The Cruise Runway Beauty Report
The runway beauty looks at the recent Cruise Collection shows can be best summarised in two words: feline-flicked liners. While Chanel was notably the first to kickstart the trend, Louis Vuitton was quick to follow suit, with Valentino being the latest to hop on the bandwagon. They all proved one thing – cat eyeliners are the new black.
Read on below for a breakdown of the runway-ready looks spotted at this season's Cruise collections.
Considering the diversity of influences Pierpaolo Piccioli took inspiration from, Valentino managed to strike a perfect intersection between hip-hop, atheleisure, and romance to create a runway look that was pure magic. Conceptualised by Pat McGrath, the models were given a cat-eye kohl winged liner –seemingly as a tribute to the bold attitude of hip-hop culture – while also accentuating and complementing the house’s romantic codes, giving it a look of sophistication.
A radiant, lustrous complexion was in order to let the eyes do all the talking. Brows were lightly defined to give the face more structure and proportion, and the natural hue of the lips was lightly enhanced with a nude with a subtle pink undertone lip colour.
(Image from Instagram/@maisonvalentino)
Using the Burberry Effortless Eyebrow Definer, define the brows with soft, feathery strokes to add dimension to the face.
Map out the outline of the cat eye with the Hourglass Voyeur Waterproof Liquid Liner using dotted lines, starting from the edge of the eyes, connecting it to the front of the eyes. Then, with precision, slowly fill in the gap.
Finally, apply the Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Plummy Rose and blot it softly on the lips for a soft and natural sheen.
The Italian fashion house goes back to basics, taking the showcase of their Cruise Collection back to their hometown of Florence, in the grandeur of the Palazzo Pitti.
While the collection embodies the voices of the Renaissance ages alongside the vibrancy of 60s-inspired fashion, reinforcing Alessandro Michele's philosophy of maximalism (more is more), the beauty look achieved the exact opposite effect.
Makeup maestro, Yadim (renowned for the likes of his work ranging from Lady Gaga's iconic Applause cover art to the advertising campaigns of numerous fashion houses such as Dior, DKNY and of course Gucci) echoes the concept of "less is more" with clear, clean satiny skin, delicately blushed cheeks, lightly glossy eyelids and slightly tinted nudey-pink lips.
The contrast between the maximalism of the designs and the minimalism of the looks harmonises, effectively reflecting the beauty and polish of the renaissance era.
To illuminate and lift the complexion, apply the Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base in Nude Radiance (Golden Radiance if you're of a darker skintone) at the high points of the face.
To give your that lips that subtle, healthy-looking hue, blot the NARS X Charlotte Gainsbourg Lip Tint in Éphélide lightly on the lips.
For a youthful flush on the cheeks, apply the Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop at the apples of the cheeks.
Nicolas Ghesquière has always been vocal about his his love affair with Japan, therefore it is no surprise that the country’s culture served as the key inspiration for Louis Vuitton Cruise 2018.
Influenced by emblematic elements of Japanese culture – the iconic Japanese samurai, the artistry of kabuki makeup and kabuki masks – Pat McGrath left subtlety at the door, taking graphic liner and brows to a whole new level with ombre feline-flicked liner reaching the temples and bold, samurai-inspired arched brows that brilliantly captured the essence of the Japanese aesthetics.
Using the Shu Uemura Painting Liner in M Black and an angled eyeliner brush, map out the outline of the liner from the edge of the eyes to the temples, dragging the line down towards the front of the eyes, stopping midway. Fill in the gap, and concentrate the product starting from the end of the liner, spread the remaining product left in the brush towards the front of the eyes, to create an ombre effect.
If you wish to go a step further, the Kat Von D Pastel Goth Eyeshadow Palette and the Marc Jacobs Air Blush in Night Fever and Hot Stuff will come in handy.
For the drapping blush effect, run the blush down the temples and the cheekbones. Alternatively, if you wish to opt for a purple colour, use the shade, "Meow" from the eyeshadow palette, and apply the product along the temples and the crease of the eyes.
Miuccia Prada has always been known for putting a contemporary twist on traditional styles. The Cruise Collection by the house of Prada did not disappoint, using metallics, pastels, lace and sequinned pieces juxtaposed against athletic-inspired sportswear – a classic example of femininity with a modern twist.
On the other hand, the beauty looks created by Pat McGrath were neither under-shadowed by nor overshadowed by the collection. Sporting the classic summer makeup, the looks on models were characterised by fresh, glowy skin with minimal-to-no eye makeup and lashes coated with abundance of mascara for length and volume. And to balance out the minimalism, a bold pop of matte crimson was perfectly carved out on the lips.
Apply generous coats of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara to the lashes to give it the appearance of length and volume.
Highlight the high points of face using the Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up! Highlighter to illuminate as well as bring depth and dimension to the face.
Carefully line and carve out the lips with the NARS Velvet Matte Lip in Dragon Girl. Then, fill in the remaining areas in the lips and go over the entire lips a few times to achieve a maximum opacity.
DIOR
Channelling the dynamics of the Wild West, Dior’s Cruise Collection caught our attention with its contrasting subtle beauty look on the runway.
Drawing inspiration from the rich, earthy tones of the Californian desert, Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup, Peter Philips created a natural and warm makeup look to suit the rustic concept of the show. The eyes were washed over with a earthy-brick colour in the crease, the lips were given a polished-looking sheen, the complexion was perfected yet natural, giving it the appearance of a health.
With the Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow Palette in Inflame, apply and blend the warm-brick colour on the centre of the eyelid well, to get a natural and sheer effect.
To add colour and life to the cheeks, apply the NARS Blush in Orgasm, softly running the product down to the cheekbones.
Finally, dab the Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Sugar Pop on the lips to get a hint of colour, and enhance the natural hue of your lips.
The house of Chanel channeled Karl Lagerfeld’s subversive and romanticised version of Greece, infusing the designer’s preferred influences of Greek culture into the Cruise Collection.
Hellenic influences are pervasive across the collection – from the adornments and decorations of ruins to the Grecian-inspired headpieces and accessories and not forgetting, the beauty looks reminiscent of a Greek Goddess.
Models at the show personified the signature features of the Greek-Egyptian beauty icon, Cleopatra: lightly bronzed, luminous skin, muted nude lips, and a feline-flicked black liner, slightly smoked out around the duct, upper and lower lash lines and waterlines, letting the eyes be the ones to speak a thousand words.
Read Get The Look: Backstage At The Chanel 2018 Cruise Show for a more in-depth guide to recreate this look.
