As I've investigated, strobing is just another fancy word for highlighting. Some say that strobing should be done with cream highlighters, some I've seen do it with powder highlighters. Contouring and highlighting has been dominating Instagram and the beauty scene ever since Kim Kardashian started doing her fierce contour. Now apparently, we've thrown away bronzer and contour products and just use the heck out of highlighting products. 

For this purpose I used cream product, because I wanted to test my new cream highlighter. It's from Born Pretty Store, called Sugar Box Face Shimmer Stick in the shade 02. It's beige pink based cream product with golden shimmer. I still need to write a review of this one, but you can see how it looks like here. 

The technique is pretty much the same as with highlighting. You use your usual foundation and concealer and then move to cream highlighter. If you're using powder highlighter, it's best to use some sort of powder underneath it. 

You then highlight the usual highlighting areas or all the areas that stick out on your face. Above the brow, under the brow arch, in the inner corner of the eye, on tops of cheeks, on top of bridge of the nose (or down the whole nose or just the tip of the nose), Cupid's bow, top of chin and you can also highlight center of the forehead. I personally avoid the last one, because it makes me look greasy and I don't want to bring more attention to my huge forehead. 

The result should be a really nice natural glow accentuating your natural features, without using any contouring or bronzing. As you may see on the photos below it really looks like a well balanced healthy glow. I can't say this would look as pretty few hours later or on oily skin, but I think you got the point. 

Here is the difference. On the left photo I only have foundation and concealer and on the right photo I have cream highlighter, cream blush and a bit of powder under the eyes and around the nose. 

I personally think that this technique is better suited for those with medium to dark skin tone, because highlighted areas really tend to stand out more, whereas on my fair skin it's very subtle. Of course, it's suppose to look like "your skin", but if you're a highlighter freak like me, you probably want the glow to be seen from space. 

I like to use bronzer, especially in the summer, because it gives a bit more color and definition to my pale face. Of course I also use highlighter and the combination really brings out my features. I won't lie that I love how it shrinks my huge forehead. I'll probably stick to using both bronzer and highlighter, but I definitely will try strobing if I leave my bronzer at home :).

So what do you think of it? Do you like the whole finished result or are you gonna stick to bronzer and contouring?

The shimmer actually looks like it's multicolored, but it gives a definite pink to violet to blue sheen. It's supposed to be used as an effect lip gloss over lipstick. 

Way to go Essence with the cream highlighter. I love the formulation, love the subtle shimmer, but hate hate hate the color of shimmers. I know you can do better! Lipgloss is pretty for anyone who likes sparkle, but nothing to die for.