It’s a matte-r of fact: matte lips are back in a big way. If you’re passionate about the beauty industry, you may have noticed that most major makeup brands have brought out matte lip products in 2016—from Revlon’s new ‘Matte Liquid Lipsticks’ to Too Faced’s ‘Melted Matte’ line, all the way to cosmetics newcomer Kylie Jenner’s game-changing ‘Lip Kits.’
For industry professionals like makeup artists (MUAs), it’s important to keep tabs on the latest trends in order to offer cutting-edge services to clients. At schools like the International Beauty Institute (IBI), you can get hands-on experience mastering both classic beauty techniques and exciting new trends.
Considering a career as a makeup artist? Start strong by learning about the modern matte lip look.
What’s a Matte Lipstick Made of? Ask Grads of Makeup Artist School!
In the makeup world, the term ‘matte’ is used to describe a product’s finish or shine level. Matte makeup absorbs light instead of reflecting it, resulting in a virtually pore-less, shine-less, silky look. To discover what makes matte lipsticks fundamentally different from glosses and lipsticks with shine, we need to take a close look at their ingredients.
An IBI makeup class visits Jordane Cosmetics to learn how lipsticks are made
The main ingredients in all lipsticks are a solidifier, a colorant, and an oil. The oil is used as a ‘diluent’ to help evenly disperse the colour throughout the solidifier, but these oils also give products a glossy shine. Matte lipsticks require cosmetic chemists to swap out traditional oils for silicone oils or gels, or to add certain starchy ingredients that balance out the oil’s shine. When done right, this formulation has the added bonus of being both opaque and long-wearing—offering big colour payoffs that last.
How to Paint a Fierce Matte Lip with Makeup Artist Training
In
makeup artist training you’ll learn that preparation is almost as important as application. When applying matte lipstick, your first step will be to prep your clients’ lips to avoid the cracked, flaky, and chalky look of matte lips done wrong.
To achieve silky smooth effects, ensure your lips (or the lips of your future clients) are exfoliated and moisturized. A simple lip balm will do the trick, while also protecting lips from becoming too dried out from the matte lipsticks’ purposely dry formulation. Don’t skip this step! It takes under a minute and will improve the look and health of lips in the long run.
Next, apply a lip liner around the outer edge of the lips to give them that perfect shape and prevent the lipstick from bleeding out into the skin around the mouth. Then, apply the matte lipstick, using a clean brush or doe-foot applicator if the tube of product will be used on multiple clients’ lips. Blot any excess product from the mouth and voilà, one flawless matte lip look!
When Should Grads of Makeup Artist Training Go Matte?
Because of matte lipstick’s staying power, this look is perfect for any client heading out on a dinner date or event that will last from day to night. In
makeup artist school you’ll learn how to create bridal makeup looks, often perfect opportunities for MUAs to give clients chic matte lips that don’t need touch-ups after a kiss at the alter and some time at the wedding buffet.
Many MUAs also recommend matte lips to clients looking to add a little pop of colour to their everyday makeup routine while staying on-trend. We recommend
rouge-noir shades for autumn, or matte dusty pinks for a modern take on the my-lips-but-better look. With more and more matte formulations hitting the market, today’s MUAs have plenty of fun options to try on their clients and themselves!
An IBI student paints a bold lip look onto her classmate
