Well, there’s some good news, and some bad news. The bad news? It would seem that we’ve all been overdoing it with the whole dewy thing. Or anyways, it’s over. Over! Quit it (for now). Step away from the liquids promising to make you gleam or “glow.” According to Emily, who, post-whirlwind Fashion Month, would know, the big takeaway from all fall shows was matte skin. Isabel Marant, Balmain, Viktor and Rolf, Hakaan, Dior, Rochas, Tom Pecheux's “satin-finished skin' at Derek Lam...need we go on? So that, dear reader, is the deal. Even Pat McGrath seemingly abandoned her signature Madina Shiny Stick trick, and her infamous highlight-driven skin was nowhere to be found. “We want the girls to look fresh but finished, and divine.” Pat said backstage at Viktor & Rolf, later adding that “it's just about perfected skin' at Dior. (Sorry, Harry Brant, and Jen Brill, who once told us her “greatest fear is to look matte.”)
The good news? It's not about big, retro, chalk-covered powder-puffs flying all over your face forever. “A glossy, dewy complexion seems outmoded now,” Peter Philips told The Gentlewoman, nodding towards spring's minimalist, modern feel. “Imagine if face powder was the only thing you used.” And, you know, he has a point. With a pared-down face, lightly topped with a unifying powder (in the right shade), that lustrous balm-rubbed lip or gently defined eye suddenly gains a totally dramatic emphasis, versus when skin is cloaked and coated in a liquid or cream-based foundation. There’s something elegant, refined, and clean about it. No more sweaty sheen, no more blending or blotting, just a quick swoosh of powder and—complexion perfection. Or something pretty close. “As far as pictures are concerned.” makeup artist Mai Quynh, who regularly paints Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain, told us, “matte is so much better. With a dewy look, you can't really control it when it's not in the controlled environment of a photo shoot. You can end up looking super shiny. A matte finish is touchable, and it feels modern...and like a good seasonal change.” It's breathable, and the best yet? You can get face powders with SPF. Three cheers for the next generation of your grandmother's compact! The big question is whether or not you'll be reaching for them. Brill just phoned to say that she, for one, is “still dewy.”
Powders we love :
Lancôme Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup
Estée Lauder Lucidity Loose Powder
Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder
Anna Selezneva photographed by Emily Weiss backstage at Balmain FW 2013 in Paris on February 28, 2013.
