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Mac Strobe Cream

Source: Mac / Brande Victorian

About eight months ago I walked into a MAC store in New York City for a last-minute makeup appointment for a last-minute video shoot. Immediately, makeup artist David BroggiĀ started speaking my language when he told me he was going to prep my skin with something known as Strobe Cream, which would give me a nice, natural glow. I live for a golden, sun-kissed beauty look, whether I’m wearing makeup or not, and I’ve lived for this lumininizing cream ever since it was introduced to me that day.

So what is strobe cream? As MAC simply puts it, “a moisturizer that boosts the look of dull skin and luminizes with iridescent particles.” When you dig a little deeper into the product description, you see the cream is full of the types of ingredients we love in our everyday skincare routine: potent botanicals, vitamins, and green tea to revitalize the skin and literally wake up dull complexions; and antioxidants to clarify and brighten skin. The iridescent particles in the cream are truly the sprinkles on top of the cake known as your skin which will already be naturally more luminous thanks to these properties. Hence why this product is considered “the ultimate quick fix.”

Mac Strobe Cream

Source: Mac / Brande Victorian

Though the cream is hydrating, I use it to layer on top of my standard moisturizer rather than replace it. The truth is, you can rock strobe cream in a variety of ways: mixed with a face oil for a dewy glow; underneath foundation as a brightening base; on top of makeup for a more intense glow; or mixed with a cream or liquid foundation for a natural, subtle glow. Because the Strobe Cream comes in different tints, you can also use different ones on different parts of your face for an ombre effect. Peachlite and Goldlite are best for medium to deep skin tones, while Pinklite and Silverlite complement lighter complexions.

David used Peachlite on my skin during my makeup appointment and I immediately purchasedĀ  the product after my look was finished. Though I love the boost it gives my skin under makeup, I’m even more in love with the results when I hit the streets fresh-faced. I know for some being bare faced is just that — having absolutely nothing on their face but a moisturizer — but I like to add products that naturally enhance my skin, which is how the strobe cream came to be my fave. In the pic below I applied the cream on top of my Bliss Hydration Salvation Oil and then put a few drops of E.L.F.’s Sunkissed Booster Drops down my nose and along my cheek bones (because I like to O.D. on dewiness) and I literally could not stop looking in the mirror and snapping pics. It’s one thing for your skin to feel supple, it’s another for that suppleness to radiate in all the right places.

Mac Strobe Cream

Source: Mac / Brande Victorian

When I do beat my face, I apply the strobe cream prior to using a primer spray or hydrating mist. Though I absolutely love the melted strobe product in Huda Beauty’s 3D Highlighter Pallete, MAC’s cream is far more lightweight and the glow much subtler, making it perfect for those who love natural beauty looks or to be natural period. In the pic below, I applied additional highlighter down my nose and along my cheekbones, but you can see that overall my face has a natural glow to it. For those who love products that are multitaskers — and will last you a long time — I’d definitely say add this cream to your beauty cabinet.

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