From Contrast Filters To Visual Weights, Why Does Make-Up Feel So Complicated?
Do you know what your contrasts are? Do you have good features but a bad facial harmony? Or are you the opposite? How’s your 'visual weight' looking?
Just when I thought the days of make-up tutorials were now replaced by beauty confessionals, it turns out, the internet was just gearing up to deliver some in-depth, complex beauty guides complete with complicated jargons even I, a beauty editor, fail to comprehend.
FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE
Enter: the era of the highly technical make-up tutorial. It’s no longer enough to know how to apply the eyeshadow, beauty influencers are now dissecting the minute details of our features to determine the correct shape, shade and intensity of said eyeshadow to bring out the ‘best’ in your appearance. It’s not lost on me that the desired end result is often conservatively pretty, embodied by the likes of Kendall Jenner, Lily-Rose Depp, Emily Ratajkowski and Blackpink’s LaLisa Manobal. Read: Faces that are already deemed desirable by Western beauty standards.
The high contrast filter on TikTok supposedly helps you to determine your colouring: pale blondes with blue eyes and light skin are deemed low contrast, while those with dark hair, eyes, and deeper skin are high contrast. Created by make-up artist Aliénor, the video has garnered 11.6M views at time of writing. The goal is to find the perfect colours for your not only your complexion, but to work harmoniously with your eyes, brows and hair, too.
Elsewhere, the visual weight theory considers the prominence of your bone structure, the volume of your features and how it all blends it together to determine how make-up looks on you. As for your facial harmony, it’s a term usually used in the context of plastic surgery, but it can be achieved through make-up to ‘balance’ your face. If this all sounds confusing, well, it is. And it’s not quite the approach that most make-up artists tend to use.
‘In college, we learned a lot about colour theory and face shapes so we could tailor make-up for each individual person,’ says the beauty pro and founder of Vieve, Jamie Genevieve. ‘Something that we didn’t learn was who can and can’t wear certain colours, or the amount of make-up a person "should" use. It’s something that Genevieve is glad for, as she says a make-up artist’s role is to ‘take what our client wants and make it work for them, not to dictate what we think would look most beautiful’. Revered make-up legend and MAC’s director of make-up artistry, Terry Barber, agrees, adding that instead of such rigid rules, he ‘was taught how to construct different make-up styles and how products work.’
It goes without saying (or maybe it needs to be said) that all things related to the self - be it make-up, skincare, hair, supplements or wellness routines – are not one size fits all. It never was, and it never will be; and that is a good thing. A formulaic approach to make-up application leaves little room for nuance.
'It feels like art of beauty is being reduced to one generic ideal with the assumption of the wearer being of one ethnicity, culture, taste level and having the sole aspiration of looking pretty and appropriate,’ shares Barber, whose inspiring work is often informed by unexpected sources such as the '80s club kids and colour of Cadbury wrappers. ‘Copying celebrity faces has led to a completely generic ideal of what beauty is. You follow an unrealistic recipe to achieve a face that’s not yours and not necessarily the one you want.’
For self-taught make-up artist and founder of Violette_FR, Violette Serrat, there are merits to these TikTok tutorials, at least as a starting point. ‘It all comes down to creativity and perspective. I don’t gravitate toward beauty rules, but I understand that they can be helpful for some people who don’t know where to start - and that’s okay,’ she tells me.
What’s important is to understand that ultimately, your make-up (should you use to wear it) shouldn’t be about achieving perfection, but rather, to make you feel most like yourself. ‘If a trend or rule sparks your creativity, embrace it! But ultimately, it should help you feel free enough to create your own version,' says Serrat.
Viviane Melo, make-up artist at Beam in Fitzrovia, seconds this. ‘These trends can be useful tools to guide someone on how to maximise or refine their style, but this will really depend on how the person viewing the TikTok tutorial consumes them and whether they have the know-how to adapt them to suit their own individual features and ethnicity.’
In other words, the best tutorials and beauty experts should never make you feel inadequate or leave you second guessing your appearance. ‘It is no coincidence that as these trends are embraced more widely, there is a rising trend of cosmetic surgeries such as ethnic rhinoplasties or non-surgical nose jobs,’ says Melo, who adds that your beauty routine shouldn’t be a dreaded chore.
The prescriptive nature of these trends also requires you to closely inspect your features at length. As someone who spends most of her day looking into the mirror while trialling new products for you, dear reader, I just don’t think anyone should be fretting about the intricacies of their facial features. It can lead to new insecurities, especially for the younger crowd.
Genevieve agrees: ‘There’s something reminiscent about those high school insecurities coming out to play again because of these videos. The world would be a very boring place if we all looked the same, there’s so much beauty in our individual features and how we choose to express ourselves with make-up.’
‘Achieving perfection is always going to be a losing game’, adds Serrat. The less time we spend analysing our faces and comparing them to other people, the less time we have to dwell on perceived flaws.
So, what's the solution if you have no idea where to start your make-up journey? Serrat recommends ‘implementing a routine that fits your life while giving your skin ample care’. If you’re short on time, multi-tasking products such as cheeks sticks (I love Violette_FR's Bisou Blush) and eye crayons will deliver colour in mere seconds. Products that simply enhance your natural features – such as a brow gel and lip tint – will impart a polished finish, every time.
For those who enjoy getting ready, going the mile with foundation, blush, bronzer, eye palettes and everything in between are equal parts fun and pampering. ‘I love formulas that offer versatile and buildable application, so you can dip your toes into a shade with a light wash or go big and bold,’ says Serrat.
As for colours, warm neutral tones that mimic a post-holiday glow are universally-flattering but don’t let me tell you what to do. Go for shades and finishes that makes you feel good, whether that’s a hot pink lip or eyelids that sparkle like stardust.
‘There’s something incredibly self-assured about wearing a “wrong” colour but wearing it well because it’s for yourself not the approval of others. That’s chic,’ says Barber. I couldn’t agree more.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
You Might Also Like
