High Beam by Benefit Cosmetics - Faking the Pregnancy Glow

One of the first things I grab when getting ready in the morning is my High Beam (Benefit Cosmetics). If I get nothing else on my face before my baby wakes up crying, I want at least this to make it. 

I was given my first bottle from my gorgeous sister-in-law for Christmas 2012 and figured if she loved it then it was definitely worth a try.

Running Low :(

I instantly fell in love. This pale pink creamy highlighter blends beautifully and adds a subtle shimmer without looking sparkly or fake. Highlighters have been a staple of mine for awhile, but it's tough to find one that perfectly catches the light without looking too chaulky or being difficult to blend. 

For those of you unfamiliar with highlighting, it serves the same purpose as using a bronzer in that it contours the face, but you should apply it in the opposite places that you would a darker product. I use it everywhere I want to enhance bone structure so I go kind of crazy. High Beam comes with a nail polish sized brush but I tend to use my fingers and place tiny dabs on all the elevated parts of my face: browbone, cheekbones, above the eyebrow, bridge of nose, upper lip and outer jaw line. 

These are the places I usually apply - enhanced with photo-editing software.

This stuff instantly enhances everything it touches. I can't tell you how many comments I got on my pregnancy glow, and I didn't let on that it was all thanks to this little miracle in a jar. 

Sephora, Amazon and ULTA all carry High Beam, which retails for about $26 for a .45oz bottle. Each bottle lasts me about 6 months. I do wish it were a bit easier to get the last little bit out of the jar; I have to store it upside down near the end of its life. There are often smaller bottles included in Benefit sampler packs, which is a great way to try out several of their products without making a big commitment. There are other colors, but High Beam seems to be fairly universally flattering. 

If you try it out, let me know what you think! Any highlighters that have become your favorites?

I darkened this photo with a filter so you can really see the highlighting (but didn't enhance the highlight or shimmer at all). It was tough to capture on my iPhone!

All done!