And two that really don’t…
What happens in the backstage beauty arena is rarely a reflection of what might happen at your local bus stop anytime soon, but from getting a bit of a glow to trying something fresh with your felt-tip liner, the twice annual fashion months can serve as party inspo, haul you out of a blah beauty rut or just make you consider that, actually, you might not want to wear makeup today thanks very much (more on that from backstage skincare queen Caroline Hirons below). There’s also the kind of impractical catwalk beauty that can be marvellous to ogle of a lunch break, but would clash with eating/ drinking/ being taken seriously in that upcoming work presentation. Here are three trends getting the go-ahead from this makeup maniac , and two that delight my inner preschooler but...no.
The trends to try
Non-boring black liner
Marc Jacobs SS18
Tightlining has been the liner look du saison in recent fashion months, but makeup artists and designers have so far been giving black eyeliner a kick up the bum for spring/summer 2018. Start practising your wings, flicks and general flourishes now to get ahead. Go bold and all-around the eye with a liquid in the spirit of makeup artist Diane Kendal at Marc Jacobs or Charlotte Tilbury at Versus Versace, coat winged black liner in glitter in the style of Pat McGrath at Tom Ford or opt for a subtle rounded “arrow” at the outer corners as head makeup artist Yadim did at Jason Wu (takes two secs). For something even fancier, add colour into the mix in the form of a flash of bright liquid liner below your black wing- see Tom Pecheux’s youthful update of a traditional cat eye at Oscar de la Renta. However you play it, black eyeliner has more edge than ever.
Marc Jacobs SS18
Glittery eyes
Topshop SS18
If you want to graduate from black liner in the playfulness stakes, glittery, glimmery eyes have been all over the shop for SS18. We say get in now so that you’re a pro at mermaid inspired eyes pre-festive season. Topshop lead makeup artist Lynsey Alexander recreated “the electric colours of the early nineties” in a hazy, haphazard yet beautiful way by highlighting lids with Topshop Beauty Chameleon Glow , £9.50, in green and pink hues (models alternated colourways) over lids, accompanied by a restrained sprinkling of glitter in the same shade family. Much of the eye look was a relaxed exercise in finger painting too, which makes it all the more appealing from where I’m standing.
Topshop SS18
Want to dabble in something more minimal yet arguably more striking? Get down to your local haberdashery and stick a few crystals along your bottom lid à la Kabuki for MAC Cosmetics at Jeremy Scott, or impersonate a clown (in a good way) with a stripe of silver glitter vertically on top and bottom lids as per Pat McGrath at Anna Sui. Pat used her Pat McGrath Labs ’ Dark Star 006 kit to achieve the ‘circus artist goes to space’ effect, with a dot of psychedelic silver at the inner corners to create wide-eyed impact. The delicate thin line (McGrath applied glitter with an eyeliner brush and sealed it with Elizabeth Arden’s cult Eight Hour Cream , £26) also makes the finished article ethereal rather than too ‘big tent ringleader’. The key in both cases is to keep the eye area otherwise bare and any additional makeup understated.
Post-facial face
Michael Kors SS18
Skincare may not be a trend, but it seems that sporting little else on the face, other than artfully layered soothing and radiance enhancing skin elixirs, is a seriously in-demand aesthetic. Emilia Wickstead recruited doctor led brand Zelens backstage this week, with fount of all skincare knowledge Caroline Hirons acting as expert facialist. The brief was “healthy, fresh-faced and tomboyish”, and Hirons achieved glowing results via a combo of gentle cleansing, acid exfoliation, a spritz of Z Balance Probiotic & Probiotic Spray (coming soon), dehydration busting eye cream and hydrating emulsion mixed with vitamin D enriched treatment drops. Add a ‘resistance application’ treatment method whereby models leant their faces into Caroline’s hands to ensure optimum take-up of product, plus a plumping Lip Treatment Oil , £40, to finish, and skin looked so juicy that makeup took a back seat.
Michael Kors’ SS18 show was also a masterclass in skin minimalism, with models of all ages and sizes wearing next to nothing (on faces at least), with sunkissed accents, brushed up brows and concealer applied sparingly where required by “no makeup” makeup artist extraordinaire Dick Page . Pass the sheet mask.
The trends to look at but...leave it there
Overdrawn lipstick
Helluvagirl SS18
We’re filing the ‘colour wheel’ lip at Helluvagirl under “don’t try this at home”. Or do, but don’t leave the house without having a bit of a clean-up around the lipline first. Just taking a gander at lead makeup artist Lisa Potter-Dixon ’s arm post-show will give you an idea of what you’re dealing with.
@Lisa_Benefit
It was messy, daring and ‘out-there’ to the extreme, which is just very London Fashion Week really, but you’ll need an arsenal of lipsticks to achieve anything like it, plus an explanation as to why you’re wearing them all at once, literally ALL over your mug.
Sequin mouth
@maccosmetics
Makeup artist Lucy Burt created fairy-like glitter lips at Shrimps’ for MAC Cosmetics, and they looked like modern art, but might make for sparkle all up in your grill issues. Any snack you attempt to eat would become glitter-fied, you’d likely spray glitter all over every conversation (not a bad thing but...inconvenient) and end up flossing sequins out of your teeth every evening. Spangly first-world problems right there, but we’re stashing this on ur fancy dress mood board and leaving it there for the foreseeable.