Today I thought I would have a little chat about the Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream which I picked up as a free gift several weeks ago. Now, I love a bit of highlight in fact there is rarely a day go by that I don't wear highlight on the ol' cheek bones and I have written about the NYX Cosmetics Strobe Of Genius palette which is just so beautiful so you know I like a powdered highlight. This Barry M product on the otherhand isn't powder it is obviously a cream highlight that I have never tried before so considering it was on offer in Superdrug I thought I would give it a go.
I opted for the Ice Bronze colour which is less bronze and more iced because it's the kind of warm shimmer that I personally prefer. I have very pale skin and often don't want to wear make up that highlights my cool tone, so I like to bring warmth to my face with highlight and contour which is why I went for this one. When I first started using it I didn't really know how to apply it, in fact I found it really hard to get product from the stick to my face because it was very hard and found that if I applied it directly to my face it just drags my foundation so obviously that's not how you're supposed to apply this thing. After I tried rubbing my fingers over it to warm up the cream a little in the hope it would become easier to use, it did actually work a little. I then tapped it on the tops of my cheekbones and found that not a lot of product actually transferred to my face. Like guys, this is a lot of work for someone who needs to apply their make up fairly quickly in the morning.
Don't get me wrong, once you get the damn thing on your face it does look nice, it's a very light sheen to the skin it probably looks a lot more natural than my powder highlights which definitely serves a purpose. It lasted quite well but again because it's so natural it just kind of worn off my face as the day went on. As you can see in the picture, it's not that pigmented at all, admittedly the picture colour is a bit crappy but you can see that my skin tone almost matches this product.
I think that cream highlights just aren't for me, it is a gorgeous shade, it does work but it's hard work and I prefer the ease of dipping my brush into my palette and a couple of swipes and I'm done!
Do you prefer cream or powder highlighters?