Glowing Gone? Why Matte Skin Is Back

The glow is “dead” — wait, WHAT. As much as we’ve been raving about that effortless, radiant glow that we all have been trying to achieve — be it with our hoards of makeup or skincare products — it’s tough to face the reality that the skin trend of luminous, glowing skin is finally coming to an end.

So what is the new trend exactly? It’s come to be recognised that powders are back in — as a matte-r of fact, we’re talking about all things matte.

Contrary to the K-Beauty craze where that glowy look still prevails, it is true that many are now switching over back to the old, yet still highly coveted, matte finished look. That being said, the glowy look that includes adding a ton of highlighter all over your face (that once reigned supreme), is officially gone.

While it may be tough to nail a matte look, especially with Singapore’s unforgiving weather, it’s still possible to achieve the look without overdoing it. Take for instance, instead of using your usual puff, that comes with most powder compacts, try switching things up with a large powder brush instead. What this essentially does is that it takes down the shine in areas where you usually get a little oily at (T-Zone, etc). With a powder brush, it makes it easier to achieve a more matte finish.

And if you’re worried about these powders settling into your fine lines (making you look twice your age — which is obviously not the look you’re going for), you’ll be glad to know that there are lots of new products in the market that won’t make you look so cakey. A great example would be Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder.

You may have heard a ton of reviews about this Loose Powder — with Youtube Beauty Gurus going all the rage about how well this stunner works on their skin. And in all honesty, I could vouch for all those claims. As a beauty hoarder myself, I’ve tried a few loose powders on my own — whether it’s from K-Beauty brands or cult favourites from Sephora — there was no doubting that this loose powder from Laura Mercier has been a staple in my current beauty routine. It gives a poreless finish and it doesn’t settle in your fine lines — which is basically all you ever need. Oh, and to make your makeup last longer too of course.

However, not everyone agrees with the fact that glowing is dead. If you’re one can’t decide between the two finishes — you could try going for both. Is that even possible? Well, with Laura Mercier’s Loose Translucent Setting Powder Glow, it totally is.

Another alternative you could consider is Fenty Beauty’s Invisimatte Blotting Powder. it’s been known to be one of the bestsellers in the market because it lives up to what it’s essentially made for — blotting and mattifying the face! The compact comes with a puff that you can use to press in and set your makeup with. What I love most about this product is that it conceals and blurs out the pores which I always had trouble with.

What makes this powder any different from the latter is that it gives a nice sheer, glow to your matte look which basically equates to having the best of both worlds. All you need is to dust on some of this powder with a large powder brush and you’re good to go!

All in all, the debate on the glowing vs matte skin trend is still ongoing — and we’re not saying you should ditch the highlighters! However, if you’re in the mood to try something a little different with your look, you could give this soft-blurry makeup look a shot! Who knows, you might even dig the whole flawless-poreless-matte look…