Pat McGrath, shares her professional experiences as Max Factor’s Global Creative Design Director, for spring summer beauty trends for great lips and fresh skin.
Pat McGrath is an internationally renowned make-up artist whose work has shaped looks for major shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris. As the Global Creative Design Director for Max Factor, she has created make-up looks for the spring summer 2010 season including looks that bring out the best for skin and lips.
Lips: The Impact Lip – matte v shine
“Lipstick, when it’s worn as a statement in its own right looks really fresh and young,” comments Pat. This season the focus is on opposing textures as shine- and matte-finished lips compete for attention.
For shine, at Prada, Pat used a vermillion orange shade, pumped up and glossed to stand out against the neutral-coloured clothes. A dual approach of ‘top lip matte and bottom lip glossy’ at Rochas added to the naïve theme for the make-up she used Max Factor colour collection lipstick in intensely red for the top lip – bottom lip stained the same colour glossed lightly with a slick of Lipfinity top coat.
For matte, shows including Bottega Veneta, with looks inspired by karate uniforms, demanded a touch of provocative glamour. “We painted the lips a matte fuchsia, bleached the brows and left the skin looking clean to make the lips stand out even more,” says Pat. Elsewhere there were plump red pouts for Dolce & Gabbana and Pat produced the red-lipped Lauren Bacall look for Dior.
Try it yourself – tips from Caroline Barnes
• You don’t need to decide immediately whether you prefer a shine or matte finish as a topcoat of gloss can easily make the transformation for you.
• Start by creating a perfect lip shape using a Max Factor Lip Liner in a shade that matches your lipstick.
• Begin by sketching in the lip line, then stand back to check the shape.
• Next, apply Lipfinity to the upper lip for a long-lasting velvet finish. Then paint the bottom lip but add a high gloss finish using the moisturising topcoat.
SUPER SAVVY TIP: A slightly lighter shade will give the illusion of fuller lips while a darker liner will do the opposite
Skin: Baby Fresh
Pat explored the themes of freshness and simplicity at shows including Stella McCartney, where a dewy, natural complexion reinforced the idea of a ‘new confidence’. For Calvin Klein Pat gave the girls a shiny nude, futuristic finish, achieved using just moisturiser and no foundation. At Gucci too, skin was lightly glossed to a natural sheen.
Pat’s new feeling for simplicity – what she calls ‘stepping away from the rules’ leaves room to play with formulations that leave skin looking bare, but beautified. Max Factor’s Second Skin Foundation provides the perfect combination of ‘reveal and conceal’ that’s vital to keeping skin looking alive. With Pat’s favoured Miracle Touch Creamy Blush to add a subtle flush of colour, plus Colour Precision Eye shadow in tonal Pearl Beige, the complexion is desirably ‘underdressed’.
Try it yourself – tips from Caroline Barnes
• Max Factor’s Second Skin delivers just the right amount of coverage with a neutral transparency that lets the natural texture and luminosity of skin shine through.
• To apply, place dots of foundation along the central panel of the face – the forehead, nose, cheeks and chin, and blend with fingertips outwards.
• Take care to work colour into the corners of the nose, as these can often be slightly red, the inner corners of the eyes and beneath the eyes as well the crease of the chin.
• Take a step back and see if any areas need further coverage and then work on these.
• Use your foundation lightly and blend well (a sweep over with a foundation brush gives the most perfect finish) there will be little chance of tell tale tidemarks.
• Bring back the colour to cheeks using Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush, a sheer, blendable formula that makes light work of application. Find the fullest part of the cheeks by smiling then blend colour using the warmth of the fingertips.
SUPER SAVVY TIP: For summer, a light flush of colour across the bridge of the nose and on the brow bones gives a sun-kissed look.