Strobing – the new contour

Contouring

Strobing

Just when you had got your head around contouring, strobing pops up! Strobing is a technique that enhances a natural looking glow by accentuating where the light hits the face. It's a 'glow from within' type of idea and, unlike contouring, it doesn't make use of the face's natural shadows. Illuminators and highlighters are used but to prevent looking like a glitter ball or going from dewy glow to sweaty mess. Here are a few things to help: 

1. Use a toner, serum, moisturiser etc, like you normally would. Strobing is all about radiating light so dry skin patches won't help! 

2. Pick a tone of highlighter that suits your skin tone. Being a mid to fair toned gal, something champagney toned will suit. My friend, who has a darker complexion uses Liquid Soliel De Tan Chanel and it looks amazing. 

3. Use a brush, such as the Sigma Duo Fibre F50, that lightly picks up the product and gently deposits it. 

4. Apply your chosen product to the areas that the light naturally hits the face: bridge of the nose, cupid's bow, centre of forehead, top of the cheeks, top of the forehead, above the cheek bone and below it. 

5. Try not to over shimmer. Obviously, the whole idea is to highlight certain areas, but they are only accentuated if the other makeup isn't equally as shimmery. 

6. A little trial and error is required with this one. If it all goes slightly awry, use a damp beauty blender to blend it. Less is more and you can always build up the product. 

It suddenly occurred to me that MAC's Strobe Cream has been designed to do just that – to strobe! Despite my dappy moment for not working this out sooner, I will be trying it out for this purpose.

Conclusion:
So far, I'm not convinced. I still prefer the contour look but, I will keep trying it out and see how I feel in a few weeks.