We’ve all heard of Contouring. Beauty buffs and novices alike have been practicing brush strokes with a whole plethora of palettes in the quest to achieve the much promised bronzed, angled and slimmer face.

But have you heard of Strobing? The term was alien to me a couple of months back, and we recently got introduced over the Aquarius Beauty Heroes event.

How is Strobing different from Contouring?

Contouring is a play of using darker shades to shadow imperfections. In contrast, Strobing is all about highlighting.

Strobing focuses on highlighting the face, especially on the areas that would naturally catch the light. In turn, it gives the complexion an illuminated, youthful look.

Strobing Tips & Tricks

Strobing is all about highlighting, but with a dewy believable finish.

Key Areas to Highlight:

• Under the brow line
• In the inner and outer corners of the eyes
• Down the bridge of the nose
• On the cupid’s bow
• On the chin
• Along the cheekbones

For a daytime look, opt for a creamy illuminator. The NARS Illuminator in Orgasm is a good choice.

For night-time, a highly pigmented illuminating powder works best. My current crush is theBalm’s Marylou Manizer (more details coming up below!).

For a more detailed list of products that are ideal for Strobing, you might want to check out this post on the Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily site.

Wayne Goss is one of my favorite YouTube makeup tutorial gurus, and he makes Strobing a walk in the park with this video:

Here is a Strobing Cheat Sheet I found on the L’Oreal Paris website:The above was done using the L’Oreal True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator palette, but you really don’t have to go out and splurge. Make do with highlighting products you already have in your makeup drawer!

My Attempt at Strobing

As per Wayne Goss’s tutorial, Strobing is all about highlighting with a dewy finish. A well moisturized base is therefore a must.

I use a serum on my face on a daily basis, and am currently obsessed with the Murad Perfecting Serum. It keeps my skin well hydrated, and definitely delivers on the dewy front.

I topped the serum with the Murad Age Reform Perfecting Day Cream and for coverage, I used the Lancome Miracle Cushion foundation.

Now for the Strobing magic, I used the angled contouring brush from my Too Faced Contour Kit and applied theBalm’s Marylou Manizer as per the Strobing Cheat Sheet above.

I’ve been tempted to buy from theBalm range ever since I first spotted the brand in the Debenhams beauty counter months ago. A dear friend of mine has been raving about the Mary-lou Manizer, and on a recent shopping spree with her, I didn’t need much convincing and splurged on this little beauty.

Retailing at AED 140 for an 8.5 gram compact, theBalm’s Mary-lou Manizer is great value for your buck. Highly pigmented with a subtle hue of honey, this nifty product can easily be built up or down given the look you want to achieve. It can double up as a highlighter and a shimmery eye-shadow, and I therefore thought it would be my perfect ally for Strobing.

I finished off the look with the Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer Duo in Ross & Rachel.

On my lips, I’m wearing my favorite shade of Antique Pink from the Makeup Forever’s Rouge Artist Intense range.

On my eyes is a subtle smokey play of colors from the Urban Decay Naked palette (Virgin on the brow-line, Buck on the lids, Creep in the crease). The eyes were then lined with the Makeup Aqua Forever Liner in Diamond Black.

Strobing sure is an easy cheat to get that glow on!

Have you had a go at Strobing yet?