Instagram's recently released Archive and Highlights update has greatly improved potential profile customization. Brands and influencers are now adding to their profile aesthetic in fun and creative ways with custom Instagram Stories Covers.
If you want to get started with what's trending on Instagram and also start using iconography in style, then we have good news for you - we, together with the Plann app, are ready to help with this! First, let's walk through creating new Trending Instagram Stories.
How to Make a New Featured on Instagram
Step 1
Click the button in the lower right corner to go to your profile.
Step 2
Click the “+” button to make a new Trending Instagram Story.
You will be taken to your Instagram Archive, where you can see all your past stories.
Step 3
Step 5
Choose a name for your Trending Stories.
Step 6
This is usually where you choose your cover for Current. Skip this for now and just click Add.
Congratulations! You've made your first Trending Stories on Instagram. you will find out in our article.
How to Make Interesting Covers for Trending Instagram Stories
To make covers for Trending Stories, you'll need access to any free graphic design platform. I love the Canva app. Create an account if you don't already have one and get started.
Step 1
Click the “Create Design” button in the upper left corner.
Step 2
Scroll down to “social media and email headers,” and click on “Etsy Shop Cover.” It's worth noting here that you can use any image size. Its dimensions will change after you load it as a story, and again after you select it as a cover for Current.
Step 3
Select “ELEMENTS” from the toolbar.
Step 4
Click on "icons".
You will be presented with more icons than you will ever need.
You can also search for specific icons in the search bar at the top. You will be offered different options to choose from: free or paid.
Once you select the icon you want, simply select the background color, and click the “Download” button. Make sure the icon is not too big, otherwise parts of it will be lost during cropping for Instagram.
Step 5
Send your design to your phone, go back to Instagram, and post it as a new story. To do this, simply go to your profile and swipe left. Once you've selected the photo you want to use as your icon, be sure to make it as small as possible. This will ensure that parts of your icon don't get cut off when you use it as a cover image.
Step 6
You will need to add this image to Trending to make it suitable as a custom cover image for your Trending stories. To do this, from your profile, simply long press on the Feature you want to customize and select “edit.” You will be taken to the following menu:
You will see which stories are in Current and which are not. If you swipe right, you will see your History Archive. Slide in and select the icon if it's not already selected. It will be better if you place the story with your new cover design at the end so that your followers don't miss other stories.
Step 7
Go back to the “Current” tab. You should see your badge story at the end. Click “change cover” and select an icon using the slider at the bottom. You can pinch and drag to enlarge and position the icon the way you want before finalizing the cover. When you're done, just click "Done."
Use it!
Now that you know how to create custom Instagram cover highlights, you can get started.
Use your imagination to make your profile stand out! you can by downloading the application.
Highlighter - can replace a professional makeup artist. It will easily highlight exactly what is needed to create an unforgettable image. With its help, you can place accents, hide small wrinkles and create makeup that will leave a bright impression. Leading makeup artists claim that you can make highlighter at home.
What it is?
Not everyone and not always have the opportunity to buy this product. You may have been asked more than once about what you can use instead of highlighter. Fortunately, you can replace it with improvised cosmetics. Reviews confirm that homemade highlighter is not inferior to the purchased one, and sometimes even surpasses it.
When planning to make your own highlighter and replace it with other products, you must clearly understand what such cosmetics are intended for.
This cosmetic product does not hide skin imperfections at all. With its help you will not disguise redness and irritation, bags and bruises under the eyes. On the contrary, you can draw attention to them. But a highlighter can highlight and shade the necessary areas of the face so as to attract attention to them and distract it from problem areas.
How to determine color?
When choosing the appropriate option, you need to focus on the color of your skin.
It is very important that the highlighter is several shades lighter than your natural complexion. This way you can highlight and shade certain areas of your face to advantage.
When choosing the color of a cosmetic product, you should consider the following recommendations:
- Fair-skinned girls and women To highlight the eye line, a white or light pink shade of this cosmetic product is suitable.
- For the fair sex with olive skin, it's best to focus on peachy undertones.
- Dark-skinned or tanned girls you should take a closer look at the golden hue.
- Versatile and suitable Almost everyone considers it a beige shade.
You should take these features into account even if you are replacing a store-bought highlighter with a homemade one.
Kinds
When planning to find a replacement highlighter, find out what types of such cosmetic products exist.
The following highlighters are distinguished on the modern cosmetic market:
- Compact. Versatile, suitable for daily use. Sold in powder form. You can choose this product based on your skin type.
- Liquid. Available in a convenient jar with a dispenser. It spreads easily over the skin and lasts a long time. With it, you can be sure that you won't have to touch up your makeup every half hour.
- Serum. It not only emphasizes the right places, but also takes care of the skin of the face. Moisturized and well-groomed skin is guaranteed. This type of cosmetics is more suitable for mature women.
- Pencil. Convenient to use. They can highlight areas such as the inner corners of the eyes, the contour of the lips, and eyebrows. It's easy to use and you don't have to worry about the lines being clear.
- Cream. Although the texture is creamy, this highlighter is not easy to apply.
- Shimmer. It is a dry product with many shades. It is easy to apply.
- Rainbow. The latest beauty sensation. Only a professional can handle the application of such a product. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better not to experiment.
What to replace it with?
In women's cosmetic bags there are some products with which you can easily make a highlighter even at home.
It is important to remember: no matter how wonderful the properties of a highlighter are, they only highlight small areas of the face. This product should never be applied to the entire face at once. Otherwise, you will not only look ridiculous, but will also highlight all your flaws.
Shadows
The easiest and fastest way to replace is with shadows. Almost all women and girls have such cosmetics. However, not all shadows are suitable for such a mission. Dry pearlescent shadows in light and beige shades are suitable. For dark-skinned women, you can choose a golden shade. Apply shadows using a brush or simply with your fingers.
If you find it difficult to apply dry shadows, then you need to combine them with foundation or liquid powder. This will make it easier to distribute the product.
Liquid shadows are also a good option. They are even easier to apply. To make the transitions invisible, the shadows also need to be mixed with foundation.
Cream
Very unexpected, but very effective. An illuminator at home can be replaced with a moisturizer.
You should use the cream not before makeup, but after. Apply a small amount of product to the areas you want to highlight. A light, damp glow is guaranteed.
Plus, you're killing two birds with one stone. Moisturizer will not only complete your makeup, but will also take care of your skin.
Primer
If you don't have a highlighter, but have a primer, you can safely use it instead of the first product.
It's good if you buy a primer with shining particles in advance. Remember that you need to apply the primer so that it replaces the highlighter after completing your makeup. Then the effect will be impressive.
Petrolatum
Leading makeup artists in the world use Vaseline when creating makeup. There is nothing easier than replacing a highlighter with this product.
Apply a small amount of Vaseline to the cheekbones, the end of the nose, and a little to the forehead. You will look as if you came out of an expensive salon. And certainly no one will suspect that you spent the whole day at work.
Lip gloss
Highlighter can also be replaced with gloss or lip balm. Here you need to be aware that a bright and saturated color will have to be shaded well. It’s better to just choose a lighter tone and not doubt the result. Even a well-chosen tone requires skillful application.
How to make it at home?
To make a highlighter at home you will need the following ingredients:
- light shadows and powder;
- any cosmetic oil;
- convenient container for mixing;
- wooden or plastic spatula.
Combine some powder and eye shadow, preferably in a glass jar. Mix everything well. Pour in cosmetic oil here. Stir until smooth.
Apply the finished highlighter to complete your makeup; store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Application zones
You already know how to make and what to replace highlighter with. Now you need to figure out where and on what parts of the face to apply it.
Such cosmetics are applied to the most prominent areas of the face:
- Bridge of the nose. A highlighter applied to it will visually make your nose appear smaller. Not everyone can use this trick, but only those with a straight nose.
- Line under the eyebrows. This way you will not only emphasize your eyebrows, but also make your eyes more expressive.
- Front of forehead.
- Lip contour. The applied highlighter will create a volume effect.
- Cheekbones. Using a highlighter you can perfectly correct and “raise” your cheekbones
What to apply?
There are several ways to apply highlighter to your face:
- Using brushes. Give preference to brushes made from natural ingredients.
- With your fingers. If the option with brushes does not suit you, you can completely trust your fingers. Apply a little product and gently blend it.
- Sponge It will not only help you apply a cosmetic product, it will also blend it well.
For DIY highlighter at home, watch the following video.
The Highlights feature on Instagram allows you to save stories in a special archive that will be accessible only to you, and later create collections from them that are available to everyone. This function appeared on December 5, 2017, and since then has been actively used by bloggers and companies within the .
What's happened Instagram highlights and how does this function work
Before Highlights, stories on the social network were only saved for 24 hours. The new feature allowed users not only to save stories to review them later, but also to create compilations of the best moments and share them with friends.
Story Highlights - current stories - are displayed in the user profile description. You can add an unlimited number of stories to each new collection. They will all appear as regular stories, in chronological order.
How to make and add Highlights on Instagram
To create a new collection, upload several stories - from one to infinity. Read more about it in our article. After downloading, go to your profile and click the “new” button in the Highlights section.
A window with all saved stories will appear in front of you. Select any of them in the order that is needed later when displaying a selection of the best moments. Select a collection cover from the story thumbnails. Then write the name - it can contain up to 16 characters with spaces.
Important: By default, the cover of the new album is the image of the first story, cropped in the center. You can change the story that becomes the cover and its centering.
After adding stories, cover and title, save new ones "best moments". They will appear in your profile description and will be available to all users who visit your page. Collections will appear as regular stories. Their number is not limited - you can add 10, 20 or 100 “best moments”, blog categories, product descriptions.
How to beautifully design and use
The Highlights feature can be used for promotion. Review competitors' profiles and use their experience or develop your own original ideas. For example, you can:
- Create a selection for every day, if you are a famous blogger or public figure. This way the user can easily see what you did yesterday, a week or a month ago.
- Present each individual product in your selection. This is true for stores on Instagram. By adding a description and benefits of each product to a separate selection, you systematize the information and make the search more convenient.
- Create section called “about us” and publish interesting facts about the company, team or workdays. This will increase user engagement, which means, in theory, will affect the ranking of your posts in the general feed.
- Divide the blog into categories - for example, “About politics”, “About stars”, “About animals”. This is relevant for bloggers with a variety of issue topics.
- Create a price- this will make it easier for users to search for prices. If you sell several products, you can create one selection. If there is a lot - several albums broken down by category.
- Sell advertising space. This usage idea is also relevant for users with a large number of followers.
- Publish descriptions of promotions and discounts. This way they will be visible and users will be more active.
Highlights on Instagram or current (pinned) Stories appeared quite recently, but are already actively used by many commercial accounts. Highlights allowed us to significantly expand the information content of the header .
Information that does not fit into the profile description or is relevant in connection with any holiday (February 23, March 8) can now be placed just below the description in the form of pinned Stories.
Highlights are located below the description and above the content posted on the account (for account owners they are marked as Current). Displayed only on the main profile page.
Most often they are used to post a price list, answer frequently asked questions, highlight current promotions, present new products, and so on. They are a set of Stories collected into one album with a randomly assigned name.
To make a pinned Story, add a regular story. We described how to do this in the article about .
After publishing a Story, open it and click the heart icon, then confirm that you want to highlight the story.
The second way to add a pinned story is from the main page of your account by clicking on the big plus. After which you can select any of the previously published Stories or create a new one. Having marked the necessary Stories, we then come up with a name for the collection and click “Done”.
The album cover will be selected automatically, but you can change it by clicking “Edit cover” and selecting any of the Stories in the collection as the cover.
After the manipulations have been completed, the created selection will appear in the “Current” section in your profile.
Ideas for using highlights on Instagram
- Catalog of goods/services - to simplify the search for products on your account, you can place the main ones in pinned Stories.
- Portfolio - divide your completed work or cases by area and pin it on the main page of your profile.
- An archive of photos dedicated to one topic. For example, “Travel to Italy” or “Opening of an exhibition of Van Gogh paintings.”
- Content category - we save Stories by topic into each album.
- Instructions - for example, on how to place an order on the website.
Surely, while you were reading our ideas, an insight came to you and you came up with at least a few more ways to use the Highlights function.
To delete or change an already pinned highlight, select it on the main page of your account, click “More” at the bottom and select one of the menu items “Edit current” or “Remove from current.”
Why is there no highlight feature on Instagram?
The absence of the highlights function on Instagram may be due to the following reasons:
- outdated version of the application;
- old version of the operating system or device;
- old account.
To be able to make pinned stories, update the application or software on your phone.
Conclusion
Highlights are quite a useful feature that should definitely be used to significantly expand the section with important information about the company. Also a must-see on how to use SocialKit for professional Instagram work.
Cosmetic product with an exotic name "highlighter" Today, it is widely used in makeup not only by professional makeup artists, but also by many girls who want to give their face freshness and a special style to their makeup. With the help of a highlighter, you can change the very structure of the face, highlight certain parts of it, and give the skin a fresh, rested look. But even today, not everyone knows the main purpose of highlighter, they have no idea how to use it correctly and how to choose a product individually for themselves among all the variety. In this article we will cover all the most pressing issues regarding the use of a magical cosmetic product - highlighter .
What is a highlighter and what is it for?
Highlighter
- This is a cosmetology invention, indispensable for sculpting facial contours and highlighting individual areas. The result of its use is an extraordinary glow and freshness of the skin, an advantageously emphasized facial contour, the elimination of fine wrinkles and skillfully placed accents in makeup. Highlighter is not a corrective product for masking skin imperfections, but is used “in a duet” with it.
The term “Highlight”, adapted from English, means “to illuminate, highlight, give meaning.” That is, this product is used in makeup to highlight, emphasize certain areas of the face, and gives the skin a more well-groomed, rested, radiant appearance. This effect is achieved due to the presence of reflective particles in the product, which, when placed on the skin, give it a natural shine and alluring shimmer.
Mattifying agents and foundation, which are the base of any makeup, can make the face a little unnatural and the skin lifeless, creating the effect of a mask, “plaster.” As a result, the face looks “flat”, and its natural curves become invisible, natural contours and reliefs dissolve.
This is where highlighter comes to our aid: it helps to define and focus attention on certain curves of the face, gives the skin radiance, visually makes it younger, fresher, more well-groomed. Highlighter is a tool for highlighting cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, subeyebrow areas, the central part of the forehead, the area above the lip, and chin.
Highlighter sometimes works even better than concealer, for example, when you need to hide dark areas under the eyes. The corrector can get stuck in small folds of the skin, while the highlighter, having a drier and more uniform texture, evens out the skin, removing redness, giving the skin a noble, alluring glow.
How to use highlighter for the face correctly: principles of application
A product such as highlighter cannot be applied randomly: only certain areas of the face are “friendly” with it, and by skillfully highlighting them, you can achieve your makeup goals.
- Application to the upper part of the cheekbones, directly under the eyes, will eliminate signs of fatigue, add freshness, and visually rejuvenate.
- Applying highlighter in the inner corners will help make your look more lively and visually expand the area between your eyes. You can “open” your eyes and open your gaze by applying the product to the eyebrow arches.
- With a thin line drawn with highlighter exactly under the eyebrow from its center, moving towards the temple, you can raise the outer edge of the eyebrow. For naturalness, this line needs to be shaded.
- By highlighting the contour of the lower lip and applying highlighter in the dimple above the upper lip, you can visually achieve a seductive volume of the lips, making their shape more prominent. It is important not to overdo it - apply the product in a thin layer and carefully shade it.
How to choose a highlighter?
Highlighter comes in different forms and has several consistencies. And in order to choose a product “on your own” you need to be aware of each of them.
As for texture, the highlighter can be:
- compact (in the form of powder);
- creamy;
- liquid;
- crumbly.
The color palette of highlighters is also varied: their shades can range from almost transparent, with a slight hint of mother-of-pearl, to gold, silver, and even pigments of more saturated colors for lovers of outrageous makeup.
How to choose a highlighter for yourself depends on your goals:
- to correct the oval of the face and highlight the cheekbones, give preference to a liquid highlighter or a product with a creamy texture;
- if you plan to use the illuminator to add shine to the entire face, for example, to go to a club, choose a loose or compact highlighter with a shimmer effect;
- if your task is to sculpt the face and visually correct some of its areas (eyebrow lines, eye widening, lip enlargement), purchase a highlighter in liquid form with a thin brush for easy “drawing” and highlighting certain areas.
The good thing about highlighter in the form of a cream is that it absorbs well and stays on the skin for a long time. Liquid highlighter is also quite easy to apply, and thanks to its unique consistency, it forms a transparent layer on the skin, making it slightly glossy.
A universal option - a compact illuminator lays on the face in the thinnest layer and gives the skin a natural, light illumination effect. It is convenient to apply it with a large fan brush, 1-1.5 cm wide, which will be indispensable for zonal application of the product and its thorough shading.
One type of compact highlighter is multi-colored balls that can be used on large areas - the neck or décolleté. Such a highlighter will not only improve the color of the skin and visually even it out, but in some cases it can replace loose powder.
How to use highlighter for each face type?
As we have already found out, such a makeup touch as using a highlighter can help not only draw attention to certain areas on the face, but also visually correct its features. Let's learn how to use this wonderful remedy for any face.
Correcting the forehead
Using highlighter in the central part of the brow bone will make the forehead look higher, and you can widen it by applying highlighter on both sides of the forehead above the eyebrows. If you are the owner of a low forehead, use the highlighter directly under the hairline, carefully shading it.
Changing the shape of the nose
A nose that is too small can be enlarged or lengthened, balancing it with other parts of the face, placing subtle highlights on the sides of the nose; a long or wide nose can be visually shortened or narrowed by highlighting the area from the bridge of the nose to the tip of the nose with a thin line.
Eye highlighter tricks
Making a neat line under the eyebrows and carefully shading it will visually enlarge the eyes. But this trick is not suitable for drooping eyelids - in this case, the highlighter should be applied in the area above the eyebrows (follow the curve of the eyebrow with a neat line and blend).
The following technique will help solve the problem of deep-set or narrow eyes: use a highlighter to mark the center of the moving eyelid, then carefully shade it. In this case, it is advisable to use a compact porthole. Applying it in the corners of the eyes will widen them and give a mysterious shine.
Cheekbone trick
Highlighting the highest points on the cheekbones will help make this seductive part of a woman’s face even more expressive. This technique allows you to divert attention from facial wrinkles or signs of fatigue under the eyes. Proper highlighting of cheekbones with a highlighter is a magic trick that every woman should know about. With its help, the protrusions of the cheekbones become more prominent, more feminine, and the face itself, thanks to the shimmering natural shine, looks fresher and younger.
Shaping the lips
To make your lips fuller and sexier, highlighting the outlines of the upper lip with a highlighter and applying a spot highlighter under the lower lip with careful shading will help. This trick is suitable for those who do not use lipstick or prefer natural tones.
Instructions for applying highlighter with photo
To make it clearer on which areas of the face the highlighter is applied, we will present our tips in the form of visual photo instructions.
Before using highlighter, properly moisturize and even out your skin and apply basic makeup. The illuminator is applied as the final touch, because it is after the completion of the main makeup that the areas that need highlighting or blurring will be identified. Apply highlighter in a minimal layer.
If there are wrinkles in the corners of your lips, hide them with a highlighter, placing dots where the folds form. Highlight a seductive swoosh above your upper lip with a shimmering dot and lightly rub it in.
Applying the product in the area of the nasolabial folds in thin lines and carefully shading it will blur their boundaries, you will be surprised at how soft the curves of your face will become.
Their color palette plays a huge role in makeup with highlighters. One or more shades of sparkle can look harmonious on any skin. Highlighters are produced in the following color options:
- white;
- natural beige;
- golden or silver;
- peach;
- champagne shade;
- pink;
- beige-lilac.
The last three are extremely popular this season. In addition, with the help of one or another highlighter pigment, in addition to the glow and shimmer effect, you can achieve certain key makeup goals:
- peach tone will refresh yellowish, tired skin;
- golden tone - ideal for use on tanned and dark skin, it gives it amazing freshness and sleekness;
- pink tones go well with skin prone to redness, they make the face softer and younger;
- white and natural beige tones are suitable for owners of fair skin for natural daytime makeup.
Highlighter for the face: what not to do in makeup?
What not to do with highlighter is one of the key questions when handling this miracle product, because its inept use can ruin even the most sophisticated makeup. So:
- do not apply highlighter too liberally, otherwise you risk looking doll-like and unnatural;
- do not use highlighter instead of powder or concealer, with rare exceptions, taking into account the texture and tone of the chosen product;
- do not use the entire highlighter palette you have at the same time, remember that for daytime makeup a neutral, light tone will be useful, and for evening makeup you can choose a sparkle that is a little more contrasting;
- Do not apply highlighter in areas that are prone to inflammation, acne, or oily sheen - the product will only highlight these skin imperfections.
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