Jessica Turner Fresh from New York Fashion Week, Sabrina Melei says strobing is the trend your client can’t be without this summer. Ashleigh Sharman reports.
Further enhancing global trend reports, suggesting an increase in makeup sales from strobing and selfies, New York Fashion Week was awash with glowing, dewy, model skin — all the more ready for social media stardom.
However if you don’t consider yourself a makeup artist, how can you make the most of this trend in your salon, spa or clinic? And just what is strobing anyway?
“Strobing is another word for highlighting,” explains makeup artist Sabrina Melei who experienced the trend at the height of its powers at New York Fashion Week.
“What strobing means is to ‘highlight’ all the higher bone structures of your face. What this does is help lift the skin, making it look plump, dewy and therefor younger.
“There are also two different kinds of strobing, one which we do with shimmer and the other done quite matte,” Sabrina says adding that she not only focuses on the ‘C’ area — from under the eye area, to the cheekbones, temples, and brow bone — but considers how people pose when they are photographed, often turning to the side.
In fact, she’s wearing the look more frequently herself and lavishing the trend on clients from high-fashion to bridal.
“I recently returned from New York Fashion Week and noticed it was all about glow for spring/summer with dewy and strobing looks the most popular rather than the harsh contouring we’ve seen in seasons past. But by the nature of highlighting you’re automatically creating contour so consider it a more natural look for clients!” Sabrina says.
“You can achieve the strobing effect with powder (shimmer brick) or liquid, applying with a stiff brush to blend in powder or use finger or sponge application for liquid.
“Liquid is more natural, and perfect for clients who work-out, whereas powder is best suited to clients who like to wear more makeup, or amp up a night-time look. However from what I saw at NYFW, cream is in.”
Sabrina adds that, like highlighting, strobing can be used on the Cupid’s bow, to lift the upper lip, on the décolleté, shoulder, and top of the arm — a favourite of clients attending gala events and days at the races.
“Strobing amplifies your natural features to say ‘look at me’!
“Most importantly, don’t have anything else shimmer on your face. Everything else is matte so keep it minimal — strobing is the look, your beauty accent,” explains Sabrina who adds that strobing over the top of liquid foundation delivers the best results.
It’s no surprise then that this ‘look at me’ trend is taking off on social media. Strobing only aids to makes us look and feel better with its fixation on ‘glow’ and if the trend works well with selfie photography then social media can only aid its meteoric rise this season.
Sabrina’s Snaptastic Strobing Selfie Tips:
- Consider time of the day, I recommend before 8am as the sun is not too harsh or after 4pm through to 7pm (daylight savings time).
- Stand so your back is to the sun, this is the natural lighting that photographers work so hard to get.
- Strobing selfies need a little bit of light but not too much as you don’t want to look blown out.
- Do pre-shots and work out your best angles, we all have a better side!
- Selfie sticks, I hate to say it, are amazing.
Sabrina Melei, Makeup & Hair Boudoir www.makeupboudoir.com
*Photographer Steve Coleman
