SUBTLE SHADE
Four beauty trends to steal from SA Fashion Week.
The SA Fashion Week AW23 collections were a celebration of statement silhouettes and garments bursting with colour, as seen on the runways of Munkus, The Bam Collective and Michael Ludwig Studio. But while we would have expected beauty looks to follow suit, the makeup choices were, in fact, subdued.
Quite a departure from the scenestealing Euphoria-style glittery eyes and kaleidoscopic use of colour that we’ve been seeing post-pandemic, this season’s beauty trends featured a simplified take on colour with only one main focal point and an emphasis on healthy-looking, pared-back skin.
ORANGE CRUSH
Seen at: Helon Melon, Michael Ludwig Studio, Essie Apparel
While the fashion world is crushing on shades of Valentino Pink and Bottega Veneta Green, it seems that juicy shades of orange rule in the beauty world. From neon tangerines to soft corals, splashes of orange could be found on eyelids, cheeks and lips. At Helon Melon, vibrant orange undertoned red lips (of the MAC Lady Danger variety) perfectly complemented cherry-tinted sunglasses. At the Michael Ludwig Studio show, orange was used as a graphic wash of neon tangerine tucked snuggly into the eye crease, set against clean skin and lips. And at the Essie Apparel show, it was all about diffused monochromatic washes of tangerine on the eyes, cheeks and lips that mimicked the look of softly sunflushed skin.
TICKLED PINK Seen at: The Bam Collective
The global obsession with pink is still on — and even more so now thanks to Valentino Pink, so we were not surprised to see a pink beauty moment at the Bam Collective show. As the perfect pairing to the vibrantly playful collection, models sported bright, candy pink shades worked into a halo of colour along the heights of the cheek bones, temples and eyelids. The look was given dimension with the use of layering, tonalities and finishes. The pink on the eyelids was packed on for a more saturated finish, while along the cheeks and temples it was blended into a diffused veil of colour and layered with dewy shine.
BLACKENED BERRY LIPS Seen at: DROMe, Ntando XV
Lips took a walk on the dark side at the DROMe and Ntando XV shows as models sported blackened berry lips in varying finishes and intensities.
At Ntando XV, model’s lips were generously coated as the main focal point, with a deep blackberry shade in a classic matte finish. At the DROMe (Fashion Bridges Ponti Della Moda) show, the makeup showcased a minimalistic and gender-fluid approach to anarchy and punk.
Both male and female models were sent out with lips drenched with gloss in a sheer, chocolate cherry shade that suited every skin tone, paired with lit-from-within skin and clear glossed eyelids. The absence of blush, mascara and colour on the lids gave a stark look to skin that was brought to life with glints from the lightreflecting gloss finishes.
MICRO-TREND
NOSTALGIC HEADSCARVES
Seen at: Helon Melon
Headscarves are the summer accessory we didn’t know we needed. But as the first model walked out at the Helon Melon show, headscarves that channel a 40s-50s aesthetic became a serious want. Helon Melon pulled us into a retro fantasy with models wearing headscarves wrapped around the head and neck reminiscent of movie stars riding in vintage convertibles with their scarves fluttering in the wind. When it comes to sporting this trend, go for bold, printed colourways and complete with a bold lip and a pair of statement sunnies.