Where to look for makeup ideas: from everyday to eccentric
One side, the question of where to look for make-up ideas is very simple - anything can spur the imagination, so you need to look around with interest. Make-up artist Ekaterina Stolbova, who often works with Wonderzine, says that even a spring trickle can inspire, but for those who have not yet reached such a level, we tell you where to look when you want to make up in a new way.
There are not so many constants in make-up, and images of celebrity are one of them. With the exception of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicky Minaj and a couple of other women, celebrities do not often rush to experiment with their appearance, so their photos from the red tracks (at least from the recent Oscars) can be accessed as a catalog. Moreover, most often the actresses and singers choose conventional images, which can be repeated without fear: makeup artists balance dark lipstick and false eyelashes so that the face looks most attractive. Make-up that adorns the face can be seen on Beyonce, Leah Seydou, Emma Watson and other stars for whom self-expression through cosmetics does not come first.
The perfect way to put your hand in these make-ups is to turn to video tutorials of makeup artists working with stars. Lisa Elridge, who has recently become the creative director of Lancôme, is the ideal teacher even for a beginner. In the "everyday looks" section, she has 42 video tutorials on how to do a discreet make-up (completely natural or with neat accents like a black arrow), disguise acne or make up your face with obvious signs of aging. Lisa explains everything in detail and slowly, passing along a bunch of life hacks, which may not be known to beginners.
Natural makeup, as we have said, is a separate category. All that is in the interval between the smeared redness and make-up with a dozen natural shades, most perceives as a minimal make-up (if they notice it at all). The main difficulty in finding inspiration for such images is that they, like no other, derive from the characteristics of a particular person (as they are intended to make it “better”), which means that general recommendations are useless; in fashion shoots, models with “bare” faces look like it is impossible to calculate the technique or the means by which they were painted. The blessing of the brand from year to year creates so many new tools with improved textures that you can be inspired by the cosmetics itself - in practice it is difficult to tame a specific “can”, and therefore it is interesting.
However, some public figures may be more inspiring. The already mentioned Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj also love to look emphatically feminine, but they are not averse to wearing black or blue lipstick or beautifully smearing her face with paint. We consider their images to be optimal in order to start moving out of the comfort zone: most of them differ from “ordinary” make-up with a single accent that cannot make it in a bad way strange (in the conventional wisdom). This makeup is now very popular, indie-brand cosmetics especially support it; In the end, the Hollywood image with green lipstick instead of red is exactly what the same Melt is broadcasting. For those who like this, we recommend subscribing to instagrams @moisesartnyc, @vladamua, @lindahallbergs, @limecrimemakeup and @annakarinhell. The authors of the first two especially love experimenting with lipsticks and lips: if the former, in addition to working as a makeup artist, paints pictures with them, the latter lately makes his mouth the main focus, sticking sparkles on his lips, putting roses on them and changing the natural shape. Linda Hollberg, Anna-Karin Hell and many of the ever-changing instagram heroes of Lime Crime began with typical “female” make-ups, but now they have gone a little to the side and are experimenting with red shadows, brown lipstick and sparkles, while retaining their appeal.
But, as you can tell from our most recent shootings in the “Beauty” section, we are most interested in strange makeup. By such we mean those in which the makeup artist does not try to make a person as beautiful as possible, but seeks to express his character or current mood. The most interesting thing is that since no one knows what your makeup should look like, you can do it as your heart desires - and even if something does not work out, you can always pretend that this was intended. If you also want to be painted so as to please yourself, and not others, we recommend to pay attention to the magazines Novembre, Love, Another, i-D and, for example, Pop. Of course, the works of Isamayi Ffrench do not always appear in them, but the general message corresponds. So, in Novembre, both basic makeup and uncompromising may appear; Love most often pushes it from the character of the cover (as was the case with the transgender model Lea T), but sometimes expressive figures are given out. i-D in the spirit of pictures (or rather, make-up) is closer to typical glossy magazines, albeit with humor, while Pop is not afraid of anyone and likes to support a variety of styles and characters.
Another thing to remember is the names of cool make-up artists and from time to time to view their shootings on Instagram or Pinterest (the last network is a storehouse of really cool pictures, you just need to know what to look for). Makeup artists Iryna Grishina and Yekaterina Stolbova are named Pat McGrath and Alex Box. Pat worked with Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Gucci, Dior and a number of other houses, and her favorite partner was photographer Stephen Meisel, whom she met in the early 90s (now he rarely shoots without her). McGrath is one of the most famous and sought-after makeup artists, and we love her for the fact that she can handle all the craziest requirements of the designer and produce at least Pharaoh. Alex Box is the creative director of the fearless brand Illamasqua; she worked with McQueen, Pugh, Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, and art education and love for everything new give her, in Boxing’s own words, “endless possibilities for transformation.”
Among the names that you definitely need to know, we would add Peter Phillips, Tom Pesho and Val Garland. Phillips worked until recently for Chanel - both at shows and on cosmetics collections - but a year ago he moved to Dior. His handwriting from this, it seems, has not changed much, and we are only glad - few people can create equally minimalist but strong images. Tom Pesho, on the other hand, replaced Phillips with Chanel; he already has a strong cooperation with the brand (Pesho has been working with Estée Lauder for many years), and you shouldn't be afraid of monotony - Tom is also tempered by working at fashion weeks. And behind Val Galland, dozens of images of Vivienne Westwood models (usually they are the most “blown up”, but it’s not without reason that MAC took Val into their team) and even more shootings for various magazines.
Of course, there are not so many big professionals in fashion, as in any other field, and famous makeup artists, photographers and models work for publications and projects of sometimes diametrical directions. Therefore, we see it more effective to keep track of specific names - the same Pat McGrath is so ahead of the rest of the planet that any of her work deserves attention.
