5 Scene-Stealing Beauty Lessons From Couture Fashion Week
This week in Paris, the couture collections brought unabashed boldness back into the beauty game. With the season’s characteristically unrestricted silhouettes came compelling makeup applied to steal shine—whether from overhead lights, as seen on holographic pouts at Maison Margiela, or the ensembles themselves, accents of pretty pink played off the flouncy feather hats at Valentino and the rose-adorned veils at Chanel. And yet, rather than being retro, the most noteworthy moments zoomed brazenly forward: Feline flicks of liner were turned graphic and deeply saturated; subtle shots of sparkle were exchanged for exaggerated pressings of glitter. Likewise, those who will forever favor a less-is-more approach are in luck, for it seems well-tended skin is eternally in. Here, five innovative beauty looks primed to pioneer a visual voyage into the future.
Go Big With Glitter…
At Viktor and Rolf, makeup artist Peter Phillips played up the collection’s heavy, intriguingly textured geometrics with stenciled applications of glitter at the eyes, the coatings of which alternated between black, burnished, and blue. The antidote to all things demure, each linear encasing offered a disco-ready frame bound to infuse any look with a bit of a Blade Runner edge.
…or Strip It Down and Put Your Facialist on Speed Dial
Conversely, clean, dewy skin stole the scene at both Giambattista Valli and Schiaparelli, where seemingly air-dried lengths skirted naked complexions, each exuding that come-as-you-are glow that makeup just can’t mimic. Know that this is a look you’re going to have to work for.
Test-Drive the New Cat-Eye
While wings of onyx make for a kittenish quality, this season’s extended eyes were designed with a wildcat in mind. Structured swipes of deep verdant and glazed cobalt infused Givenchy’s otherwise fresh-faced cadre with a freckling of high-impact pigment, while models at Ronald van der Kemp presented an assortment of flicks: two-toned, over-the-top, sharp, and hazy—a cacophony of cat eyes, if you will. Finally, at Dior, masks crafted by Stephen Jones edged vine-inspired liner, feathered to echo lashes as it twined around each gaze to mesmerizing effect.
Think Pink
Throughout the week, pink was couture’s warmest color, casting street style and shows alike with a dose of petal-pulled allure. And above the neck, the pigment popped best from lip level, finishing would-be dramatic beauty looks with a hint of buoyancy. Chanel’snoir veils were afforded a garden party appeal with blooms and a burst of poppy pink glossed across pouts, as the high-drama headwear at Valentino was tempered by an equally quirky swipe of lavender pink lipstick—an aesthetic best demonstrated by Kaia Gerber’s head-to-toe moment.
Get Ready for Holographic Makeup
Leave it to Pat McGrath and John Galliano to dream up one of fashion’s first iPhone-inspired looks. The runway at Maison Margiela saw a bevy of iridescence designed to switch shades at every turn—one breathtaking beauty moment after another. McGrath applied holographic edgings along the jawline and forehead to mimic a bionic being; metallic coated lips topped with a reflective layering of geometrics served as the beauty mic drop of the season.
