Butterflies take about two weeks to hatch from their chrysalis. Beauty enthusiasts too, spent quality quarantine time in silken cocoons of their own before re-emerging in similarly kaleidoscopic fashion—by putting their most optimistic, artfully glammed-up faces forward. Born out of creative experimentation, expression or escapism, many of these bold make-up looks reflect the autumn/winter 2020 runways, which were brimming with such exuberant energy that it seemed as if the fashion world knew to dial up the vibrancy to get us through the year.
Classic Blue, Pantone’s colour for 2020, had the most moments overall. At Tadashi Shoji, lead make-up artist Daniel Martin painted matte electric blue streaks across models’ lids that could be spotted from a mile away, but up close, revealed the intricacy of brush strokes. While at Prabal Gurung and Miu Miu, fresh washes of cyan, cerulean and cobalt all the way up the brow bone were punctuated by elongated winged eyeliner.
Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette in 279 Denim; Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick in Tang Thang; Sephora Collection Volume On Mascara in 02 Navy Blue On!; Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in Pillow Talk; Sunnies Face Airblush in Peached; Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Chaos; Nars Cosmetics Single Eyeshadow in Persia
Create blue eye looks with depth and dimension using Dior’s 5 Couleurs Couture eyeshadow palette in 279 Denim, which epitomises the casual-chic attitude of jeans with five fine, creamy powders enriched with aloe vera and pine oil for extra luscious application. Amplify the cool hue with sharp blue liner or dust on some metallic green eyeshadow for jewel-toned ombre lids inspired by the dramatic eyes at Altuzarra—take a cue from make-up maestro Tom Pecheux and finish with a feline flick. Charlotte Tilbury’s Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Rebel features a sensual quartet of olive greens, azure and a sparkling rose gold, while Huda Beauty’s Obsessions Precious Stones Eyeshadow Palette in Topaz offers nine matte and shimmery textures for maximum orange impact—less adventurous but no less impactful hues can also be found in Tilbury’s Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in Pillow Talk.
Pops of neon also made an impact at MSGM in the form of coral-red lids, while at Self-Portrait, make-up artist Lauren Parsons swiped on artful blocks of tangerine eyeshadow to contract glowing, foundation-free skin courtesy of Skin Inc’s latest Serum Glow Filter to highlight complexions. Not only does this hydrating gel brighten skin and blur imperfections with light reflecting technology and pearl capsules, it plumps and primes the face for smoother make-up application of all kinds of products, including Nars Cosmetics’ Single Eyeshadow in Persia, a silky matte orange hue for a graphic, monocolour lid.
A more pared down take on bright minimalism hit differently at Ulla Johnson and Off-White, where radiant faces were accented with fluorescent lashes in blue, turquoise and hot pink mascara—coat yours with Shiseido’s ControlledChaos MascaraInk in 02 Sapphire Spark or Sephora Collection’s Volume On Mascara in 02 Navy Blue On! for equal impact.
And in celebration of Rixo’s collaboration with Christian Lacroix, Nars’ global make-up artist, Vincent Ford, married signature bright hues with a couture sensibility for tricoloured draping on cheeks using a fusion of coral- fuchsia blushes. We put our own spin on things with Sunnies Face’s Airblush in Peached. Lips too, got the bubblegum treatment with decadent slicks of peachy balms. Fenty Beauty’s Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick in Tang Thang is the perfect finishing touch to a fresh, vivid face—an easy focal point for you to make an all-in-one vibrant, juicy statement.
Photographer: Agnes Lloyd-Platt
Hair: Roku / whiteSTOUT
Make-up: Sada Ito / Donna
Stylist: Miyuki Uesugi / 3rd
Model: Hikari Mori / Image
Set design: Shizuka Aoki / TRON Management
