COLOUR COMMANDMENTS
This season, make-up artists saturated their brushes in colour and played with negative space.
1. Fade out
At Mary Katrantzou and Proenza Schouler the message was clear: an absence of colour is just as important as colour itself this season. Bleached brows at Proenza Schouler were complemented by white liner in the inner corners of the eyes for a desaturated look that simultaneously highlighted. If bleach is a little too much to begin with, channel make-up artist Lynsey Alexander’s efforts at Mary Katrantzou: she toned down brows by applying a gel a shade lighter than the models’ natural hair colouring for a finish that left brows faded rather than wiped out.
2. Peek-a-boo hues
If you can’t get your head around loud colours and statement saturation, the peek-a-boo colours at Alberta Ferretti and Balmain may be all the colour theory you need. Applied almost exclusively to the eyes by make-up artist Tom Pecheux, hints of colour peered out from behind achromatic smoky eyes. Dab golden yellow into the corners of the eyes or a fiery red across the lids before reaching for anything remotely resembling black.
3. The clash
Forgo complementary colours and opt instead for a mismatched contrast of shades you’ve been taught never to use all at once. Blue eyes and red lips made for a perfect pairing at Jason Wu and Anna Sui. At Oscar de la Renta, Pecheux decided the bigger the clash the better the outcome: eyes were coated in orange, aquamarine and mauve before a fuchsia flick was added to the lash line for an incompatible pop. To recreate this look, choose colours so wrong together they’re perfect for right now.
4. Trading places
Colour wove its way into hair backstage, turning natural tresses into statement-making accessories with a few neatly placed hairpieces. Ribbons, berets and bows were traded in by stylists at Versace, who layered vivid streaks of yellow, orange, blue and red hair into models’ messed-up manes. At Issey Miyake, a lock of straightened hair became a headband after it was wrapped around the head and painted glittering shades of blue, purple and green for a subtle take on the look.
5. Freehand
Draw outside the lines and play Picasso with freehand splashes of bold colour and painterly brushstrokes. At Mary Katrantzou, Alexander painted the inner and outer corners of the eyes with a slick of “Easter egg-y” pastel colour for a softer take on the beauty trend, while Pat McGrath explored the fine lines between fauvist colours, cubist abstraction and the freedom of the expressionists at Maison Margiela. The lesson here? Push your limits; don’t be afraid to blur the lines and paint it on.
6. Noncommittal nails
Can’t quite decide which lacquer you’re in the mood for? Not a problem, said the manicurists backstage at the autumn/winter ‘17/’18 shows: pick both. From half-moons at Moschino and Vivienne Westwood in neutral tones and neon brights to multi-coloured nail beds split down the middle, it is officially the season of the noncommittal nail colour. In other words, why pick one when you can mix and match to your heart’s content?
7. Cherry-picking
A cocktail of punchy shades should fill your colour arsenal this season and beyond – think lime liners, orange eyelids and berry-stained lips for a repertoire that takes inspiration from bright skins, juicy insides and tropical colours. Keep your finishes matt, choose hues that fall just short of fluoro and leave the rest of your skin untouched.
8. Geometry class
Make a quick study of the angled cat’s eyes and colourful forms that took shape at Prabal Gurung, Chanel and Tome. Dubbed “the banana” and painted into the curve of the eye socket, the look relies on negative space and a lack of colour as much as it does the eyecatching and coloured forms that follow the arc of your bone structure. “For this banana I start with a waxy black pencil and then I press my powder in with a flat-domed brush. Then I’ll get a loose fluffy brush and blend it out,” make-up artist Val Garland said of the black form that curled over lids at Julien McDonald. “Nothing under the eye – it’s this strong banana on the top,” she added. The takeaway? Go for one colour only and commit.