Nude No More: Dior's Peter Philips Brings Color Back

An editorial in V magazine, issue 94 (Photo: Richard Burbridge)

Nude makeup may be dominating the runways and the red carpet, but Peter Philips, the new creative and image director of Dior makeup, is making a strong case for bright colors this spring. In the latest issue of V magazine, issue 94 on newsstands now, he used shocking shades on the models’ faces, framing each page with only one Dior color. “I envisioned how a child plays with finger paint,” he told writer Nicole Cantanese. ”I wanted each page to make a color statement with the styling, and then have the models’ faces popping out so that there was almost no background.”

For those willing to go bold, these shocking shades don’t have to be high-maintenance. “It’s almost naïve makeup—to cover the face and just do one thing—it’s not about shading or highlights,” says Phillips. “It’s actually very raw in a way. The styling and the texture make a statement… it’s all about ’80s color. It’s about playing with color and then focusing on a feature—one element.” Phillips’ efforts to bring color back into our makeup palettes is admittedly a refreshing and much-needed break from another taupe eye shadow or nude lip.

Photo spread inside V magazine’s issue 94 (Photo: Richard Burbridge)

Here’s how to imitate the look for his introductory Resort 2015 collection: “Using Dior Show Pro Liner in pro black (a Philips brainchild, available June 2015), I drew a stark line strictly in the center of the models’ upper and lower lash lines and precisely layered catwalk black mascara on the lashes within its confines. Coming back on the lash line, I applied jumbo glitter and it created this spotlight effect just under the eye.”

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