Do You Do The Dew, Or Is It Matte For You?

by BR Tabatha

There are some beauty rules that we're told we must adhere to, or feel we ought to. Some are absolutes, like wearing sunscreen on the daily, others are more like societal rules. Concepts that have been around so long that they just seem like the thing to do. For example, we're often told that matte makeup is for those with oily skin, where as dry skin ought to stick to a dewy look. But do we really need to adhere to such rules? Shouldn't we ought to just do what we want, whenever we want? And what are the pros and cons of a matte vs dewy face? And should it be the pros and cons that act as the advice as to what kind of makeup we choose to wear? Read on...

The Pros of Matte

• With its velvet-like appearance, matte makeup looks elegant, polished, pulled-together. Perfect for fancy events or, in my mind, jobs that involve you acting like Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl.
• Oily skin? Matte makeup was made for you, as it's often formulated to help control the oil that would usually flourish throughout the day.
• Matte makeup is great for covering redness, hyperpigmentation and breakouts that haven't reached (or been made into thanks to busy fingers) the scab stage.
• Not one for checking on your makeup throughout the day? Matte makeup lasts longer, reducing the need to spend extra time in front of the mirror.

The Cons of Matte

• Don't want to emphasise your fine lines, wrinkles, dry patches or peach fuzz? Keep your paws away from the matte makeup. This is not the cosmetic enhancement you are looking for.
• Matte makeup runs the risk of making your face look flat, so it pays to use blush and bronzer on top of your matte foundation, in order to create definition. If you're confident using them, contouring products can also be helpful.
• You need to set aside more time to apply matte makeup as you need to ensure your cosmetics are blended, melted and melded to your face properly so that it looks as "natural" as possible. 
• The potential for cake face is real with matte makeup. Go in with a light hand.

The Pros of Dewy

• If you've dry skin, dewy makeup can help make your skin appear more hydrated.
• Dewy skin creates a lush, luminous look, which promotes a fresh, youthful appearance.
• More often than not, dewy makeup is quick and easy to apply.
• Speaking of easy to apply - you don't have to spend ages blending your dewy makeup as it melts together almost effortlessly.
• Dewy makeup can easily be layered with minimal risk of cake face.

The Cons of Dewy

• You can end up looking like you've dipped yourself in oil, which is less than ideal for those who lean on the oilier side of skin type.
• Dewy makeup can emphasise texture on your skin, such as large pores and blemishes.
• While it can look gorgeous, it might only look that way for a short period of time, as dewy makeup has the tendency to seemingly disappear into thing air, which means you could end up having to touch up throughout the day - and who has the time for that?

As for my take on the matte vs dewy conversation? When it comes to dewy or matte makeup, I like to mix it up depending on my skin's mood on any given day. If it's oilier, matte makeup's for me. If I've woken up to find it's on the dry side, I'll be going dewy. But what about you?

So, my beauty, do you stick to a certain style of face base makeup? Or do you change it up depending on your mood or your skin's needs? Hit up our poll, then get chatting below!