Makeup strobing is the hottest new trend in the beauty world, and luckily, the technique couldn’t be easier. Keep reading to learn a quick and easy makeup strobing routine with Kristen, one of our LovelySkin Aestheticians.

“Strobing” is a fun word for amped up highlighting. The concept allows you to take a shortcut to a more contoured appearance and a natural, dewy glow. With contouring and highlighting, a darker contouring shade is used to sculpt features you’d like to appear slimmer or more streamlined, while a light highlighter shade is used to accentuate your best features. Unlike contouring, makeup strobing requires only one highlighter shade. This is applied to the high areas of the face that naturally catch the light, bringing attention to them and helping to naturally define your features.

To get started, complete your regular foundation and concealer routine, but hold off on the blush. Waiting to apply blush until after you’ve strobed your features will ensure that you place it in the most flattering area and achieve a natural look. You can also complete your eye makeup if you’d like.

Choose a highlighter for strobing. Kristen is using the lighter of the two shades in jane iredale Circle/Delete Concealer Shade #1 for a champagne highlight. Choose a pearly white or a pale pink for light to medium tones or a neutral peach or soft gold for medium to dark tones in a cream or powder formula. We recommend a cream formula for normal to dry skin types and a powder formula for normal to oily skin types.

Next, grab a buffing brush. Pick up a little highlighter on your brush (clean fingertips also work well for placing the product before blending) and gently pat it on the highest points of your cheeks and up around each eye in a C shape. Apply highlighter down the bridge of your nose, to the center of your foreheard and to the center of your chin. You can even apply a little under the arches of your brows, to the inner corners of your eyes and to your Cupid’s bow.

And now, for the most important step: blend, blend, blend! Use the buffing brush to blend in your highlighter until you achieve a natural look. This may take a while, but it’ll be worth it.

Finish off with your favorite everyday shade of blush. Kristen has chosen YOUNGBLOOD Pressed Mineral Blush in Blossom, a rosy pink shade. Apply the blush to the apples of your cheeks just below the highlighter for a naturally radiant appearance.

What do you think about makeup strobing? Will you try it this summer? Let us know in the comments section.