Young, Wild and Free: Avant-Garde Beauty Looks Straight From Fall/Winter 2019

MAKE A SPLASH

Imagine coming out victorious after surviving the most intense of paintball matches. This fall, we are given incentive to start wearing inky remnants on our faces with pride. Collina Strada and Three As Four, pulled off the tie- dye effect by haphazardly brushing vividly coloured cream across the lids, brows and cheekbones. Meanwhile, Eckhaus Latta and Vivienne Westwood broke out the airbrush machine and had their models’ faces covered in painterly smudges of multi-coloured pigments and scintillating gold glimmer respectively.

DISCO FEVER

While the glitter trend may elicit a been-there-done-that reaction, this round’s take on the sparkly particles is most definitely not for the faint of heart. Take Ashish and Rodarte, for instance. Both labels packed big punches with show-stopping monochromatic glitter-lid-and-lips combos. At Halpern, chunky coats of gold leaf extending from the lids to brows gave off disco diva vibes. Not feeling maximalist glam? Then consider Dries Van Noten’s simpler ‘leftover makeup’ look by dabbing flecks of gold and silver sparingly across the lid.

ULTRA VIOLET

If you’re expecting blue eyeshadow to reign as the undisputed rule-breaking shade of the season, think again. Instead, rich washes of purple now take its place as worthy contenders. Over at Michael Kors and Tomo Koizumi, we could not help but feel a tinge of nostalgia as peepers were given the retro treatment with a cloud of iridescent violet encircling the lids. For a more three dimensional glam punk look, take cues from Chromat and Iceberg where purple shadow was diffused around the eyes before a final sweep of hot pink eyeliner was done on either above or below the lash line.

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE

The sultry “bitten lips” effect achieved through the natural gradation of merging two complementary shades is undoubtedly a trend we have grown accustomed to in recent times. And that’s why we’re fully on board with the funkier version of the Korean- style gradient lips as seen at Alice + Olvivia, Chalayan, Matty Bovan and Mugler. Amp up the wow factor when you swipe on a darker wine-hued lipstick before adding a splash of brighter, clashing pigment at the very center of your pout.

JAZZY LASHES

Coloured mascara is evidently another fun way to interject a full spectrum of electrifying hues to the eye area. Vibrant neon lashes took centre stage over at Manish Arora and Marios as models’ lashes were saturated in bright pops of colours. Another way to step up your mascara game? Try colour- blocking your lashes à la Genny and Vivetta. This involves the unusual yet highly impactful technique of mixing and matching the shades of your top lash with frosted white bottom lashes.

FLUTTERY FANCY

Over the top appears to be the only way one should wear their lashes this season. Turning to Twiggy for inspiration, Dior resorted to drawing thick vertical lines on the bottom lashes in chunky black liner while Brandon Maxwell artfully combined heavy mascara with ’60s graphic lower lashes. Equally memorable was the meticulous attachment of white feathery plumes on the crease of the lid at Peter Pilotto as well as Giambattista Valli’s unique framing of the eyes in black and white lines before placing a silver strip of false lash to the lower lids.

ANTI-BROW

What could possibly be a bigger statement maker than well-groomed brows? Going brow-less. Yes, you heard us. The makeup teams for Prada, Emporio Armani, Altuzarra and Richard Malone were fierce wielders of bleach — lightening brow hairs behind the scenes and turning them almost invisible. Doing so allowed for the other makeup features to shine through, resulting in an overall look that’s dramatic yet hauntingly beautiful. If you are already a proud owner of naturally blonde or light-coloured brows, rocking this trend will be a piece of cake.

OUTSIDE THE LINES

Just when we thought we’ve seen everything there is to offer from last season’s art of eye-lining, fall is here to prove that freestyle lines still have the potential to be wilder and bolder than before. Whether you’re emulating Arthur Arbesser’s creative blue squiggles over the crease; Moon Young Hee’s exaggerated winged eyeliner look; or 3.1 Phillip Lim’s deconstructed white dashes across the eye area, one thing that definitely holds true is that a few well-placed abstract lines over an almost bare face can go a long way.