Dewy vs Matte

Today we looked at different beauty images that have used a dewy finish for their foundation or a matte one.  We looked at images from catwalks and magazine adverts.  I noticed the more dewy looks were for S/S collections and the matte looks were for F/W collections.

I think a matte finish suits the F/W collection more because it looks great with a bold lip or eye for winter.  Strong berry tones work well against a soft matte face, as does a dark smokey eye.  For example, this is Cara Delevingne for Burberry A/W collection, with a matte foundation and a beautiful bold lip.  With a natural eye and a strong brow and lip, there is not much more that needs to be added to such a simple make-up.

The picture above is from the Issa Fall 2014 collection.  A beautiful soft matte foundation finished with a dark lip.

It is important choose your products wisely to suit the finish you are going for.  If you would like to contour with a matte finish, it would be a good idea to do it with foundation/creme concealer, before powdering.  It is also important to prep the skin first as both these looks are so natural, it will help if the skin is left clean and smooth.

I chose to cleanse the skin with Garnier Cleansing lotion followed by some Garner toner.  I then applied some Soap and Glory Rejuvenating eye cream and their The Fab Pore Moisturiser. Then I mixed some Illamsqua Matte Primer and some MAC Studio Fix foundation together and applied this all over the face.  I buffed this into the skin so a bit of the natural colouring came through.  Then using some concealer I covered up any blemishes and dark circles.  Lastly I finished with some MAC Studio Fix powder.

I enjoyed creating the matte look and I even timed myself, I managed to do it in 5 minutes which is roughly the amount of time you would have backstage at a fashion show.  Next time I would add some contouring under the powder to add some levels to the face.

My favourite look is the dewy look and it's the finish I choose when I apply my own make-up.  There is a fine line between dewy and oily, and it is important to get the correct look. It is moist and glory and is great for Spring/Summer.  It is almost sheer, to let the natural skin tone and levels of the face shine through the layer of foundation.  To achieve this, you could mix a primer and foundation, this also saves time.

This picture above of Cara Delevingne is from Dolce and Gabbana's S/S 2013 collection.  I would say her foundation is a satin finish.  This is in-between dewy and matte and is complemented well with the soft pink lip and strong winged liner.

After prepping my models skin using Garnier Cleansing lotion followed by some Garner toner.  I then applied some Soap and Glory Rejuvenating eye cream and some Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser. Moisturiser alone will give the skin a glow, so it is very important to pick a good quality one when creating this make-up.  Then I mixed some Illamsqua Satin Primer and some MAC Select foundation together and applied this all over the face using a fibre make-up brush.  I buffed this into the skin so a bit of the natural colouring came through.  Lastly, I used a small bit of creme concealer for the under eye area and blended well.

If I was to change anything about this look, I would maybe use a BB cream to make it slightly more sheer.  I think the foundation I used was too think so the models natural skin tone did not shine through.