Do It Yourself - Highlighter!

I've been fascinated with DIY beauty products ever since I started browsing the blogesphere - it's fun being directly involved in the making of something you want to use, and usually the finished product is alot less costly than if you were buying a ready-made product from a brand.

After reading up on bloggers that use eyeshadow directly onto their cheekbones for a highlight, I decided to elaborate and give making my own a try:

You Need:

• Facial Lotion
• A small container
• Pearl/sparkly eyeshadow
• A spoon
• A primer (Not pictured)

Just three ingredients make up a super shimmery highlighter, however the primer is used to elongate the highlighter but I did not have a suitable one with me to use in this demonstration (I had attempted to use Benefit's POREfessional but the consistency wasn't compatable with the lotion), so be sure to use a liquid primer, not one with a thicker paste-like texture. I bought the small container in a pack of five for £2 and the lotion was less than £2 also. The most expensive products will be the primer and eyeshadow, but there are inexpensive brands if you need to buy a new shade, or you can use the last few bits of an old one. With the primer, you only need a tiny amount so you if you need to purchase some especially, you can just use it as a great new addition to your makeup kit after adding it into the highlighter!

Squirt some of the lotion into the small container, as you can see i've filled about 1/3 of the pot. However, you can really use however much you'd like, just ensure you have enough shadow to even it out. This would then be followed by a small squirt of your chosen primer and use the spoon (Or the spoon handle depending on the size of your pot!) to mix together thoroughly.

Using the back of the spoon, carefully mash the eyeshadow and tip the desired amount into the pot with the lotion and primer. Then mix. And I mean REALLY mix. I found that the eyeshadow tended to solidify and form small clumps within the mixture if it wasn't mixed quickly and vigorously.

As you can see, because of the chosen eyeshadow colour the finished product doesn't look a lot different than the lotion pictured at the beginning,  but there is a slight shine. I have included the half-used palette to show how much shadow I actually used - but it's really a case of adding more and mixing until you've found the right amount for you.

I applied it quite thick for you to visibly see the finished product, and as you can see it gives a light pearl shimmer that looks gorgeous when it catches the light. I have used it since and i've found it to be a great alternative for expensive products such as Benefit's 'High Beam', which comes with a hefty £18.50 price tag! It's great for people who enjoy experimenting and creating to find cheaper alternatives to high end products. The primer will ensure that the product is long lasting, and the facial lotion ensures that it doesn't dry out your skin.

The compact container means its easy to pop into my bag if I want to top up my glow, and overall i'm so happy with the way it turned out and how it effectively highlights my cheekbones and is a great addition to my everyday make-up routine!


Be sure to vote for Sophie Says for the NEXT Newcomer Blog Award at this years Cosmopolitan Blog Awards HERE!