What is Strobing? How to Strobe
What is strobing? How do you strobe? What do you use to strobe? These seem to be the most asked questions over the past month in the beauty community. The funny thing is, we’ve already been talking about strobing for years, because strobing is just highlighting without the contour!
Just like traditional highlighting, strobing is all about bringing out the high points on the face with a luminous glow. This includes your:
- forehead
- brow bone
- cheek bones
- bridge of the nose
- cupid’s bow
- chin
The main difference is that instead of pairing the look with contouring, you let the highlighting shape your face on its own. You’re left with a very fresh-faced look with healthy and glowing skin; a really popular trend year round, but especially for summer.
To see my strobing routine and hear my tips, watch the video below:
Recently, I’ve been using the City Color Cosmetics Spotlight Highlight to highlight and strobe. I’ve always been partial to cream and liquid highlighters, and this one has quickly become my new favorite. It gives off an incredibly natural looking glow that catches the light beautifully. You can definitely build this up for a statement strobe, but for an even stronger effect, you can apply concealer on the high points and the highlighter over it. Either way, using liquid and cream face products during your strobing routine will enhance and maintain the dewy look best. Using a beauty blender or other sponge will help diffuse everything for a cohesive look.
More affordable highlighters for strobing:
Are you into the strobing trend this summer?
I like strobing a lot better than heavy contouring on my pale skin.
I’ve been hearing a lot of paler girls say that!
Break it down girl 😉 I love to contour so idk if I could simply “strobe”. Maybe on an easy day.
Strobe is the new fetch. I’m rolling with it, tho. 😀
Your video was great!
This is highlighting vol 2, just add more intensity and call it strobing. Not really a new technique as far as makeup goes. Kevyn Aucoin has it on all his books dating back to 90s but it wasn’t called “strobing”.
Yup! Just renamed & repackaged to look shiny (literally) and new!
I like the look of that City Colors cream! I’ve discovered their blush recently and I’m amazed how pigmented and beautiful they are.
Strobing/highlighting is so nice! I think it just looks more natural than contouring 🙂
Definitely! Especially for lighter skinned ladies
Yeah, same ol same ol. Who used this term first?
I think it’s so funny that this new word is being used for we’ve doing for years!
Haha, I love how this is a whole new “thing” when it’s really not at all! I love highlighting and will often do it without contouring 🙂
I love that a new word has been invented for what we’ve done for years and years. Great explanation.
Gotta say, you are having a spectacular hair day. Strobing is just nicer than saying ‘lazy way to highlight’ I guess! Lol. I’m with you, I tried highlighting my forehead and chin and I just looked greasy. Cheekbones and browbones are key.. maybe the bridge of my nose.
Thank you! I’m freaking loving this cut, it’s so low maintenance.
As a pale girl, I find strobing to be way more flattering on me 🙂
I remember being confused about strobing when I first heard of it. Thanks for clarifying.
As a makeup artist it is funny when these trends take off. People have no idea what they are they just want it heh
I’m sure you were rolling your eyes at this one then 😛
I wish we had City Color Cosmetics around here since they have some great little products. I’d love to try that cream highlighter since I’m such a cream fan
I’ve never seen them in stores, but they’ve got everything online 🙂
Interesting, I thought they were in stores out west, but maybe I’m confusing City Color with LA Color