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Considering it’s the one week in the fashion calendar where more is more is more is not only lauded but encouraged; it comes as no surprise that the beauty of Haute Couture week also summons a certain kind of extravagance. But living up to the sumptuous, seemingly impossible couture creations of Giambattista Valli, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Karl Lagerfeld and co. is no mean feat., and in this respect, beauty needs to hit a haute level entirely of its own. To simply coexist with the masterful creations of each given design house is a mighty task; to not overshadow its designs even greater, and herein lies the challenge Couture makeup and hair beholds: a delicate dance of rising to the spectacle yet not surpassing its drama.
The houses of Chanel, Christian Dior, Armani Privé, Alexis Mabelle and Dundas did this spectacularly well, carving a beauty look, that despite being steeped in drama, did not overshadow the theatrics of their design, rather complemented (the true function of runway makeup and hair). Be it with smoked-out reds, shocking neon pinks or deep midnight blues – eyes were shaped and shaded with both colour and art in a way that extolled the couture fantasy.
Here, the most spectacular statement eyes of Spring 2019 Couture.
Smokey Midnight blue At Chanel
Lucia Pica smudged out deep petrol blues for Chanel’s ideal paradiso in Paris, inking Chanel Beauty Stylo Ombre et Contour in Bleu Nuit around model eyes with drama. She then took a fluffy brush and blended the rich teal hue into a fuzzy haze just shy of the brow bone, creating a crescent-like shape which continued under the eye. A wiggle of Le Volume Révolution, skin touch ups with La Palette Essentielle and a bold lick of Rouge Allure Liquid Powder Invincible completed the look.
beautiful Clown drops at Christian dior
At Dior, Peter Philips played on the performative makeup of a clown, rendering it with a delicate fragility and beauty. Circling the eyes with Diorshow On Stage Liner in Matte Black, Philips then dragged a soft line downwards in line with the pupil with a Pierrot-like effect. Favouring punk over perfection, he blurred out the edges which were too sharp with a level of conscious imperfection.
bold red lines at Armani Privé
To match the spectacular violet and lacquer red trimmings of Armani Privé’s couture collection, a thick red eyeliner by Armani Beauty was painted below the bottom lash line. Almost watercolour and blotchy in finish, the chunky red line traced the entire lower lash line but was slightly irregular and bulbous at points, making it all the more dramatic.
sweeping neon pink at Alexis Mabille
Neon pink eyeshadow was smudged and smoked from the very centre of the eye all the way up to the brow bone and beyond by Lloyd Simmonds for M.A.C Cosmetics, it was a coloured smokey eye executed with brilliance.
powerful panda eyes at Dundas
Leave it to Charlotte Tilbury to take the panda eye and make it sexy, and this is exactly what she did at Peter Dundas’ Couture show in LA some two weeks ago (he cheekily went off schedule). Circling the entire eye with a chunky black rim, the bold black eye took centre stage on an otherwise nude face.
Tile and Cover Image: Instagram, @armani
