In a world with a plethora of baffling makeup techniques, I always wanted to know the difference between contouring and strobing? Is it doable? Is it time consuming? Does it make a difference? So, once again, curiosity finally took hold of me and landed me on a path to exploring these makeup applications in hopes that I may benefit from it.
Highlighting
Highlighting is a basic makeup technique used to enhance a person’s features and used in both contouring and strobing. However, even though highlighting is the foundation of contouring and strobing, there are several differences between these two makeup applications.
The Contouring Trend
Contouring is a makeup technique used to hide and enhance one’s features and involves dark and light colors blended strategically……..in other words, a lot of effort for everyday makeup wear. And as much as I wish to be, I am definitely not a miracle maker in the highlighting department.
As for me, the current trend of contouring is succinctly described by makeup artist, Bobbie Brown, “… (countering) is so wrong because it tells women there’s something wrong with their face. There’s beauty in a full face, so I don’t like to paint in a cheekbone that doesn’t exist.” This is a very freeing insight. And I couldn’t agree more. For most of us, contouring is a specialized makeup technique that can go horribly wrong. Too light, too dark, or wrong shade can be anything but flattering. Therefore, leave the art of contouring to the skilled professional makeup artists.….unless you are talented and have exceptional makeup skills.
The Strobing Trend
Unlike contouring, the strobing technique uses highlighting to give an overall natural look and uses natural and artificial light to enhance facial features. There is no concealing or shaping with color to create the desired look.
Colors Used in Strobing
Natural soft colors are usually used for strobing compared to the dark and light color pallets used in contouring. And, unlike the harsh glittery popular highlighters most of us used in the past, the colors today come in an array of soft opalescent colors that flatter most skin tones to give a healthy glow…..like the glow you get after an intense workout without having to increase your heart rate.
Decoding the Options:
Liquids, Powers, Sticks…
Liquid highlighters are the most mistake-proof and versatile for those new to highlighting. With that said, liquid highlighters need to be blended well into the skin. Liquid highlighters can easily be mixed into foundation to give an all-over natural glow. For those with dry flaky skin, liquid highlighters work best.
Power highlighters are most potent in color and suitable for all skin types but best for those with oily skin. Power highlighters tend to last longer but need to be applied sparingly with a light hand to avoid an avalanche of excess color….it’s always easier to add a little bit more than to subtract.
Stick highlighters require no special tools but, like the liquid highlighters, you must blend it well. A plus to using a stick highlighter is it provides a little more control as where you want to apply it.
Highlighter Shades and Skin tones
The Fair Skin Tones
Arguably, it can be quite challenging for the fair beauties to find the highlighter shades that add a subtle glow as one small step into a slightly deep golden shade can spell disaster and will defeat the purpose of highlighting. The golden and bronze shades, the most popular highlighter shades, usually do not enhance fair or porcelain skin well. Ironically, it’s the champagne and ivory pearl shades that bring out a beautiful hint of a natural glow for those with fair skin.
Semi-matte looks best of fair skin as shiny sheen colors can cause too much contrast and look too bold on fair skin.
The Medium Skin Tones
A general rule for those with medium skin tones is to shy away from shades that are too overly pink because deep or bright pinks tend to look unnatural. Peach to beige shades favor this skin tone because these colors tend to neutralize medium and olive skin tones and give a natural glow.
The Deep Skin Tones
Gold and bronze colors bring out the beauty in deep skin tones. Overall, darker skin tones can use more saturated bronze, gold, and terracotta hues. Steer away from ivory to champagne shades as it can give deep skin tones a grey cast.
Strobing can transform blah skin and give it a fresh healthy look when the right color is used for your skin tone. With that said, no two colors will be exactly the same, mostly in part because of the formula and finish used by the manufacturer. So even if you choose the correct hue for your skin tone that particular product, even if it’s the right color, may not look good on you.
The key to highlighting is to be open and experiment. Because for most of us, it will take some patience, trial and error it fine the right one. Choose different hues and experiment in different lightening. Once you do find the right hue for you skin tone there will be no going back…
XOXO. JC
Images: Caique Silva, Alina Koval, Oliver Johns, Hadis Safari, Ussama Azam