MAC Strobe Cream Review

I recently purchased a travel sized strobe cream and am fairly happy with it. I think it does give my face a very subtle glow but possibly not much difference in appearance from just using a moisturiser. I don't think I will be rushing out to replace this once I have finished the product.

With the latest craze being strobing I thought I would bring out my MAC Strobe cream. I picked this up on my latest MAC order (which was about 6 months ago) as I love that there are a few MAC products that come in travel size so you can test it before purchasing a full size. I also think with a highlighting product like this you don't need to use much so it should last for ages even in the 30ml size. With most of my MAC products I order directly from MAC in the US and get shipped to me through YouShop.

The packaging is quite nice, as you would expect for the price. It is a pearlescent white squeezy tube with the black writing on it. The lid is black at the bottom and secures quite tightly.

I've tried writing this review for a very long time but I still can't really come up with an opinion. You'd think that that would mean I was on the fence about whether it was particularly good or bad. But the real problem is I just can't see what this product does. I can't really tell the difference between using this or not once I have my foundation on. Even before I put my foundation on I was looking at my skin thinking... it looks the same as usual! The claims for this product are similar to that of Clarins Flash Balm and at least that makes my skin feel nice and is a great base for makeup, this just does nothing (on me at least). It doesn't moisturise well, or leave my skin glowing, nor prime.

Obviously I won't be repurchasing this. I can't tell what it does so I certainly won't pay money for that!

Strobe cream is one of my staples, I love how it leaves my skin feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.  It's my go-to when I don’t have time to highlight – ok who am I kidding; some people make time for their eyebrows I make time to highlight.  I’ve been using this product for a good 7 years and I haven't found another product that comes close.

I buy my lot from the US and it’s better value to buy 2 of the travel size bottles (30ml each) for $USD10 each ( $NZD15 each - exchange rate dependent) than it is to buy 1 full size 50ml for $USD30 ($NZD48.)   Other than price there are pros and cons to owning one over the other.  The full size bottle packaging is quite lovely to look at but it's literally tough. You have to be quite firm in squeezing out the product particularly when you’re nearing the end of it.  Your option is either to cut it open (not sure you can Back2MAC destroyed bottles) or make do with whatever you can possibly squeeze out and then Back2MAC.  The travel size bottles are small to carry in your purse and easy to get every last bit of product you have paid for however I don't think you can Back2MAC travel size items.

I wear Strobe cream on top of my foundation or just on my plain jane face.  I don’t have a preference of which way I wear it because it performs well either way.  It has a thick creamy consistency with very subtle iridescent shimmers which blends nicely into the skin and thankfully it doesn't leave a white cast on me.  It has a refreshing scent but be warned a lot of my friends love this scent but just as many hate it too so it’s personal preference.  I  love the subtle ‘lit from within’ effect it has and how it adds a bit of radiance back to my face.  I'm more aware of how dull my face looks without a bit of Strobe cream. 

For me applying Strobe cream is similar to how I apply organic coconut oil on my face – you don’t want to look like a grease ball.  I just apply light dabs of product across my face and lightly massage it in; if you can see grease when you move your head from side to side in the mirror then you’ve put too much.  The longevity of this product on my oily skin is quite decent a good 6 hours; I notice that it lasts longer when applied on top of my foundation.  I highly recommend this product; definitely grab a sample from your nearest MAC store.

I am so glad that I managed to get this as a trial size before I brought into the hype surrounding this strobe cream. Actually had 2 trial sized, 1 I purchased and another as a free sample. So I really gave this a try but still failed to fall in love with it, or actually able to get by with it.

Packaging, of the sample these came in a sized to go tube of opaque pearl white tube with black screw off lid and the famous MAC logo detailing in black print. The tube was the size of my palm and I was able to apply to my face in it's entirety for 4-6 applications.

Formula, the cream is a slightly thicker than normal day cream with a soft opal sheen to it with a pearly white, cream and pink beaming through the cream, just a subtle nod to a shimmer but nothing too over the top like a glitter infusion. A small amount covers my rather chunky round face so it goes a long way, it seems to expand with the warmth of your hands as you apply. There is no initial problems with the cream, no fragrance or sticky mess upon your hands.

Once applied to the face though, things start to happen. Number 1 having a pale face to begin with then adding a cream designed to illuminate and bring a glow to it, turns you into a ghost! My skin had a soft veil of glow that as I rubbed became more apparent and so did the texture change form a nice massage able cream to a sticky, tacky glop!

Once applied makeup my concealer was forever running and my foundation finish just looked patchy. I appeared to be 3 shades lighter so transparent and even after applying colour I still remained looking sickly. This might work for those who have a darker complexion but for me it was a big fat no go! The change in texture upon my face I chalk up to my skin type of having oily areas and dry areas, the cream must have been reacting with my oils and creating the tacky surface and then not hydrating the dry bits left my foundation patchy.

Wouldn't purchase the full size and don't see the hype in the product to be completely honest. Maybe I had too high of hopes.

I had super high hopes for this product, but it just doesn't really work for me. Thank god that I only have a 30 ml of it, and that the 30 ml was only about $16 Duty Free in HK, because otherwise I'd have wasted money on this, I think.

I'd heard this was phenomenal but literally the only use I can find for it is as a highlighter on my cheekbones, and even then it's not special.

MAC Strobe Cream comes in a characteristically simple and elegant MAC tube. The tube itself is a silvery grey, with the logo in black and a black snap-open dispensing cap which helps with ease of product extraction, but does clog and gunk up, requiring cleaning.

The cream itself is reasonably thick, with a pale pearlescent pink tinge to it. On first application to bare skin it DOES provide a pretty shimmer. Unfortunately when you apply foundation over the top, that effect vanishes. I tried mixing this with the foundation and it just ended up looking smeary and not sitting right.

I have three creams that claim to do the same thing as this - one in the same price range, one half the price, and one a third of the price. Of the three, the cheapest one is the best! Don't get sucked in by the brand name.

In short, I found that this cream, on my skin, had very little effect unless applied over foundation on key points. In addition, it clogged around my nose and broke me out.

Positives - the effect on bare skin. The subtle shimmer as a final-touch highlighter. The packaging.

This one was a miss for me!

This is a great product I apply this before applying my foundation and find that it gives my skin a nice dewy look that looks more awake and fresh. It is a very lightweight as well. I have tried adding this product to my foundation but I didn't really notice it made a difference to my foundation which I found disappointing. Even I like to sometimes add it as a highlight which it does a good job at. Would love to buy the bigger bottle of this. Really good for dry skin as it moistens and hydrates the skin.

Strobe Cream. The name says it all, especially in a time where strobing seems to be the hottest makeup trend. I had heard about this product well before this trend set it, because it seems to be a product everyone refers to as their 'holy grail'.

Well firstly i have this product in both the sample size and the big bottle, but have only used the small one at this stage which comes in a soft plastic squeeze tube with a black flip top lid.

The strobe cream is a white luminous cream, and its quite thick, with a silky buttery feeling to it. Plus i love how it smells. It has a clean smell, and reminds me of soap, which i know sounds gross, but i love it.

This product is easy to apply onto skin, a little goes a long way, and the product spreads like a dream. Quickly hydrating skin, and giving it a luminous glow. However, by the end of the day, i really cannot seem to notice the glow, so its not as long-wearing as i would have hoped.

However, in saying that i tend to only use this product in a primer form, and im sure if i mixed it into my foundation, that would increase the glow, and how long it lasts. Plus i could also dab it onto of my cheekbones for an extra highlight, which is another great thing about this product. It can be used it so many ways.

Overall, i love the effect this product gives me skin, and will continue to use this product. But i might start layering it up more for longer wear, and for when i want to do the strobing look

If you want beautiful dewy looking skin, then this is the product for you.

I use my maybelline baby skin primer first because my pores are ridiculously large and my makeup tends to sink into them making it look absolutely dreadful. I then go over top with my strobe cream (I let my baby skin primer sit for a while before I add the strobe cream). It leaves a beautiful dewy feeling to my skin. It hydrates it and preps it perfectly for the best dewy finish.

My makeup applies so easily with this strobe cream. It's easy to blend out and doesn't make it look cakey. It makes my skin look refreshed and hydrated and it adds a really beautiful glow to my skin. I love the way it makes my skin feel. It's not a heavy feeling you sometimes get with moisturiser. (I only mention that because it is quite thick and the consistency is very much like a normal moisturiser). It actually feels amazing on the skin. It's the only primer I've come across that doesn't need a dewy setting spray. Your makeup will always look beautiful and dewy with MAC's strobe cream. And it helps my makeup last alot longer too which is awesome.

If you can't get your hands on it, they say that the loreal lumi magique is the perfect dupe for this product. Which I absolutely have to agree with. The only real difference I've noticed between these products is the consistency. Mac is slightly more cream based and the Loreal one has more of a runny consistency to it.

I recently did a MAC order and got a 30ml size of this to try - to see if I liked it before committing to a full size. My skin is dry and I like a dewy, healthy glow. Whilst I love a matte look on others, on me it makes my skin look drier than it is.

The packaging for this is straightforward and nothing special. It isn't ugly but I wish that you could see how much product was left in this, as the tube is opaque. In saying that, it's easy to squeeze product out.

The product itself is stunning. It is a luminous cream that gives the most beautiful, natural glow to the skin. This is absolutely perfect for my dry complexion and I love how natural it looks. There is no glitter or sparkle to this, which is important to me as I don't like either of these on myself.

You can use this alone or under makeup, or even mixed into your BB Cream or foundation. I use this under my makeup but over primer. It doesn't feel sticky or greasy on my skin - but this does feel slightly hydrating.

Lastly, this has a really nice smell. I can't identify what the smell is but it is a fresh, sweet smell that is quite subtle. Once this is rubbed into your face you can't smell it.

When I do a MAC order again I will definitely purchase the full size of this. It really makes a difference to my dry skin and I love how it looks. This is a beautiful product and I highly recommend it if you have dry skin or like a dewy glow.