The biannual couture shows are when professional hair and makeup artists get to break free from the oft-trending ‘no makeup makeup looks’ and get creative.
This year was no different, with brands choosing to send models down the runways with bold eye and lip looks not for the faint hearted.
Eyes
Eye looks were bold with the likes of Iris Van Herpen, Christian Dior, Armani Privé and Jean Paul Gaultier accenting models’ eyes with bright colours. At Viktor & Rolf, Peter Philips gave the models bold, graphic eyes using dense sparkles clustered into squares around the eye. Speaking with Coveteur, Philips said: “There are three or four girls with no makeup, and then about ten girls are colour-blocking in super glitter.”
At Dior, Philips again gave girls accented eyes by drawing dramatic eyelashes far from the lash line. This look was “inspired by surreal movies like ‘The Red Shoes,’” he said. “And there are some great pictures of Romy Schneider, who did amazing elongated eyeliner,” he explained to WWD.
Lips
Red lips were popular at the likes of Chanel, A.F. Vandevorst and Alexis Mabille. At Chanel, the hue of red came from mixing Rouge Allure number 182 and Rouge Coco Gloss number 794; and at Alexis Mabille, lead MUA Lloyd Simmonds told WWD that the designer wanted models to appear like a combination of “19th-century princess and sort of gangsta.”
At Valentino, Pat McGrath took the opportunity to launch her new Lust MatteTrance lip line on models. Barely there makeup was partnered with bold lip colours of violet and dark nude. Similarly, at Maison Margiela models were sent out with bright green and purple holographic lips – courtesy of McGrath.
Skin
Thanks to the bold aspects of each beauty look, many of the girls had barely-there makeup. Speaking again on Viktor & Rolfe, Philips said: “It’s just beautiful skin. No contouring, no highlighting. Not even mascara. Just a lip balm. The girls that were natural, we just enhanced a little with eyebrows and a bit of mascara on the roots of the lashes. That’s it.”
Bare skin and natural makeup was also seen at Elie Saab and Giambattista Valli – where “The inspiration started with the idea of a modern, young, carefree Jane Birkin,” said L’Oreal Paris global makeup director Val Garland to WWD.
Strong blush
Strong blush and pink cheeks were popular at Alexis Mabille, Giorgio Armani Privé, and Alexandre Vauthier – where makeup artist Lisa Butler wrapped bright pink blush from the temples down to the apples of the cheeks.
Click through the gallery above to see exactly what we’re talking about.
