It’s a matte, matte world

The makeup movement this July is matte. The shine-free products are super in, the look is strong and sexy, and, yes, very doable for everyday wear. So put that shimmer stick down. The dewy and natural look has just become passé.

Matte bold lips

To pull off a more dramatic look, put down the nude shade lipstick and take a chance on vivid purples, hot pinks, golds and oranges. These are the colors to have fun with this season. At night, rock the social scene with highly pigmented lipsticks. For day, pick lighter colors, except for orange—the citrus lip should always stand out. So choose an extra potent orange tinge that won’t leave a wimpy wash.

When you want to command attention, you usually go for red on the lips, but it can be even more alluring if you try these new colors from MAC: Play Time (creamy intense violet) and Candy Yum-Yum (matte neon pink) from the Quite Cute collection, P1,000. Also, try Make Up For Ever’s Rouge Artist Intense #39 for an orange tinge—P1,280.

Tip on wearing matte lipstick:

Prep your lips by exfoliating with a warm towel. That way, pigment won’t stick to the dry parts. Then apply lip balm (if you need to), and let it sink in well. To keep lips from looking drawn on, skip the liner and apply lip color with a brush, or use your finger to press in the color.

Matte colored nails

Thanks to manicure mavericks Katy Perry and Rihanna, kooky nail colors are hotter than ever. Wearing colorful matte polish provides a cool, unexpected contrast to an otherwise monotone outfit.

Tip: Matte dries quickly, so you need a good, even stoke; otherwise, it will clump up. To avoid lumps, shake your polish before you paint and remove excess lacquer by wiping the brush against the side of the bottle. For more drama, add a coat of clear polish to just your moons. These colors from Orly can be spotted from a mile away: Blue Suede Nail Lacquer (Blue Matte) and Purple Velvet Nail Lacquer (Dark Purple Matter) for only P349.75.

Vivid matte eyes

Mandarin hues of red, yellow and blue have moved from the Museum of Modern Art to the upper lid. So, don’t be shy about wearing colorful eye shadow because it’s in, in, in! These colors from Shu Uemura can be worn in real life. Really! Pressed eye shadow green 431, yellow 360 and orange 260—P1,000 each.

Tip: Matte eye shadows normally have more pigment, so there’s more strength to the color. Prime the lids with translucent powder to prevent smearing, then layer shadow on top.

Be wary that it’s easy to look like a corpse when your skin has no translucent quality. You need to see a little freckle or mole. There has to be some sort of life in your face. To get this effect with what’s already in your make up bag, dab loose foundation with a fluffy brush, focusing on your T-zone only, or use a puff for more coverage. Then add shimmer somewhere, like the tops of your cheek bone.

“Because I was a beauty queen, I was told to NEVER leave the house without makeup on. So even when I’m at the beach I always make it a point to look good. Even without makeup, I still like to wear bright lipstick for that extra pop of color. I usually match the shade of my Lipstick with my fave Solara Bikini! (Solara is exclusively designed and available at www.solaraswimwear.com, and https://www.facebook.com/solaraswimwear.) My favorite Shades of Lippy are Morange from MAC, Pink Noveau from MAC and Red Hot from Rimmel! When I go out at night, when I’m at a the beach, I like to keep it simple, Gold eye shadow from MAC.”—Maggie Wilson-Consunji, host and beauty queen

“I’m not that much of a makeup person, so I’m all for natural makeup. But I like spicing it up a bit with hot pink lips. For something a little more fun and funky, I like using colored eyeliner… my fave is an eye popping turquoise. Color is such a great ode to the summer that’s just about to end.”—Valerie de los Santos, professional model