Why Eye Strobing Is Our Newest Makeup Obsession

(Image credit: DESIGN BY AMERICAN ARTIST)

In case you haven't heard, highlighting (AKA strobing and nontouring) is the new contouring. And amidst the hype surrounding this light-happy, sculpting technique, there's one facial feature that's getting extra love—the eyes.

Whether you want to call it eye strobing or eye-lighting, it's all about brightening the inner corners of the eyes. And fun fact: This will make you look 100% more awake.

"Highlighting the inner corner of the eyes has been around for awhile," explains celebrity makeup artist Kira Nasrat. "When you add an extra layer of highlighter in the inner corner of the eyes it makes your eyes pop and look further apart."

But it's not just a matter of coverage and sculpting, it can be a statement in and of itself. "It's fun to exaggerate," she adds. "It's makeup and should be fun, after all." Which is probably why so many stars at this year's Met Gala rocked shimmery and metallic takes on the look.

But whether you're going for a more subtle, I-got-12-hours-of-sleep-last-night vibe or want to go full-on Rita Ora with it, it's a matter of what kind of pigment you use and how you layer it.

"For daytime, use a highlighter with a subtle sheen and for night, bump things up with a creamy metallic base that's more pigmented and less sheer," says Nasrat.

1. RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, $38; sephora.com.

2. NARS Eye Paint in Interstellar, $25; sephora.com.

Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

TOPICS

Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.