Of difference: we’re at a moment in beauty when identikit perfection looks positively passé. Touching on tribal elements with striking originality (Underground Society), taking a couture approach to nude makeup (Pale ‘N’ Dandy), feeling the heat of a carefree, sun-warmed vibe (American Nomad) or getting creative with the murano-glass palette being passed about (Dye-A-Tribe) feels eminently more interesting and appropriate. “The essential point with makeup this season is that it’s about projecting emotion and attitude, about not looking the same as everyone else,” explains Terry Barber.
Gorgeousness of last season has been replaced by marks of urban grooming and freshness; or, of making one unexpected, attitude-projecting beauty statement that employs striking colour and construct to a punchy end. On both counts, the quieter leaders of individuality are important in showing us what’s to come: a mascara-less lash and the ubiquity of a bleached brow both emphasize the features, planes and shadows of the face to instantly underscore its uniqueness. “It’s definitely an anti-glamour season,” confirms Gordon Espinet. Bring on the tribal gathering!
American Nomad
Surfer girls after a day at the beach… California tans in shades of dusty sands… Peter Lindberg meets West Coast hippie: this summer’s girl has eased up on her spf 50 obsession and faced the elements for a dusky tan. “It almost seems like a non-beach tan…more like she’s been stuck in the desert for a day,” says Gordon Espinet. So she’s got a relaxed athleticism that’s all about skin and sport; a play on boyish bravado with a tawny, tan cheek. It’s about going lo-fi with high-tech products to achieve the most translucently youthful and health-pumped finish possible. Get laid back, soak in the sun-warmed vibe, and think “discreet and effortless” with the season’s gentle take on bronze…
Quotes
Charlotte Tilbury “It’s healthy, honeyed, recession-proof makeup…Sports Illustrated ’80s icons and gorgeous athleticism.”
Key Products
Crush Metal Pigment In Tan
Lipstick In Fresh Brew
Sculpting Powder In Sculpt
Cream Colour Base In Mid-Tone Sepia
Bronzing Powder In Matte Bronze
Mineralize Blush In Warm Soul
Lip Erase In Dim
Powder Blush In Taupe
Powerpoint Pencil In Duck
Lipstick In Twig
Crush Metal Pigment In Stacked 2!
Brow Pencil In Lingering
Eye Pencil In Coffee
Cremeblend Blush In Joie-De-Vivre
Blushcreme In Cherché
Zoom Lash In Lofty Brown
Face And Body Foundation In C5 And C6
Pro Blush In Clove
Crush Metal Pigment In Stacked 1!
Eye Shadow In Electric Eel
Pale ‘N’ Dandy
Take bleach to your brows… Or pull them into distinctive focus. A brow, or distinct lack of one, is essential on this season’s uncomplicated face… sit them on skin that’s under-refined yet ultra-alive with gloss and light-reflective textures… ensure your lips are fresh and free of colour… leave lashes bare. Such are the touchstones of this season’s über-nude look. Yet, there’s nothing alien or odd about this pallor. Pulling reference points from English aristocracy and portraiture to grooming on the verge of grunge, this girl is tough, urban and consciously plays with a certain androgynously sensual beauty. She doesn’t care a lot, but she cares enough, and minimal amounts of makeup upgrade what’s naturally there. It’s a look brought to life by the dominance of shine-enhancing textures. “It’s about pale with a texture to it,” says Gordon Espinet. Hydrated and bathed in light, this skincare-effect makeup is low-level languid for the most enigmatic feel. “It adds a vulnerability and openness to the face,” says lyne desnoyers.
Quotes
Tiffany Johnston “Gloss texture on the eye and brushed through the brow is officially the most popular product of the season.”
Key Products
Gloss Texture
Strobe Cream
Strobe Liquid
Lip Conditioner
Face And Body Foundation In N1
Cream Colour Base In Luna
Eye Kohl In Fascinating
Brow Set In Clear
Studio Moisture Tint Spf 15
Select Moisturecover Concealer
Care Blends Essential Oils
Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
Fix +
Set Powder In Invisible
Prep + Prime Lip
Brow Set In Mink
Sculpting Powder In Emphasize
Shaping Powder In Lightsweep
Pro Longlash In Barelash
Lip Erase In Dim
Lip Erase In Pale
Dye-A-Tribe
A shaft of sunlight through stained glass… The syrupy freshness of peach juice…the swirled, translucent tints in a murano vase…tinted filters over a camera lense: for colour this summer, think multi-dimensional, soft-focus and super-blended in a succulent palette. It’s about optimistic, upbeat shades applied with the very lightest touch “in the ongoing trend for colour that looks airbrushed with the softest edges,” says Terry Barber. Not that its attitude is hippie-dippy or costume drama. “It’s more about taking pretty colours, yet giving them a rebellious edge so that they don’t come across as too bridal.” Whether that be the subtlety of a dégradé chromatic shift over the lip or eye or the juxtaposition of upbeat colours against a raw skin or bare lash, as Gordon Espinet explains, “It’s really about wearing colour with a cool factor.”
Quotes
Nadine Luke “Using a translucent, colourless powder mixed with powder blush gives the pigment an even smoother finish that allows the skin just the barest wash of colour with a totally seamless edge.”
Key Products
Lipstick In Phlox
Lipstick In Fresh Salmon
Lipstick In Victorian
Blush Ombre In Azalea Blossom
Blush Ombre In Ripe Peach
Powder Blush In Style
Cremeblend Blush In So Sweet So Easy
Cremeblend Blush In Joie-De-Vivre
Cremeblend Blush In Optimistic Orange
Lipmix In Red
Lipmix In Fuschia
Lipmix In Crimson
Lipstick In Pink Burst
Lipstick In Bubblegum
Under Society
An aerodynamically misplaced streak of liner. A lip packed in Pigment or duo-chromatically constructed… a hardass brow. “It’s more of an attempt to project an attitude of individuality and a sense of ownership than about looking gorgeous in any traditional sense,” explains Terry Barber.
Quotes
Gordon Espinet “These makeups are all about one element on the face. Rather than defining the features, it’s almost more about the product being an accent on a practically naked face… it’s minimal makeup, maximum impact, and definitely with an edge.”
Key Products
Chromaline In Black
Black Chromaline In Cyan
Penultimate Eye Liner In Rapidblack
1 Lash
Crush Metal Pigment In Stacked 1
Glitter In Pink
Lipmix In Ochre
Lipmix In White
Paintstick In Pure White
Eye Shadow In Rule
Eye Shadow In Very Violet
Lipstick In Russian Red
Lip Pencil In Cherry
Pro Pigment In Acid Orange
Lipmix In Blue
My favorite out of the four is American Nomad. Check out the individual looks here.
Credits: MAC.
4 Comments
that bronzy gold eyeshadow in the american nomad set of photos is KILLING ME. i need something like that
Wow, I love the trends they’re reporting on this year.
Michelle,
I totally agree with you! I wonder if it’s the new Crush Metal Pigment In Tan.
Me too J! So much more wearable than last season!