Dopamine Dressing: Make Up To Make You Feel Good
One of the latest trends in fashion, home decor, and make-up is dopamine dressing. Dopamine is the reward chemical in our brain; it’s what keeps us motivated, happy and energised.
The idea of dopamine dressing comes from wearing colours and styles that boost your self esteem and enhance your mood. Think golden tones, citrus hues, fiery reds, cobalt blues, or popping pinks.
So how can you use this in your make-up routine to help you get that good feeling every day? We have some little make-up tips below.
Starting to add colour to your routine? Here’s how
Changing your make-up routine, especially if you’ve always worn a more subtle, nude look, can feel intimidating.
There’s such a variety of colours and shades, that it can feel overwhelming!
Firstly, don’t panic; dopamine dressing is all about making you feel good. Changing your entire routine at once will probably cause you more stress!
Think about where you’d like to start - incorporating your favourite colour is always a great idea. Try something new, and be creative if you wish! We’d suggest a bright blusher, a strong eyeshadow or a statement lip colour.
Our make-up range is full of colour inspiration.
Which colours will suit you?
Still unsure of how to find the right colour for your palette? Using some easy rules of thumb can help you identify which shades will suit your natural skin tone.
Don’t fret; remember this is just a guide! Dopamine dressing is all about self-confidence and wearing colours that make you happy, so don’t feel limited - wear the colours that make you feel good.
1. Using your skin’s natural undertone
We typically look at skin tone for matching complexion make-up such as concealer and foundation; but it’s handy for finding the right lip shade for you.
Warm toned people have golden, yellow or olive hues to their skin; and are more suited towards gold jewellery than silver. When looking for lip shades that suit, it’s easy to fall back on a classic nude.
For a statement lip, go for warm tones; vibrant oranges, fiery reds, soft corals, and salmon pinks suit you best.
For a bright, matt orange-red shade, try Benecos Soft Coral. On warm tonedpeople this colour really pops, and will brighten up any outfit; if you’re not brave enough to try a full neon dress yet, it pairs well with soft nude tones.
For more subtle, shimmering tones, try the Odylique range. If you only want a whisper of colour, you can use just one application, or build it up with a few applications to get a stronger colour. Some people find, to get a strong colour, that using a matt foundation or concealer on your lips prior helps the colour to “stick” better.
Their Rose Parfait is a soft, warm mid pink; or try their Apricot Sorbet for a vibrant, warm orange, or even Cherry Tart for a striking red.
Cool toned people have more rosy, pink, or blue undertones; and are typically more suited toward silver jewellery than gold. Cooler toned hues, with blue or purple undertones, suit this skin tone more. Don’t panic - you don’t need to use blue lipstick! Fuschia, magenta, and burgundy red all suit a cooler skin tone.
For a red lip, Odylique’s Raspberry Coulis or Blackberry Smoothie will suit best. Raspberry Coulis is a more pink-red, while the Blackberry Smoothie is a deep mauve. They go on quite sheer, so for a more subtle, day-time look, you might only need 1 application; but for a really dramatic look, build it up with a couple.
To go bold with a bright, Barbie pink (perfect for the summer), try the Benecos Hot Pink. It’s a striking matt shade and will really pop, especially against paler skin tones.
2. Contrast Your Natural Eye Colour.
Finding an eyeshadow that works can be tricky.
A good suggestion is to use a colour that matches your natural shade; or, to really make your natural eye colour pop, and make your eyes look bigger, use a colour from the opposite end of the colour wheel.
Blue eyes contrast well with bright shades; golden hues, yellows and oranges really bring out the blue.
Lavera Signature Colour in Amber is a strong shimmer eyeshadow, perfect for a bright eye look.
For a more matt hue, the Odylique Gold or Sand eyeshadows are a little softer.
Green eyes work well with pink, red and purple hues. Try Odylique’s Shell eyeshadow for a soft, pastel pink, or the Lavera Signature Colour in Pink Moon for a more intense, shimmering, red-pink hue.
Typically brown eyes are shown with nude, beige eyeshadows; and while these work well, using green or blue toned eye make-up can really highlight your eyes.
Odylique’s Seaweed eyeshadow is a bright, chartreuse shade; which will pair beautifully with deep brown eyes.
Or you could try Benecos’ striking kajal eyeliners in green, and bright blue, perfect for outlining and defining your eyes.
3. Add Colour To Your Complexion
If you want to brighten up your complexion, adding a bright blusher is a great idea. You can use this alongside a more subtle eye and lip make-up look.
Natural blushers are generally a bit more subtle, so if you want a really strong, striking colour, you’ll need to use a few applications.
For a warmer blush, try the Benecos Sassy Salmon, or Lavera Velvet Blush in Peach.
For a cooler, more pink blush, the Benecos Mallow Rose, or Lavera Velvet Blush in Pink Orchid.
For a statement eye, and a subtle colour through your lips and cheeks, you can double up the Odylique lipsticks as a blusher. The softer colours, like Marshmallow or Peach will give your lips and cheeks little definition, and let your eyes sparkle.
If you don’t use complexion make-up, but want to still get that bit of dopamine in your complexion, try a subtle glow highlighter across the top of your cheeks. The Lavera Glow Hydrating Fluid is a natural, subtle shimmer that shines rose gold in the light and suits everyone. You can use with or without foundation.
4.. Use A Bold Nail Colour.
Not brave enough to try a bright colour, or make-up is just not really for you?
You can still add a little colour to your look by trying a bold nail varnish.
Benecos range of nail varnish come in a range of shades, such as sweet pinks like Bubblegum, pillarbox reds in Vintage Red or magenta in Oh La La. Match your nails to your favourite dress, handbag or shoes to really catch the eye.
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