As a result, make-up sales are on the rise again. Statista reports that it’s the first time since pre-pandemic times that make-up is now laying claim to a chunk of the skincare category’s long-reigning success. As for newer launches filling the shelves, they have more innovation behind them than ever before. “Innovations in matte formulas have incorporated more skincare ingredients into products, offering a more nourished look,” says Bang. Gone are the days of a matte lipstick pruning before lunch or a base appearing cakey post-commute; foundations are now soft-focused, lip cremes and matte blushes add intense moisture and pops of colour, and eyeshadows allow for self-expression and experimentation.

Even Glossier, a name for whom the mention of matte would have once been shudder-inducing, is embracing the new-gen texture. Its latest lip formula, G Suit Soft Touch Lip Creme, £22, is the first opaque finish for the brand in a highly wearable, buttery-soft formula. Meanwhile, Charlotte Tilbury, another brand famous for its glossy skin aesthetic, has also noticed a gap in the market. The beauty giant’s viral and radiance-enhancing Beauty Light Wands, £30 each, recently cropped up in an ultra-matte formula. The Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wands, £30 each, harness lumi-blur technology, which captures and reflects the light thanks to a blend of glow gels, silica and a matte pearl filler to create a soft-focus effect. Similarly, its Airbrush Flawless Lip Blur, £22.95, uses a powder blur technology as well as hyaluronic acid – the humectant that can hold up to one thousand times its weight in water – making it, in the words of Charlotte Tilbury herself, a formula like no other: “A matte powder pout without drying, creasing or feathering.”

Artificial intelligence is also innovating the matte beauty space. Prada Beauty, a collection that launched to great fanfare in the summer, launched a soft-matte foundation (more on that later) using AI tech and an algorithm that generated 3,000 different skin tones to help improve colour matching. As for the tech inside the bottle, there’s IRL-micro-filter technology, which micro-crystalises onto skin to diffuse light and create a softer, smoother finish. And that’s only the beginning. From liquid lips to powder shadows, there’s a whole host of forward-thinking, tech-led formulas ready and waiting to change your mind about matte make-up.

Matte make-up is having a resurgence right now – here’s why, plus the best products to buy