The merits of matte.

This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine as a make-up artist. Todays rant is brought to you by:

SHIMMER EYESHADOW



Now, I know what you’re all thinking. “He’s a queen, what could he ever have against glitter? I was under the impression he live, eats, breathes, and poops that stuff.” That may be true, however the real girls out there, especially those from the land of Caucasia, need to learn to embrace mattes, and when to and when not to indulge in those gorgeous shimmer shadows you find rampant at just about every cosmetics counter in the world. Allow me a few moments to take you through some basic concepts.

Firstly, let us discuss why we wear eyeshadow. Eyeshadow, paired with a multitude of other eye-related cosmetics, serves to define, contour, and draw attention to the eyes. Now you might think, “Hey, glitter is eye-catching; it’s SPARKLY! Doesn’t this draw attention?” To answer that question, yes, yes it does, but not for the right reasons. The aim isn’t to simply draw attention to the eyes, but to accentuate and make them appear their biggest, brightest, and most well-proportioned. 

Secondly, I want you all to stop and think next time you’re shopping for cosmetics. I know that powder in that pan looks like molten gold and sunshine and rainbows, but how will it look on you? There are several factors that one should take into account when they’re thinking about which of these colors to get. One of the most important is color. A good rule of thumb is to lean towards colors opposite the color wheel from your natural eye color, so as to accentuate your eye’s color and make them seem brighter and more vivid. RobertJonesBeauty on YouTube has a fantastic video explaining this concept here. Go watch it now. I’ll wait. 

Another important factor, and the focus of this rant, is finish. Now there are many different finishes marketed by many different brands, but they all really boil down to three: shimmer, satin, and matte. Glitter is something different all together, but for the sake of arguments, we will group it in the shimmer category. 

SHIMMER
Shimmer eyes shadows are just that; shimmery. They sparkle and glitter and are all sorts of pretty. These shades are GREAT for the lid. They add interest and dimension to the lid and high points of the eye. 

SATIN
Satin finishes sit comfortably in between shimmer and matte shades. They don’t sparkle so much as shine slightly. These shades are great on the lid, as well as used as a brow highlight.

MATTE
Oh glorious matte, how wonderful thou art. They’re just what they sound to be; matte. No sparkle. No shine. Just velvety rich color. This is the finish that you need blended into your crease. Shimmer or satin finishes will help define the crease, but when the light catches their shiny-ness, all your work will be for nothing and your eyes will turn to two un-shapley rice balls of glitter. Another point I wish to make, is how you can create a gorgeous look entirely out of matte colors, whereas an all shimmer look is hard to work. 

Thusly, I implore you to go out and get matte colors back into your collection. If you do one thing, get a good matte brown, a few shades darker than your skin tone. Blend it into the crease with a Mac 217 or similar brush and voila, instant definition! Favorites of mine include Cork and Espresso by Mac, as well as Raisin by Ben Nye. You will thank me later.

Lastly I’d like to include a formula for a great eye. It’s not so much a tutorial, because I won’t be including specific shades and colors, but it’s a set of guidelines that will never let you down. I should stress now that these are guidelines: make-up has no rules. So if you want to ignore everything I’ve just said, be my guest!

Step 1: Apply a shimmer shadow of your choice all over the lid. Pay attention to the color concepts mentioned above, but anything goes really!

Step 2: Using a matte neutral color eyeshadow blend out the edges and into the crease. Apply heavier to the outer corner and smoke out slightly in circular motions. 

Step 3: Using a satin shade no more than two shades lighter than your natural skin tone, highlight under the brow bone. Use this same shade in the inner corner of the eye.

Line, mascara, and voila! Instant wearable eye.