Dewy vs Matte - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Dewy vs Matte

LaPed

Veteran

I know this has been discussed on the forum before, but I was struck this morning by Angie describing her skin as "shiny as an apple" which got me thinking once again about make-up and skincare trends. There was a great article awhile back that connected the dots between HD photo/video, social media, K-beauty trends, and even athleisure as factors behind our desire for more sheen:

https://qz.com/quartzy/1673214.....obsession/

On some level, I think it's nice that it's suddenly not only acceptable but even desirable for women to look like they've been active, although it would be even nicer if we were embracing actual perspiration rather than bending over backwards to create the illusion of it. I'd posit that the current popularity of tousled hair and messy buns ties into this same aesthetic: the "I just came from the gym" look that is everywhere these days. (And yes, this dovetails with recent discussions of activewear on the forum!)

So, I'm curious: how many have jumped on the dewy bandwagon? Anyone still a staunch defender of a low-shine look? Anyone feel like we've reached peak gloss and the pendulum is about to swing?

General

41 replies

Latest reply was from LaPed

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Team Dewy.

Personally, I prefer the look of shiny skin as opposed to matte and powdered skin. Healthy, active, alive, moist, natural, and juicy. Bring on the sheen!

Shiny like an apple is different to oily though. I get that people with oily skin blot their dermis with powder to look shiny in a less extreme way, IYKWIM.

taylor

Veteran

Team Matte ,

I like a shiny look on some , but my preference is matte on me.

I have never had shiny skin, it only looks shiny at night with moisturizer...its not a look that works for me.

I am 62 , so I’m not fresh faced and glowing anyway
I add a bit of subtle shine to my blush.

Anonymous

I’m firmly in the middle . I don’t want matte / solid looking skin , but nor do I want shine . Dewy looking , with coverage is my thing . To each her own

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Taylor, your skin looks beautifully shiny like an apple to me!

taylor

Veteran

Awe , thanks Angie....
My make up does ALOT for me !

nemosmom

Veteran

I’m benched.... As I get older I find matte finished face to look too dull and almost ashy/sickly on me. I don’t tan and don’t have time for bronzer. I like dewy, but not all over shine. So, I will powder my tzone, but use a dewy-ish cream blush on cheeks, because anything TOO matte reminds me of my youth spent on stage in pancake makeup.

Sal

Veteran

I am an oily skin person who spent years trying to mattify my face. I prefer it on the dewy side but on the hottest of days I can look rather dishevelled and like an oil slick.

DonnaF

Veteran

Years ago (10?) when I was experimenting with mineral makeup, I tried a matte finish -- and it looked GHASTLY on me. My skin has ALWAYS been shiny, if not oily. I'm not sure that I would characterize it as dewy, but I absolutely need a bit of a sheen to look natural. Some skin types are matte, and I get that. Thank goodness I never aspired to a non-shiny nose, because I don't think it is possible with my skin.

slim cat

Veteran

Team matte - mixed type of skin, need a bit of loose powder for t-zone, and like nemosmom said - a little bit dewy-ish blush on cheeks.
It a balancing act - too much matte and you look cakey/old - not enough and you look oily.
I never imagined years ago that I'd use blush on myself - but it does help looking a bit younger ( all the ladies in the movie "Ocean's eight" looked dewy with a blush all the time ).

Kari

Veteran

I’m oily AND I can both be oily and have flaky patches or eczema at the same time. Isn’t that fun. And it’s still acne-prone.

So I end up “dewy.” I mostly try to keep my skin happy as possible. Gentle products. Moisturizing. Cleansing and exfoliating, but with gentle moist texture or AHA/BHA or glycolic acid. Diluting tea tree oil to spot treat and disinfect. Reducing inflammation. Trying to adapt to stress or hormones or suddenly cold, dry weather. Cleansing after I run or hike.

So I’m glad the dewy look is okay even if sometimes I look pretty gross and sweaty instead.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Pre-menopause my face was a shiny mess and I would powder to knock back the shine which also made all skin problems looks like they were under a spotlight (at least to me). Then the miracle of menopause (yes you read that right ) cleared my skin and now I only have to deal with melasma, wrinkles and sagging . I like glowy and am having fun with it but can still veer into too shiny territory if I am not careful. I know that makeup has trends like fashion, but I am not so into that. Yet.

taylor

Veteran

Shevia....I’m right with you on the “miracle of menopause “

Irina

Veteran

I have normal skin, used to be drier when I was younger. And I liked it that way. Used to powder a but my face with a translucent powder. Now I think dry looking skin ages me. But I stil powder my long nose Too shiny is not for me, though.

Ginger

Veteran

I’m a bit like Kari - both dry and oily. Right now I seem to have a happy medium that involves minimal washing, moisturizing day and night, and no foundation. I use powder in the mornings to even out slightly rosey cheeks, but my skin seems to absorb it! So my natural appearance is dewy. And I’m fine with that.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The Miracle of Menopause just became my favourite term for the year.

Preppy Pear

Veteran

Ha on M of M.

I switched from pressed powder foundation to tinted moisturizer 2 years ago as my skin has gotten drier. I miss the matte look sometimes, but I’ve gotten used to the shinier look - admittedly not very shiny, but it was a big change.

taylor

Veteran

Mine too Angie !

deb

Veteran

I like the look of my face well moisturized and plump looking.
I would not describe it as shinny, though.

Gigi

Veteran

I'm with Deb. I just try for plump and moisturized. I'm not shiny, I'm not dehydrated, I'm not dewy. I too have seen the "miracle of menopause," and now instead of the oil slick, my skin tends to look dry. It's from one extreme to the other. Fun.

Kate

Veteran

I think my skin veers toward matte. I don't wear foundation or powder, mainly because I don't care for the feel of those products on my skin, but also because I think that at 64, they would make my skin look dry and cakey. I'm just trying to hang in there and keep my skin moisturized and looking the best it possibly can.

rachylou

Veteran

Team Dewy. I have very dry skin. Matte
finishes just make me look like chalked sidewalk.

I have to say that when it comes to looking AT others, I vastly prefer sheer coverage either way.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Team bare-faced? A teensy bit of concealer over a pigmented spot on my forehead and 2 broken capillaries then some powder over that. I think my skin must be fairly matte. I do use a little powder blush as well.
Foundation is a few times a year for special events and not all over, just to even skin tone.

kkards

Veteran

is it wrong for me to say i've never thought about this before? and that i don't really know which i am? i wear foundation because it evens out my complexion, and a blush, but i don't use powder....hmmm...need to think about this....

Helena

Veteran

I'm on team "this is what God gave me deal with it" In seriousness, I am more on team dewy primarily because my dry, eczema-prone skin needs the moisture. But I have also found that the "insta-makeup" cultural moment we are in has paradoxically made me feel confident to embrace the most natural makeup look I've ever worn. It's all so over the top that I can't be bothered with most of it! And laPed, I couldn't agree more that a glow from actual activity is as lovely as it gets!

Style Fan

Veteran

Kkards, you and me both. I have no idea what I am. I don't wear any make-up on my skin. I do wear a moisturizer. My skin is extremely sensitive and prone to eczema.

Bijou

Veteran

I wear foundation and powder daily and touch it up after lunch, wearing a light-weight foundation and powder that has a little shine. I like to add shine from blush and eyeshadow and a mid-range lipstick - so no gloss or matt lips for me.

I will join Taylor in the matte camp!

RobinF

Veteran

I'm with Kkards and Stylefan, I have never really thought about it. I always use a daily moisturizer with sunblock and usually a lightweight powder foundation. I guess that puts me in the matte category.

Hah love the MOM though. So true.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Pretty much what Shevia said. My skin naturally appeared too shiny pre-menopause, and I hated the way it seemed to always result in distracting and unflattering highlights on my forehead, nose and chin in photographs.

Now that my skin is drier, yes, thanks to the MOM, I’m adding more moisture back in, and my skin is generally better behaved. Well, if you overlook the wrinkles and saggy jawline. Sigh, it’s always something. But I don’t aim for a particular texture now — I think I’d prefer a bit of dewy on the cheeks but a bit more matte elsewhere. I use tinted moisturizer and have just started using a cream blush, which suits me nicely. I’m not a fan of any extremes and I don’t like anything too shiny on my face anyway (no super shiny lipgloss for example).

SarahD8

Veteran

Oh, thank goodness. I will join team “I have never worried about this and am going to do my darnedest not to start”

(I hope that doesn’t sound flip or dismissive, I just had this sense reading the early part of the thread of: oh this is a thing? I had no idea. Did I miss a How to be a Girl lesson at some point?)

I have never worn foundation or powder or allover makeup of any kind, so maybe that has something to do with it.

12