Jamie Schneider is the former Senior Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
Image by svetikd / iStock
August 20, 2024
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Glowing and textured skin are not mutually exclusive. You can have blemishes, fine lines, or an uneven surface and still secure a dewy, bright face beat—let’s not forget that your skin is a living, breathing organ with texture!
Now that being said, some common beauty products can actually exacerbate unwanted texture; namely highlighters, which often include shimmery particles that can easily sink into fine lines, large pores, or acne scars. It leaves you with a dilemma: Enhance your cheekbones and your texture concerns? Or forgo the dewy glow altogether, simply letting your natural bone structure catch the light?
But wait—board-certified dermatologist Shereene Idriss, M.D., shares another option on TikTok. Below, find her subtle highlighting hack.
A derm’s highlighting hack for textured skin
We say it all the time in makeup tutorials: A striking face beat always starts with a hydrated, fresh canvas. Without a healthy base, cosmetics can look cakey and patchy, no matter how many creamy, dewy formulas you pile on.
And if you have textured skin (read: fine lines, large pores, acne scars, etc.), it’s even more important to focus on moisture, which is why Idriss swaps the highlighter for Weleda’s Skin Food, a balmy, rich face cream. “I take a wet beauty blender, and I put a little drop of the Weleda on that beauty blender, and I apply it to the high points of my face,” she shares.
She winds up with three dots on her cheekbones, a dot on each side of her forehead, and a dot on the tip of her nose, but feel free to add more wherever you see fit (Personally, I also like to highlight right underneath my brow bone.)
Bounce the sponge gently to blend, but don’t let the moisturizer fully melt into your skin. “Allow it to stay on the surface of your face without getting absorbed too much,” says Idriss, so “you’ll look overall nice and dewy.” If the product soaks in, you’ll lose that subtle shine.
And there you have it: A hack to make your cheekbones pop without accentuating any textural concerns. Of course, you’ll want to have a moisturizing base before you even begin your makeup routine; think of the face cream as an extra tap of hydration for that fresh, dewy glow.
The takeaway
Highlighters are meant to enhance your glow, but many can also spotlight an uneven skin texture. To mitigate the issue, either opt for a shimmer-free highlighting balm or use a face cream as a hydrating highlighter dupe. Idriss is known for her stunning face beats (her winged eyeliner skills are unmatched), but this is arguably her easiest derm-approved trick.
