When applying makeup, do you find yourself plagued by thoughts of how other people will perceive you? Or, are you concentrating on what will make you feel your best? Dopamine glam, a term attributed to celebrity makeup artist Sir John, makes a case for makeup that makes you feel good, not just look good. While minimalistic makeup will always have its place, right now, we have our hearts set on spiking our dopamine levels with full glam.

“Think mood-altering makeup. Think instant joy. Just like dopamine floods the brain with feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation, dopamine makeup is a blast of color and/or texture that gives you that feel-good feeling. It’s quite literally like painting on a smile,” says makeup artist Danessa Myricks, founder of her eponymous brand.

Sign of the Times

Myricks says the no-makeup makeup look isn’t going anywhere because it’s easy and classic, but people are making room for more fun, avant-garde looks, too. “I think makeup has several purposes: One is to enhance natural beauty,” says celebrity makeup artist Diane Buzzetta. “Another is to have fun and be expressive!” Cue dopamine glam. Celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay calls it “feel good, out-of-the-box glam that’s the opposite of the long-lasting ‘clean girl’ trend.”

Celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath, founder of her eponymous brand, calls the trend “a cosmetic celebration that promotes playfulness, experimentation and pushing the boundaries of beauty. It’s about using makeup to elevate your look and spirit. It’s a sign of the times.”

“When I’m able to do dopamine glam, it ignites an excitement within me to use a range of colors I don’t play with as often,” says celebrity makeup artist Shelby Smith. “It allows you to tap into other feelings and expressions, seeing what you can create with bold colors that are so opposite of the tones you would use with natural looks.”

After the drab days of the pandemic and the muted palettes of minimalistic makeup that followed, it’s no surprise people are craving bursts of color and fun. “The focus is shifting away from wanting to fit in, and moving toward wanting to feel good. We’re desperately seeking joy!” says Myricks.

It’s All About You

“Access to sadness is always available right at our fingertips, as we are so dialed into social media. It’s easy to feel powerless,” Myricks notes. Dopamine makeup shifts some power into our own hands. “We can stimulate joy in an instant and access it at any moment through small adjustments to our daily routine,” she adds. “Different is the new normal. Beauty lovers are becoming more confident exploring and sharing their joy for beauty in whatever way feels good.”

COURTESY OF DANESSA MYRICKS BEAUTY, PHOTOGRAPHER: MIGUEL HERRERA

Dopamine Boost

Pop of Color   

An easy way to incorporate the dopamine glam ethos “is to replace something familiar with a bolder or more colorful choice,” says Myricks. “Swap your traditional black eyeliner with a bright yellow, pink or blue.” McGrath’s best advice is to be fearless. “Traditional rules of makeup, while important, can and should be broken. When you break the rules, you discover your creativity and unique makeup identity.”

Bright eyeshadow is always fun, but colored mascara is a more unexpected way to boost some dopamine and dimension. Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara ($33) in shades Blue or Brick unleashes vibrant color on the lashes that can be paired with either bare lids or colorful shadow and liner.

Dopamine glam can be as simple as going overboard with blush like Chanel N°1 de Chanel Lip And Cheek Balm ($48). Pair a bold blush with a bold lip using Pat McGrath Labs Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil ($29), which was designed with creativity and “boundary-pushing lip designs” in mind, says McGrath.

Speaking of eye-catching liners, Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Optic Intensity Eco Eyeliner ($22) comes in just about every exciting shade, from Chartreuse Matte to Magenta Shimmer. Additionally, Buzzetta says Halsey’s brand about-face has “a great color range to achieve dopamine looks.” The Matte Fluid Eye Paint ($16) comes in 31 different shades, so you can essentially create your own artist’s palette for endless options.

Glittery Glam

Head Euphoria makeup artist and Half Magic cofounder Donni Davy loves amping up the dopamine with sparkle and shimmer—think glossy lips, glitter and gems. If this sounds out of your comfort zone, we suggest you give it a try anyway and see how you feel. You might be pleasantly surprised. “Glittery eyeliner and lip color are both surprisingly easy to pull off,” says Davy. “People are also getting so creative with gems, and I love it. We are seeing more of them on the red carpet and runways, and also in everyday life.”

Products to Try

To add unique shine to your lids, we suggest L’Oréal Paris Brilliant Eyes Liquid Eyeshadow ($12) Apply it on its own, or layer it on top of other shadow as icing on the cake.

Buzzetta says she loves using Half Magic products, noting that she feels Davy’s work on Euphoria “impacted a lot of the dopamine trend.” The brand’s easy-to-apply face gems and glitter are also ophthalmologist-tested. The All That Sparkles Set ($38) featuring both gems and Glitterpuck, a sparkling pressed glitter, is the perfect dopamine glam starter kit.

Another way to add bold sparkle to the eyes and cheeks is with Danessa Myricks Infinite Chrome Flakes ($26). “Wear them alone for otherworldly effects, or top off your traditional shadows with bold reflective textures like glitters, foils and metallics,” says Myricks.

Somewhere along the past year, it began to feel like the no-makeup makeup clean girl aesthetic was no longer a trend but a way of life. And, for some of us, it certainly is. For others who want to have a bit more fun with their makeup, there’s a new trend in town: dopamine glam. It’s exactly what it sounds like: “feel good, out-of-the-box glam that screams the total opposite of the long-lasting clean girl trend. It’s bursts of fun, bold color and sparkles—anything goes glam,” says celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay. “The term is inspired by the effects of dopamine which make us happy and instantly lifts our mood.”

Sir John originated the idea of dopamine glam. He says it’s focused on makeup that makes you feel good, not just look good. We’re hesitant to call it a trend—Sir John says it’s “anti-trend”—but whatever it is, it’s having a moment.

It’s no surprise that after laid-back makeup looks devoid of color and the drab days of the pandemic, something bright and bold would eventually follow. “People want to have fun with makeup again,” says Urban Decay Cosmetics global makeup artist Steve Kassajikian. Gabbay adds that tailing Coachella and music festival season allowed for an easy transition into more fun, unconventional glam.

Celebrity makeup artist Allison Kaye points out that not everyone is into the minimal makeup look in the first place. “Makeup is a form of art, and many people love to unleash their creative side when doing makeup,” says Kaye. “I think the dopamine makeup trend is a perfect trend to be hot right now for all of those wanting to show off their artistic side and create stunning looks with color and joy.”

Dopamine glam inspiration

There are no one-size-fits-all dopamine glam suggestions since the makeup that makes you feel good can be different for everyone. The through line is color, thinking out of the box and doing whatever spikes your dopamine without regarding any rules. However, “dopamine glam doesn’t have to be anything too crazy either,” says Kassajikian.

“Try incorporating brighter colors into shadows and graphic liners using unexpected hues. Laying cream color under shadows can help make shadows pop even more. Patting a thin layer of sparkle over shadow can also help make your look come to life,” says Gabbay. She loves using Anastasia Norvina Chroma Stix ($18) to get the look. “They come in an array of shades that glide on and stay put all day,” she says. Gabbay also recommends Pat Mcgrath MTHRSHPMEGA: Celestial Nirvana ($41) to create dopamine inspired looks. It’s an “all-in-one palette that ranges from matte neutral shades to shimmery pops of purples, pinks and blues.”

When using color in makeup, Kaye says one of her favorite products to use is the Makeup Forever Flash Color Cream Pigment Palette ($99). “It has 12 cream colors that you can mix and match to create any look you desire. I love using these as eyeshadows or eyeliners. They can truthfully be made into anything to the point where you could create an entire face makeup look with this one palette.”

Kassajikian says applying a bright lip color or swapping out black eyeliner for a bold color are great ways to try dopamine glam. He recommends Urban Decay Vice Lip Bond Glossy Liquid Lipstick ($27) in Shock Value or Solo Player. To get this look, Kassajikian also likes Glide-on Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils ($25) in Woodstock, Freak, Chaos or Psychedelic Sister. “Also, you can have fun with your eyeshadow using the UD x Smiley Naked Mini Eyeshadow Palettes ($33) for a fun color moment that will brighten up your look,” he adds.