Dos and Don’ts of Strobing

By Smriti Prabhat

Hello y’all.

When I first heard about strobing, my reaction about strobing was quite mixed. Basically, not using any mattifying powder and going out. I still stand by that initial impression.

Assuming that you know what strobing is and are familiar with the basics of strobing, I am here to tell you what to do and what not to do when you are following this latest makeup trend. You might like this technique, if you are a fan of contouring. Those who have flawless skin and want to emphasize on the glow, they should follow these tips:

strobing

Do Understand That Strobing Can Be Done With A Matte Finish:
I see everyone strobing away and rarely do I come across people who emphasize on the fact that strobing does not have to be dewy. The thing about dewy finish is that you have to have an awesome skin and the texture of it is like porcelain. On the other hand, if you have acne and big pores, you will get a POREcelain look with the dewy strobing technique. So, stick with your matte and full coverage finish but blend it well with strobing with a matte highlighting powder with the slightest bit of shimmer.

strobing 2

Do Not Buy Strobing Palettes Without Weighing Your Appetite First:
I am pretty sure that at least ten strobing palettes were launched by the marketing team of various companies, as I wrote this article. I know that it is hard to fight the temptation but wait and listen, what if this technique is not for you? To make sure that you really need a palette, start with your highlighter. You can even experiment with various shades of highlighter that have the slightest of color and a lot of shimmer.

strobing 3

Do Learn To Blend and Strobe:
Simply because you are strobing does not mean that blending has to take a backseat. Remember, no blending after strobing would make you turn into one of those memes, we laugh at. So, blend the highlighter with some foundation.

strobing (1)

Do Not Strobe To Glory At Work:
Most of the strobing tutorials that I have seen, focus on looking like a disco ball. However, the basic idea of strobing is looking “effortlessly luminous”. So, when you are at work, tone down your club strobing game and instead, go for subtlety. If you do strobing properly, the look is basically “no makeup” look but with extra glow.

Do Follow The Less is More Philosophy:
There are some standard areas you are supposed to strobe. Those are the middle of your forehead, brow bone, cheekbones, chin, nose and cupid’s bow. But in order to make these areas stand out, you have to exercise restraint while strobing. Do go all gaga over the shimmer but do it minimally. When in doubt, less is always more. Start with a small quantity and if needed, build it up.

Do Not Emphasize Your Worst Features:
I have acne on my cheeks that is just beginning to heal. So, of course I apply concealer in those parts. Would I highlight/strobe this area? NO! I would only strobe the parts that are flawless, like my nose or my brow bone. So, even though you see the strobing face guide and key areas listed out everywhere, it does not mean that you have to follow them blindly. You do not want to end up drawing attention to the problem areas of your face.

Have you tried strobing yet? What was your experience?

Image sources:
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The Basics of Strobing
How To Apply Highlighter in Different Ways
Revlon Highlighting Palette Peach Glow
How to Highlight Your Face
Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer
How To Contour Face Using Blush
Sleek MakeUp Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette in Light
E.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

IMBB RECOMMENDS

2 thoughts on “Dos and Don’ts of Strobing

  1. Strobing seems tricky to me, since I have oily skin and I get shine and sheen as a bonus 🙂 But it’s a good technique to get that glow 🙂

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