Have you heard of ‘Dopamine Dressing’, the act of selecting clothing in styles and colours that helps boost your mood?
It’s been big the last couple of seasons. The trend involving bright, block colours and pattern pairing is said to be a reaction to the challenges of the world and the effects of the pandemic (and our lingering tendency to favour casual attire over a bold fashion moment!).
Now, get ready for bright and buoyant beauty. Beyonce’s makeup artist Sir John is among those declaring the return of a free-spirited and playful makeup approach dubbing it ‘dopamine glam’.
The idea is to boost your mood and activate the physical release of dopamine (an important brain chemical that influences your mood and feelings of reward and motivation) by choosing and applying makeup hues and products that make you feel good.
“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 declared on TikTok.
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The respected artist, who regularly creates looks for the music superstar as well as Naomi Campbell, Zendaya and Joan Smalls, also told Refinery 29 he’s a fan of ‘whimsical’ looks right now.
“When I say dopamine, I mean a slick of red lipstick or lots of blusher — anything that’s unorthodox and against the standard, but with lots of fun colour. It’s the anti ‘clean girl’ makeup. It’s anti-trend.”
The artist says post-pandemic, “it’s time for a temperature check when it comes to makeup.”
“It’s not just about the outside look anymore. Instead, it’s about whatever makes people feel connected to themselves. It’s getting that dopamine, because it’s nice to be in a place where we care more about how we feel than what we look like.”
“Before, we were so formulaic and everyone was about perfection. That’s not sexy anymore and it’s not fun.”
Consider those words your cue to embrace ‘dopamine glam’ experimentation. It doesn’t mean you have to go all-out, but it’s worth trying a new makeup hue or product that makes you happy when you wear it.
For some inspiration, we’ve selected some of the best make products to embrace trying the ‘dopamine glam’ trend:
L-R: MAC Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner in Commitment Issues; Clarins Lip Comfort Oil in Apricot; Mecca Max Single Shadow in 90s Kid; Nude By Lust Lipstick in Sassy; Benefit Crystah Blush.
L-R: Mecca Max Zoom Liner in Canary; Dior Addict Hydrating shine lipstick in Re(d)volution; Byredo Astronomical Volume Mascara in Deep Black; Sisley Ombre Éclat Liquide in Copper; Morphe x Nyane Vibrant Blends Eye Brush Set
Image (top): @SirJohn
