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I remember when highlighter first became incredibly popular in 2016. No makeup look of mine was complete without dusting a glittery powder along my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and right on top of my cupid’s bow. My makeup tastes have changed quite a bit since then, and while I often look back and cringe at my brows from that era (eyebrow blindness is real, people!), I still adore that strobing effect.
Fast forward to today, and achieving an ethereal glow is still a major trend in the makeup world. That said, instead of placing a dazzling highlighter along the high points of your face, more people are after an all-over radiance. This shift has made me reach for my tried-and true-highlighters less frequently, and I really started to wonder if highlighters, in general, had lost their luster.
However, one swipe of Patrick Ta‘s new highlighting duo convinced me that highlighter is still a necessary aspect of anyone’s makeup routine — and this formula is here to shake up how we glow for the better. “If you know me, you know I love glow. it’s something I try to incorporate into most of my looks, so this has been a long time coming,” Ta exclusively tells Us. “I really wanted to create my own version of glow, so that’s exactly what these highlighters were made to be.”
Get the Patrick Ta Major Glow Creme & Powder Light Reflecting Translucent Highlighter Duo for $40 at Sephora!
“These highlighters were made to give you that ‘glow from within’ look that I love so much. I formulated them so you will get compliments on your overall skin rather than just your makeup,” Ta continues. “It’s going to make your skin appear so healthy and gorgeous, and never leave you with a streak of highlight. They were intentionally made with a sheer base to be more translucent and really make your complexion pop and glow, this way it seamlessly melts into your skin and is just the right amount of natural shine.”
I had pretty high hopes for the highlighter duos considering Patrick Ta’s blush is my favorite of all time, and they did not disappoint. Much like the blush, the highlighters come with two large pans of a shimmery powder and a translucent dewy cream (which is protected by a plastic cover to prevent any fallout from getting trapped in the formula — an absolutely genius product design). I tested out two shades: My Love, a diamond-esque sparkler, and Honey, a bronze shimmer.
As a pale redhead, I wasn’t expecting Honey — which happens to be the darkest offering — to look good on my skin, but it seamlessly melted into my complexion and gave me just a touch of natural color. Trying this hue felt like a true test to determine if the “intentionally translucent” claims rang true, and they certainly do. The glow it gave me was similar to what I experience post-facial, with a bronzed tinge: It leaves behind more of an I-woke-up-like-this brilliance rather than the in-your-face strobing effect that ruled the mid 2010s.
Ta recommends a unique way of applying the highlighters that goes against what most makeup artists suggest. “I like to take a little bit of the powder highlight on a very precise brush, applying to the high points of my cheekbones. Then I top with the cream formula,” he explains. This will just melt the highlight into the skin so your complexion looks healthy and gorgeous for summer.” Following his technique truly gives you the power to replicate Ta’s signature red carpet brilliance. Though, he insists on experimenting with the formula — and layering as you wish – to find the best balance to unleash your own unique luminescence.
Turns out highlighters’ time in the spotlight hasn’t faded . . .all we needed was Patrick Ta to revive and reinvent the way we shine. Get your gleam on this summer and beyond by adding these to your cart today!
Get the Patrick Ta Major Glow Creme & Powder Light Reflecting Translucent Highlighter Duo for $40 at Sephora!
Looking for something else? Explore more Patrick Ta products here and check out more highlighters at Sephora here!
