It's got to that point where everyone in the world now knows how to contour their cheeks, temples and nose to enhance their natural bone structure. Now, everyone seems to desire that Kardashian-esque glow, exhibited by all the a-listers on the red carpet this year. Strobing is a technique essentially used for the opposite reason to contouring - to bring certain features forward so that they attract light, to emphasise particular areas (whereas contouring creates shadows to slim down the face and detract attention from those areas). These two techniques in combination create amazing results, so it's no surprise that this has become so popular recently.
I, like a lot of people, have been on the hunt for an amazing highlighter to make my makeup stand out, especially for nights out. Many of the youtube vloggers I watch have praised the Mary Lou Manizer by The Balm Cosmetics. I found it on feelunique.com and decided it was definitely worth a try.
Firstly, the packaging is so pretty, with a retro look similar to the Soap and Glory products (which I love). I decided that a powder highlighter would probably be the best way to go, seeing as I suffer with pretty oily skin - cream products are just a no go for me!
I tried this first with a fan brush, to dust on the top of my cheekbones once I had finished the rest of my makeup. I tried it again with my round contour brush from Real Techniques which was so much better, and now I'm officially obsessed. I've found it works best with a matte base as well as a matte lip, to avoid an overly dewy look. This way, it gives your highlighted areas an extra pop! It's a gorgeous champagne colour with slight silver elements to it, which I genuinely think would suit a variety of skin tones.
Suffering with acne scars and large pores, I was reluctant to buy a highlighter as they are sometimes known for accentuating pores, only drawing unwanted attention to them! After trying this a few times, I know where to apply it to avoid this problem. Taking it along the top of the cheekbone is perfectly fine, as long as I don't take it too far into the centre of my face where my pores are larger. I also apply it to the brow bone and the cupid's bow, and then set all my makeup using my Urban Decay setting spray. This makes the highlighter sink beautifully into the skin, and it appears much more natural, with pores looking less defined. This also stops it from budging throughout the day, even if I do get slightly oily!
Overall, I definitely recommend the Mary Lou Manizer, particularly for people who are new to strobing but want an effortless, glowly complexion. It's so buildable and could always be layered with a cream highlight for an extravagant look.
This retails at about £17.50 on feelunique.com. I'm definitely now a highlight addict, and I'm desperate to try the new Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl in 'Glided Honey.' If anyone has tried this, please let me know. I'm desperate guys, desperate!
Hannah x
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