The Makeup Gap?
Searching for your most flattering makeup? It might be hiding in the Makeup Gap.
The Makeup Gap is the idea that in modern makeup, there’s ample depiction of:
minimal makeup
graphic makeup
—and less depiction of the “soft yet glam” or “soft yet dreamy” styles in between.
And this gap can make it challenging for people with certain essences to find their most flattering looks.
Today we’ll explore minimal eye makeup, graphic eye makeup, and how to fill the gap.
Minimal Eye Makeup
Two key types of minimal makeup are:
An impressively-subtle application where it feels like you’d need a microscope to confirm whether the person is actually wearing makeup:
2. A more obvious but still subtle application, often featuring:
Lightweight mascara
Thin eyeliner (or none at all)
Sometimes a bit of matte shadow sculpting the lids—usually not with shimmer or glitter or anything flashy:
Not shockingly, of all the style essences, minimal eye makeup tends to most flatter Naturals.
And I actually think every essence is awesome in certain kinds of minimal makeup. After all, this makeup shows off the inherent beauty of the features, which is what style analysis is all about.
Ingenues in particular resonate with delicate eye looks. And Classics captivate in many forms of minimalism, including fashion and makeup.
But, if we want to find the makeup that most embodies all the other style essences, or that most replicates the vibe of those essences, then minimal makeup isn’t the winner.
Graphic Eye Makeup
Graphic makeup feels severe, bold, heavy, angular, and/or linear—perfect for Gamines and Dramatics.
Examples of graphic eye makeup include:
Ultra-thick mascara or false lashes that create a blocky effect
Very dark matte eyeshadow applied over the whole eyelid
And, probably the most ubiquitous style: thick, dark, unblended eyeliner
If you’re searching for eye makeup inspo, you’ll see a lot of graphic liner:
Short, angular, liquid wings flatter Gamine.
To embody Dramatic, add length:
Thick, unblended liquid liner with extra-long wings flatters Dramatic.
Graphic eyeliner is often accompanied by soft elements, too, like shimmery eyeshadow—but because the eyeliner is so intense, it tends to jump out at the viewer, moreso than the softness:
This eye makeup is technically soft and graphic, but the graphic liner feels like the star.
Bold, graphic makeup is amazing for Dramatics and Gamines. But it’s not ideal for any other essence—even for Romantics, who can wear a high amount of makeup.
To be clear, I love the look of heavy liquid liner, and anyone regardless of their essences should feel free to wear it. I also don’t think you need to wear your “best”, most flattering makeup all the time.
But many people are interested in finding their most flattering, authentic-feeling makeup, and wearing it at least some of the time.
So, now we come to the gap:
Non-Minimal, Non-Graphic Makeup?
It’s easy to understand the concept of subtle, minimal makeup, and it’s easy to understand the concept of heavy, graphic makeup.
But what about the in-between?
What if you have Romantic, whose vibe isn’t consistent with the subtlety of minimal makeup, but also isn’t consistent with the harsh, unblended nature of graphic makeup?
Or Ethereal, whose vibe is fantastical and dreamy—in some ways the opposite of down-to-earth, minimal makeup—but who isn’t at all flattered by graphic elements?
These “yin” essences are enlivened by soft textures—like glow, shimmer, smokiness, or gradient effects:
Romantic’s most flattering makeup is blended, curving, dimensional, and overtly glam—very different than the subtlety of minimal makeup, but also very different than the stark, unblended, often linear nature of graphic makeup.
Ethereal also benefits from softness and ample glow and shimmer. This eye look could suit Romantic Ethereals and related blends.
A subtler, more everyday version.
Interestingly, compared to other makeup styles, it doesn’t seem as common to see this sort of “soft yet glam” or “soft yet fantasy-esque” makeup—makeup that definitely isn’t minimal yet definitely isn’t graphic, and that’s composed almost entirely of “soft” elements.
Shimmery or glowy textures are common in makeup, but they’re often paired with severe liquid liner:
And smokiness is common in makeup but is also often paired with thick, unblended liner.
Or the smokiness becomes so intense, it’s no longer ideal for Romantic:
Dimension—or creating a 3D look and avoiding a flat, linear application—is key to Romantic eyes.
Smokiness is often stereotyped as Romantic, but very thick, heavy eyeshadow all over the lid can easily become overpowering.
So, that’s the makeup gap—the idea that when we see examples of makeup in popular culture (and maybe in daily life, too), there often seems to be a jump right from understated makeup to bold makeup—ignoring the soft, alluring, dreamy styles in between.
Closing the Gap
Looking for “soft”, non-graphic makeup inspo? Here’s a super simple way not to get stuck in the makeup gap:
Find examples of makeup that you like and that have at least some soft elements. Then omit or soften most (or all) of the graphic elements.
So if you want to copy a look that includes a gradient eye with thick, unblended liquid liner, simply skip the liner (or create it with a blendable eyeliner pencil or an eyeshadow).
Why the Gap?
The existence of minimal makeup seems pretty obvious—there’s times when many of us want to look our best in a fresh-faced, low-maintenance way.
And the existence of heavy, graphic makeup also seems obvious—especially since celebrities are often photographed under harsh lights, and graphic makeup tends to show up better on camera than delicate glow or shimmer.
I think in-between makeup—“soft yet fantastical” or “soft yet glam”—can be less popular, because unless you know about style essences, the purpose of purely soft makeup can feel unclear.
The fact is, graphic elements do tend to show up more easily than soft ones, especially on camera. So graphic makeup is probably the most efficient way to draw attention to the eyes.
So unless you know about style analysis, it might not seem to make much sense to do glam, eye-emphasizing makeup composed entirely of soft, blended textures. It could seem like you’re trying to emphasize your features in an inefficient way.
But, if you have highly yin beauty, it might really be a game-changer to experiment with primarily soft makeup textures—even if it can be a little tricky to figure out how much blending to do or how to find a balance between, say, putting on enough eyeshadow so it’s clearly visible but not so much that it feels harsh.
And to be fair, graphic makeup has its own struggles, because if you make a mistake, it’s harder to blend it out and make it work!
Plus:
Dramatics and Gamines Get Stuck in the Gap, Too
It’s not just highly Romantic or Ethereal faces who can fall into the gap.
I’ve stated that “mostly soft” makeup isn’t always easy to find. But you can also argue that “mostly graphic” makeup isn’t that easy to find, either!
If you’re fully or highly Dramatic and/or Gamine, without much “yin” essence, the solution again is simple: take inspiration from highly graphic makeup looks and minimize or omit the softer elements.
What if You’re a Blend?
If you have a lot of Romantic and/or Ethereal plus notable Gamine and/or Dramatic, the makeup gap might be less relevant to you—you might be amazing in notably soft and graphic elements.
Though if you’re predominantly Romantic and/or Ethereal, or have only those essences in your eyes, you might find that the heaviest eye looks are overpowering, even if you do have Gamine and/or Dramatic.
For more on how to find a balance, learn about Romantic Ethereal Gamines.
