In an era where illumination is essentially our all-time skincare goal, you’d think that a bit of sheen would be acceptable. Right? Well, technically, yes. We mean, our foray into strobing has been welcome, to say the least. But the truth is, there is a somewhat clear distinction between what is acceptably glow-y and what is, well, just straight up greasy. See, we’re going more for a healthy, intentional sheen, like when your cheekbones glimmer just so in the sunlight, rather than, you know, looking like we need a blotting by noon. And then there’s the hair; when glossy and shiny don’t really equate to two days sans shampoo. But guys, life happens and more often than not we’re in need of a midday/midweek freshening up. Herein, a few of our go-to mattifying tips for getting rid of *unintentional* shine.
— Pre-game —
Making sure your makeup doesn’t melt off your face before lunchtime has a lot to do with what you do before application. Using an oil-free cleanser and oil-control toner is key. And going for a moisturizer that soaks up without leaving a greasy residue, like a gel-based product, will help makeup stick. If you have particularly oily skin, try some specific mattifying primers and foundations—like those from Make Up For Ever and Cover FX.
— Blot —
We’re making an argument for the comeback of the blotting paper. Remember the Clean & Clear ones you used to keep in your pencil case in high school? Just us? Consider these blotting papers 2.0: natural, effective (they soak up excess facial sebum and oils ASAP) and they come in super chic packaging. There’s really no excuse to not carry these around.
— Set —
At this point, it probably goes without saying that setting your makeup is a step you often skip. We get it. We’ve done it too. But when your skin is oily, spritzing or patting setting-specific products can create a matted finish that lasts well into your day.
— At the Root —
This isn’t a novel testament: we too are true fans of dry shampoo. We mean, it pretty much has a standing place in our arsenal of daily beauty products. As in, it’s our savior for freshening up and adding much-needed texture to our two-day old hair, and all but disappears greasy roots.
