Credit: getty
Make-up
Dopamine beauty is the joyful reclaiming of colour: 13 incredible make-up looks that play with shade, shape and shine
By Morgan Fargo
3 years ago
1 min read
You’ve heard of dopamine dressing, now meet dopamine make-up.
Dopamine dressing, one of the most joyful things to come out of the difficult last two years, is hinged around the idea of using colour to improve your mood – creating the feeling of happiness, much like the neurotransmitter and hormone dopamine. Beloved by stylists and fashion enthusiasts, dopamine dressing has gained a loyal following with many swearing by block colours and pattern pairing to improve their daily outlooks. Well, it should come as no surprise that the trend would eventually spread to make-up too, right?
As shared earlier this year, celebrity make-up artist and the US creative director of L’Oréal Paris Sir John, describes the role of dopamine make-up and glamour plays in his work as a way to noticeably bolster spirits.
“The idea of Dopamine Glam came to me when I noticed how much colour theory affected my overall mood and expression in make-up,” Sir John writes on TikTok, describing a video tutorial in which he plays with berry red lipstick tones, dark graphic liner and mustard yellow eyeshadow.
Understandably, Sir John isn’t alone in the pursuit of mood-boosting make-up. Stretching the span of Instagram and TikTok, the sheer volume of artists and make-up enthusiasts playing with colour, shapes, texture and finish is, put simply, incredible. Here are the ones that left me itching to try something new.
1/1
Sunshine eyes
As seen on Solange Knowles, these sunshine-yellow eyes are highly pigmented and softly matte. Using a single colour in this way is a great way to start incorporating more colour into your make-up routine.
1/3
Celestial pinks
Creating a seamless make-up look doesn’t have to mean using the same colour everywhere. Instead, find tones that complement each other. Here, make-up artist Aimee Twist has paired a heavy pink-toned blush with purple-flecked glitter eyeshadow.
2/3
Graphic eyeshadow
A diffused version of the floating graphic eyeliner trend that plays with shapes, positioning and contrasting colours. Remember, there is no wrong way to play.
3/3
Paired brights
The work of Sir John, this look proves that contrasting shades can look clean and intentional with careful placement and bursts of electric colour.
1/3
Butterfly eyes
One of the most simple shapes to create: a butterfly wing eyeshadow tapers towards the corner of the eye, finishing in a rounded point. A slick of bright eyeliner and your beautiful butterfly wing is complete.
2/3
Supernova shadow
Intergalactic travel is but one eyeshadow (well, a few) away. Diffused shimmer tones create the look of nebulous stars deep in the universe. With a look like this, don’t be worried about colouring outside of the lines, it’s the organic, uneven shape that creates the romance.
3/3
Inner-eye bursts
Create a statement low-effort look by placing a burst of colour to the inner corner of the eye, bringing it up slightly onto the campus and buffing out to nothing. The contrast between the natural make-up and the pop of colour is attention-grabbing without feeling overwhelming for colour newbies.
1/3
Statement lips
Dopamine make-up isn’t just about the real estate around your eyes, it can stretch to your lips (as well as any other area of your face), too. This chrome blue by make-up artist Augustina Valiaugaitė keeps the entire face natural, save for a striking and intensely blue, slightly metallic lip colour.
2/3
Maximalist eyeshadow
Play with eyeliner and eyeshadow – in complementary or contrasting colours – like this neon-liner, sky-blue, fluffy cloud shadow look.
3/3
Shape play
Stars and flowers are one way to dabble in dopamine make-up but other shapes are fun to work with too. These sweet cherries, placed on top of a metallic pink by artist Myla are delightful.
1/3
00s flames
Feel confident in your brush work? 00s-esque designs such as these can tie the colours of your outfit in with your make-up.
2/3
Daisy daydreams
Flowers everywhere. This blooming, minimalist approach to dopamine make-up is perfect for spring and summer.
3/3
Curved colour
Follow the shape of your eye up towards your brow and down towards the tip of your nose to create an organic, curved design.
Main image: Getty
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