Get Rose Byrne's Calligraphy Eye Makeup
Kate Lee provides instruction on how to achieve a rule-breaking beauty look.
Photography By NAJ JAMAI
Written By CHRISTINA HAN
Hair By CERVANDO MALDONADO
Makeup By KATE LEE
Styled By PENNY LOVELL
Nails By STEPHANIE STONE
Facial symmetry has been the hallmark of beauty since the ancient Greek philosophers analyzed Helen of Troy’s perfectly proportioned features. The rule is that the more balanced the face is, the more attractive it’s deemed to be. But VIOLET GREY has never met a rule it didn’t delight in breaking, when the occasion calls for it.
For this month’s Beauty Test, British makeup artist Kate Lee suggests that the most powerful beauty statement is made with a singular swoop of eye liner. “The thinness of the line offers an effect that has quite a bit of lightness to it,” explains Lee of her lone zig-zag. “It’s an incredibly stylized look without having to wear too much makeup at all.” While Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Tuxedo, a creamy, long-lasting black, was used to create the decidedly mod-inspired eye, Lee encourages anyone who is willing to try the line to do so without pressure to create impossibly perfect squiggles. “The wonderful thing about makeup is that it comes off,” she ensures. “Just keep patient and have Q-tips and makeup remover at the ready”.
CALLIGRAPHY EYE LINER
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PRIME
To ensure the liner stays in place, dab a tiny amount of primer onto the center of the lid. Use your finger to tap out and blend the pigment across the rest of your eyelid.
LAURA MERCIER EYE BASICS IN WHEAT
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TOOL
The key to creating a fluid line is to select a brush with a synthetic, not-too-stubby tip. A thin, and slightly longer brush tip will allow for smoother mobility when creating rounded shapes, similar to that of a calligraphy brush.
CHANEL ULTRA FINE EYELINER BRUSH #13
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PREP
Then, gently spray the eye liner’s point with purified water. Dip the brush into the Caviar stick and test a line on the back of your hand. You will want a good, inky consistency and isn’t overly watery.
EAU THERMALE AVÈNE THERMAL SPRING WATER
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LINE
Start on the inner corner of the eye, where your lashes start to sprout, and draw a line to the outside edge. Instead of finishing the line in a traditional cat eye, swoop the edge out into a rounded shape. If you choose, continue the line along your socket, then circle back out from the inner socket and create a strike across your brow (just past the high-point of your arch).
LAURA MERCIER CAVIAR STICK EYE COLOUR IN TUXEDO
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CLEAN-UP
Correct and smooth lines with pointed cotton swabs dipped in a non-oil-based makeup remover. Cleansing waters tend to be ideal for this task as they will not dislodge pigment.
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LASH
Finish the look by first curling both sets of lashes, then applying a coat of glossy mascara like Serge Lutens Cils Cellophane, which employs a fine-toothed comb to reach the root of every lash. To balance the artful liner look, slightly smudge liner along the under the lower lash line, then apply a strip of faux lashes. Falsies are not necessary for the top lash, since they may obstruct the view of your work of art.
SERGE LUTENS CILS CELLOPHANE MASCARA
Learn how to achieve Rose Byrne’s Calligraphy Eye & more at VIOLETGREY.com.
