What is Illuminator Makeup?
Discover everything you need to know about illuminator including how to use this brightening beauty secret to unlock the best glow of your life.
- 2nd January 2024
- By Charlotte Tilbury
5 minute read
Darlings, anyone who knows me knows that I adore the look of gorgeous, glowing skin, and one of the best ways to get a silky-smooth, natural-looking glow is to use an illuminator.
So, what is illuminator and should you add one to your makeup routine? As the Queen of Glowing Skin, I’m sharing all of my illuminator beauty secrets and revealing why every glow-getter needs a light-catching illuminator in their makeup kit.
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#1 Illuminator as Primer
Darlings, I always say, “not to glow prime is a crime!” You can use illuminator as the first step in your makeup routine as a primer; when applied to a blank canvas, it acts as a radiant glow-primer that smooths and blurs the look of your complexion before makeup. Applying your illuminator onto bare, moisturised skin creates a gorgeous, glowing base for your foundation to apply on top of as it gives your complexion a dreamy, lit-from-within look. On days where you don’t want much coverage, you can wear an illuminator like Hollywood Flawless Filter on its own to give your face a natural-looking glow boost.
#2 Mix Illuminator with Foundation
As a makeup artist to the stars, I’m always mixing different formulas to concoct the perfect foundation finish for every moment. Thanks to their glow-boosting properties, illuminators are perfect options for giving your favourite foundations some extra glow. If you like to wear a natural-matte foundation like AIRbrush Flawless Foundation but are coveting a gorgeous, glowy look, try mixing your foundation with an illuminator like Hollywood Flawless Filter on the back of your hand or a mixing palette before applying to your skin. I formulated Hollywood Flawless Filter to blend effortlessly with other complexion products, so adding it to your foundation is an effortless way to get that flawless-feeling glow!
#3 Illuminator as Highlighter
While illuminators and highlighters have their differences, they are both used to make your complexion glow. You can use an illuminator to give the high points of your face like the cheeks, nose and under eyes a beautiful, brightening effect. Illuminators have a more understated glow compared to shimmering highlighters, so they can be gorgeous options for anyone that’s looking for a more subtle, natural-looking highlight.
Tilbury Tip: To apply an illuminator like Hollywood Flawless Filter as highlighter, I suggest reaching for a shade that’s slightly lighter than your skin tone as this will help to trick the light and make the high points of your face appear more prominent.
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Author Details
Charlotte Tilbury
Founder, President, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty
With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.
