When people walk into my studio, there are usually a couple of questions that I like to ask before I start their makeup applications. And when it comes to foundations, I always get a bit of a puzzled look when I ask, "Dewy or Matte?"
Dewy refers to a glow, perhaps poetically, like the sheen of dewdrops on leaves first thing in the morning. It is also associated with youth and skin health, for reference look at the Korean skincare trends of "Glass skin" to see the almost otherworldly glow that can be created and you will be mesmerized by the beautiful glow. When thinking about skin finish it is important to add your skin type to the calculation, as with most things in life we want what we do not have. Straight haired girls want curls and vice versa etc, etc, and so too those of us with dry skin want to glow, and those with an oilier skin want to, maybe, not glow as much. Now, I will agree that most people do not want to look like a glazed donut, especially on their wedding day, and that's why satin finish foundation and well-placed highlighter comes to the rescue. This way you have control of the shine, which can be placed to create shape, dimension and of course, youthful radiance.
Most clients opt for matte, mostly because this is everyone's comfort zone, after all, most drugstore foundations are on the more matte side, so this is what we are all used to. Now, I'm not saying this is wrong, matte finishes definitely have their place and time, after all an oily skin type comes with a built-in glow. Matte finishes also come with the built-in bonus of being longer-lasting and blurring imperfections, unfortunately, on drier skin types this can also lead to flaking and an ashy or dusty appearance.
So as you can see, there is no right or wrong choice, just an informed choice perhaps. You can also mix and match benefits from both in one look. Don't be scared to experiment and find the right finish for you!
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