Guest Blog: Glossing Over the All-Matte Everything Beauty Craze by Chelsea Todd

Image: Charisse Kenion on Unsplash

Written by: Chelsea Todd 

If you had to choose to only wear matte lipstick or lip gloss for the rest of your life, which one would it be? For me, the choice is obvious and easy. Gloss. All day, every day. I would rather have my hair stick to my lips than to suffer through cracking, chapping or bleeding to the point that no Lush lip scrub or Laneige lip mask could save them.

The all-matte trend has been prevalent in beauty for quite some time now. From full-face matte makeup looks that include everything from brows to blush to highlighter and contouring to super drying liquid lipsticks, the overarching "look" in beauty has been matte without even an ounce of shine for several years. But let's be honest, this look has had its moment. Now that it it's 2019, it's time for it to die or at the very least, that we embrace more hydrating alternatives.

I want to point the finger and I blame Kylie Jenner. I blame Kylie Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and other big name brands that push super matte products on us. They, along with beauty influencers, have the power to dictate what's hot or what trends we should follow and this causes a domino effect that starts from the top to the bottom in the beauty industry. The market gets oversaturated with so many of the same types of products and the people that can't rock a trend (in this case, my dry skin peeps) get left out in the cold. Can we have something that mattifies but is also moisturizing? Nope! We get stuck with foundation that makes our skin flake and with chapped, peeling lips.

But don't get me wrong. Matte lipsticks are innovative. They're long lasting and don't smear nearly as much as traditional creamy or satin lipsticks. Yet they don't give me the same vibe and comfort as lip gloss does. When I wear lip gloss I feel fun, carefree, and nostalgic. I feel like I've been transported to the 90's when gloss was at its peak! Everything was colorful and vibrant, but laid back.

I'm glad that lip gloss is making a comeback (thank you ColourPop and NYX). It looks natural, is easy-going, feels comfortable, and unlike some matte products, seems to compliment everyone. Plus, my lips look like a luscious, glazed snack and I love it.

All opinions are that of the author.