients such as green tea seed oil and jojoba oil to keep skin hydrated.
Various colors of mica can be added depending on your skin tone. Below, we have formulated a basic highlighter shade with no color, as well as highlighters with a pink and peach tone. You can also add more or less mica, depending on how much highlight and sparkle you like. The amounts below could be considered an “average” amount. The spoon trick is perfect for testing them on your skin prior to pouring them into the containers. To see swatches on the skin, scroll to the very bottom of the post.
What You’ll Need:
Base:
.5 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
.4 oz. Jojoba Oil
.5 oz. Cera Bellina Wax
9 mL Cyclomethicone
4 Mini Deodorant Tubes
2 Easy Pour Mixing and Measuring Containers
Basic Highlighter:
2 tsp. Super Pearly White Mica
Peach Shade:
2 tsp. Peach Shimmer Mica
Pink Shade:
2 tsp. Rose Gold Mica
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: In a heat safe container, add the green tea seed oil, jojoba oil and cera bellina wax. Microwave on 30 second bursts until the wax is fully melted. Be careful when removing from the microwave, as the container will be very hot.
TWO: Add the mica corresponding with whatever color highlighter you’d like to create. Use a spoon to fully mix the mica into the oils and wax, making sure there are no clumps. Once the mica is fully blended, add 9 mL of Cyclomethicone and stir well. If you notice the micas settling to the bottom, stir the mixture until it begins to cool. As the mixture cools and becomes thicker, the colors will be able to suspend evenly.
THREE: Once the mixture has cooled slightly, carefully pour the mixture into the deodorant tubes. Let them cool fully and they’re ready to use! Apply the highlighter to cheekbones to give definition to the face. To learn more about how to highlight and contour, check out this blog post from The Beauty Department.
Below, you can see what the colors look like on the skin. On the left, the colors have been applied quite heavily. On the right, the colors have been blended to give a nice subtle shine.
If you haven’t tried this new make-up enhancement trend and want to learn how to highlight and contour, here are some resources: YouTube video, article on Allure about contouring, Make-Up Forever fantastic tutorial (photo and video), and Rookie’s photographic tutorial.
Have you tried the highlighting and contouring craze that’s going on? I’d love to see your photos. Tweet me @brambleberry or tag me @brambleberry on Instagram to show them to me.
- .5 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
- .4 oz. Jojoba Oil
- .4 oz. Cera Bellina Wax
- 9 mL Cyclomethicone
- 4 Mini Deodorant Tubes
- 2 Easy Pour Mixing and Measuring Containers
- Rose Gold Mica
- Super Pearly White
- Peach Shimmer Mica
- In a heat safe container, add the green tea seed oil, jojoba oil and cera bellina wax. Microwave on 30 second bursts until the wax is fully melted. Be careful when removing from the microwave, as the container will be very hot.
- Add the mica corresponding with whatever color highlighter you’d like to create. Use a spoon to fully mix the mica into the oils and wax, making sure there are no clumps. Once the mica is fully blended, add 9 mL of Cyclomethicone and stir well. If you notice the micas settling to the bottom, stir the mixture until it begins to cool. As the mixture cools and becomes thicker, the colors will be able to suspend evenly.
- Once the mixture has cooled slightly, carefully pour the mixture into the deodorant tubes. Let them cool fully and they’re ready to use! Apply the highlighter to cheekbones to give definition to the face. To learn more about how to highlight and contour, check out this blog post from The Beauty Department.
I can’t wait to try this! What would you recommend as an alternative to green tea oil?
This recipe is a lot of fun, can’t wait for you to try it! In place of green tea seed oil, you can use avocado oil, sweet almond oil or chia seed oil. Those oils are all lightweight and moisturizing like the green tea seed oil, and will work nicely in this recipe. With substitutions, we recommend making a small test batch to check that final consistency. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Avocado oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Oil-P3198.aspx
Sweet almond oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Sweet-Almond-Oil-P3205.aspx
Chia seed oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Chia-Seed-Oil-P5612.aspx
What is the approximate shelf life for the cosmetics?
Hi Jamie!
The shelf life of cosmetics will depend on the oils you use. For instance, if you use hazelnut oil which has a shelf life of 3 months, the product will last about 3 months. If you use oils will shelf lives of a year or so, that’s how long your product will last.
The oils in this recipe have a long shelf life, so it should last at least a year. 🙂
Read more about oil shelf lives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello! I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I would like to use the round push up tubes, and I read that those work best with a stiffer product so the product does not slide down in the tube. Would this be stiff/sticky enough to use in a push up tube, or is the twist up type a necessity?
Hi Aimee!
These highlighter sticks are on the softer side so they can glide easily on your skin. I would recommend testing a small batch in one of the push tubes and seeing how it works. If it’s a bit too soft, you can add more cera bellina wax. You can also add .1-.2 ounces of beeswax to start to help firm it up.
Beeswax: https://www.brambleberry.com/Beeswax-White-P4211.aspx
Another thing that helps is a bit of a sticky oil, like vitamin E. That helps the highlighters cling to the side of the push tubes and prevents them from falling out. You may try adding a little bit of a thicker, stickier oil, like vitamin E or castor oil (.1-.2 ounces to start). 🙂
Vitamin E oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Vitamin-E-Oil-P3200.aspx
Castor oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Castor-Oil-P3195.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Push tubes: https://www.brambleberry.com/Push-Tubes-Clear-P4203.aspx
This is very helpful! Thanks!
You’re welcome! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks for this great recipe tutorial! Can you please speak to the necessity of using cyclomethicone for this recipe? I understand its presence likely provides a smoothness that allows the product to be blended appropriately into skin. But, as I build my own line of skincare products, I am trying very, very hard to avoid synthetic ingredients of any kind, including silicone-based products like cyclomethicone. Have you tested this recipe without this added ingredient? What inspired its inclusion as you developed this recipe? No judgement whatsoever on my end, only a desire to be better educated about utilizing ingredients like this and how they affect the end product being developed. I have appreciated your website and blog entries so very much and am thus far quite satisfied with the products I’ve ordered from Brambleberry. Thank you for such wonderful access to this information!
Hi Sarah!
Good question. You’re spot on; we used cyclomethicone in this recipe to help give these highlighters a nice smooth feeling on the skin. It also helps provide a nice “slip,” during application. We have not tested this recipe without the cyclomethicone. My guess is that these would still work well without, but may not glide on the skin quite as well. To combat this, you could try increasing the amount of oils slightly. This may help give it a slightly softer, smoother texture.
When experimenting with the texture of this recipe, you may find the “Frozen Spoon Trick” helpful! This handy technique involves placing a spoon in the freezer, and then dipping it into your melted product. It will immediately harden on the spoon, allowing you to adjust the ingredients as you go. I’ve included a link below so you can take a look and read more :). I hope this helps!
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/spoon-trick/
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
a good thing you can add to help make something smoother and glide on is arrowroot powder which will still keep you at a more natural recipe.
That’s a great tip Ariel, thanks so much for sharing! Arrowroot is nice and soft. 🙂
Arrowroot powder: https://www.brambleberry.com/Arrowroot-Powder-P3706.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Whoops i forgot to ask a question.
Can you tell me if there’s a recipe for cuticle oil ?
I saw on bramble berry that they have new nail polish bottles,
I would love to make something with them.
Hi Robin!
We have an amazing Nourishing Nail Oil recipe you may like! I keep some on my desk at work and use it whenever my nails or cuticles are feeling dry. 🙂
Nourishing Nail Oil: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/nourishing-nail-oil/
We also have a lovely Rosemary Lavender Cuticle Salve recipe you may like: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/cuticle-salve-recipe/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Rectangular Nail Polish Bottles: https://www.brambleberry.com/Rectangular-Nail-Polish-Bottle-P6197.aspx
Thank you Kelsey that lavender rosemary cuticle salve sounds like a perfect recipe for dry cuticles in the winter, so I guess ill get some sliding tins and some nail polish bottles.
You’re welcome Robin! Thanks so much for your order. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I can’t wait to make this project!!!!
Unfortunately my garbage disposal seems to be ” maybe ” clogged up!
(Hopefully) they won’t find any of my ( past) soap projects!!
Ha ha – I had to laugh Robin. Last year I had to have my drain snaked after a few months of constant soap making – I wondered if it had to do with all the soap and stuff solidifying downstream. Now I take the extra time to use spatulas and paper towels to really wipe my equipment off before I wash it all!
Ha, too funny! I’m sure it will be interesting for the plumber. 🙂
Also, that’s a great idea Michael! I was worried about drain clogging so I wipe off my equipment with paper towels too. Help my sink out a little!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Can these be used over a base? I guess I’m a little unfamiliar with highlighting.
Hi Christie!
These do work over a base! I’m wearing foundation and concealer, and I just tried some out on my face. It shows up as a beautiful shimmer. 🙂
Highlighter is applied to the high points of your face, like the top of your cheekbones and the tip of your nose. When the light hits your face, the highlighted portions have a beautiful shimmer. That helps emphasize and define your face. It’s almost like the sun is shining on you 24/7!
This video explains the process really well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-heNLEHtb0c
I don’t usually contour my face, but I do apply highlighter for some shimmer. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry