As a self-proclaimed glow connoisseur, I don't mess around when it comes to highlighter and this multi-use balm is by far the best I've tried for a natural and effortless radiance...
Whether it starts with your best foundation or go-to bronzers, we all have that one beauty staple we rely upon to enhance and complete our makeup regimes. For me, that task lies with my best liquid blushes and highlighters, particularly the latter when winter rolls around and my dry skin has a field day. I favour cream formulas because I just love that dewy gleam they afford. Glossier's Haloscope highlighter used to be my favourite and while I'm still a fan, I've found another balm that I just cannot do without.
Chanel's Baume Essentiel multi-use glow stick - specifically in the shade Moonlight Kiss - leaves my skin glistening in just a matter of seconds and is perfect for both a natural, fresh-faced moment and more of a radiant, camera-ready party look...
Why Chanel's Baume Essentiel glow stick is my go-to for quick radiance
Complete with the iconic, interlocking 'C' logo and sleek black metal packaging, the Baume Essential highlighting balm is one of the best Chanel makeup best-sellers I've tried. For starters, it's multi-use, which when a product is on the premium side, is always a selling point for me. You can use it on your cheeks, nose and brow bones (like all highlighters) but also on your eyelids and lips - thanks to its hydrating formula.
RRP: £38 | This multi-use glowstick is available in a range of glistening shades to sculpt and highlight your face, whether you're applying it to your cheekbones for dewy, light-catching gleam or your eyelids - for a subtle, wet-looking eyeshadow effect. Its formula is creamy and hydrating and blends out easily with either a brush or just your fingers.
I love to apply it to the tops of my cheekbones - where the light will naturally fall and reflect off its glistening particles - the bridge and tip of my nose, my cupid's bow and occasionally, the inner corners of my eyes. Being a cream formula, it applies and blends out like a dream over these areas without disrupting or causing my base products to move or separate. It just glides on, whether you dab it across your cheek with your fingers or the stick itself.
The shade I use is 'Moonlight Kiss,' which is a sheer peach that imparts a subtle but glistening golden-pink shimmer to the skin. The formula is glittery but the particles are so minute that it just adds to the overall gleam - rather than being an overtly obvious shimmer. Plus, with the texture being so creamy, there's no glitter fall-out, it stays exactly where you've applied it, unless, of course, you accidentally rub your face.
The entire experience with this highlighting balm just feels so luxe. The packaging, as mentioned, is a cool black metal and when you twist the product up, you instantly catch the glisten of those pink and champagne glitters. The dewy sheen it gives the skin is equally mesmerizing. I use it as a last step in my routine and it just instantly perks up and brightens my skin, adding a subtle hint of glamour to my look, even when I'm not planning to leave the house. When I do wear it out though, the way it reflects the light in photos, especially under a camera flash, is stunning.
How to use the Chanel Baume Essentiel Glowstick
The beauty of this stick lies in its versatility. You can apply it with your fingers, a highlighter brush (the brand itself recommends using Retractable Highlighter N°111 brush), or by swiping the stick directly to your skin. As for where to add this glimmering balm, you can pat it over your cheekbones, brow bones, eyelids, lips, nose, cupid's bow - and even your chin and forehead if you really want the appearance of glassy skin.
I would recommend setting your makeup with one of the best setting sprays before laying down this highlighting balm, just to ensure your base coverage lasts as well as your radiance will.
