@SheldonBruckMUA
2 min
Looking to add a little shimmer into your life? With products marketing themselves as highlighters, illuminators & strobing creams, things can get confusing—I’ll break down the differences and benefits of each!
Highlighters reflect light and are generally used to accentuate and/or enhance areas of the face or body. They often contain light-reflecting particles, which brighten the skin and create the illusion of depth and angles.
Unlike highlighters, which are generally used for a concentrated area of light, illuminators cast light more generally and are used to give the skin a “lit-from-within” glow.
Strobing and highlighting are basically the same. However, the term “strobing” generally refers to the strategic placement of highlighter and/or illuminator, in order to give the appearance of dewey, healthy-looking skin.
Now that we've covered the main differences between highlighting, illuminating and strobing, the next step is choosing the right color!
Most people with fair-to-light skintones have pink undertones. Therefore, using cool-toned shades—such as: silver, lilac or pink—will look best!
When it comes to light-to-medium skintones, stick with peachy or rose gold shades. These warmer tones will give a gorgeous glow to the skin!
If you have a medium-to-dark skintone, avoid using cool-toned shades. Cool-toned shades, such as silver or pink, can look ashy on the skin. I recommend looking for warmer colors, including: gold, warm peach or champagne.
With dark-to-deep skintones, you want to stick with warm-toned shades. Any cool-toned shade can quickly make the skin appear ashy. Using a bronze or golden shade will give the skin a fresh and glowing effect to the skin.