And it’s a wrap! Another fashion week down, another decade shaven off my lifespan. All jesting aside, beauty observers were in for a sweet treat at Fyodor Golan: The sizzling salmon lashes were well worthy of a closing show.
Now, at first blush, you may think this blazing look – fun, flirty and fabulous it may be – would be much too much to pull off for us mere mortals. Not so. As head makeup artist for Digital Fashion Week Lan Nguyen-Greaslis would have it, the crazy coral lashes are actually almost embarrassingly easy to execute. Here’s how to pull off pink peepers with panache:
STEP 1. The precise pigments used for this particular show is a trade secret, but here’s a top tip if you’re up for a bit of DIY fun.
Think of applying colourful mascara as being analogous to dying your hair: You need to “bleach” off the base hue first. In this instance, this means layering on multiple coats of white mascara.
STEP 2. Follow-up question: Where on earth can I find white mascara? Simple: You make your own. Lan says this is a splendid opportunity to salvage pots of shattered eyeshadow; crumble a creamy colour (say, The Body Shop’s Colour Crush in Sugar Gaze) into a clean container, then mix in a bit of a “wet” binding agent like a translucent brow gel.
STEP 3. For the pink coloured pièce de résistance, do the same: Grab the brightest pink shadow you can get your paws on (for Fyodor Golan, the artists used Colour Crush in Berry Cheeky, but feel free to experiment) and combine it with the same clear gel.
STEP 4. Custom concoctions all ready? Good. Now use an old mascara spoolie to stir the contents into a snowy slurry, then use the same wand to wiggle the white paste onto bare lashes.
STEP 5. Once you’ve lacquered your first layer on, switch to a stiff shadow brush to “paint” on a second or third layer, over and above the hairs of your upper and lower lashes. The goal is to completely obscure the natural dark black of your lashes, so don’t fret if you see lumps and clumps.
STEP 6. Wait a beat or two for the wet white lashes to become somewhat tacky, then slick on the pink. Repeat the same steps above to make sure the white is evenly enveloped with the second colour.
Here’s a neat trick to nail the really punchy pop of pink you see here. Do as Lan does and position your shadow brush at a perpendicular angle to your lashes, then weave the bristles in and out of the hairs to separate them into strands: This builds body and lends a fantastic falsie effect that’s perfect for the take-no-prisoners look we’re gunning for here.
LIPS & CHEEKS
Eyes done? Congrats, you’re just about finished! Now, we’re going on the assumption that you’re boasting solid skincare credentials: Serum, emulsion, tinted moisturiser ... and that’s about it, really. Lan says this look calls for the lightest touch and the barest minimum – absolutely nothing at all, if you can help it.
Here’s why. For a really pleasing pop, you really do need to keep the rest of your face stripped down and more or less neutral – that means just a bit of mattifying primer on shine-prone zones, please. It might take some getting used to, but Lan says you’ll look many degrees more youthful if your visage isn't caked over with pancake product. Besides, the clean canvas serves as a foil for the really cool and rather busy eye effect we have going on.
Only concession: Concealer. If you have dark circles, warm up a bit of creamy concealer between your fingers, look down onto a mirror placed flat on a table to locate the crescent shaped shadow beneath your eye, then carefully pat in with your ring finger. Spread the wealth by using any remaining product on any visible blemishes, spots and such.
Now for a seriously cool sleight of hand: In lieu of a full-on highlighter, dab on a petroleum jelly-type product (try Body Shop’s skin-pampering Wild Argan Oil Solid Oil balm) on the inner eye corners, the cupids’ bow and along the highest plane of the cheekbones. The contrast between the glimmering “wetness” and the matte “dryness” of the nose and forehead gives your features a multidimensionality that’s very cool indeed – controlled shine, if you will.
Until next year, Lan. Best wishes on a speedy delivery, we’ll see you and your kiddo soon!
And that’s it! Ridiculously rad and so very simple, yes. An astounding reminder of the face painter’s power to thrill. “Eye” love it. Now, go out and paint the town pink!
For more information on The Body Shop, visit www.thebodyshop.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.
For more on Lan Nguyen-Greaslis, visit www.lan-makeup.com and follow Lan on Facebook and Twitter.