Drama Queen

The holiday party season makes for the perfect time to reject the nude and embrace the bold. These striking looks work effortlessly, and the results are magnificent.

It’s time to look at red, black and nude tones differently, and explore colours in a new way. For a while now, makeup hasn’t been about camouflage, but about expression, to bring forth a deeper aspect of your personality. Almost like makeup goes hand in hand with freedom, working as a manifestation of your lifestyle. How? “Add dimension to your face not by creating lines but by creating intensity and texture,” says Mickey Contractor, Director of Makeup Artistry, M·A·C India. Use this textture and intensity to highlight the parts of your face. The undereye area, which most women are so reluctant to explore, is coming into the forefront with metallic touches, adding a sort of industrial look.

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This new approach to make-up has a strong personality. It’s all about experimenting with and superimposing textures.” For instance, a super matte texture at the centre of the face and a glossy vinyl look on the eyelids. In order to add dimension to a face, one must use natural shades. Maybe explore the different undertones of the skin. “Play with beiges, nude browns, peach and dusky pink to add depth without too much colour,” says Contractor. “Remember, you aren’t painting on canvas. You’re redefining an individual.” On the lips, the reds used are usually very deep—more blood red than glamorous red. “Bordeaux and black could be added to a basic red to break the conventional codes of lip colour,” Contractor explains. “The corners of the lips are shaded with black, burgundy or a berry red. A bit of shadow work is done, starting from the centre of the lips, moving outwards, for a pouty effect.”

Makeup by Dior: Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Black, Dior Noir Diorshow Art Pen Black kohl pencil, Dior 3 Couleur Palette Smosky Smoky Black.

Makeup by Chanel, using Teint Perfection Lumière Les Beiges N0 30, and Lèvres Rouge Profond pencil, Allure Pirate lipstick.

Fake eyelashes, Shu Uemura and sequins, Make Up For Ever.

Makeup by M·A·C Cosmetics, using foundation Mineralize SPF15 NC20, gloss Crème Brilliance Fuchsia, pencil Chromographic NW25/NC30 and Dazzleglass Moth to Flame.

Pictured: 1. Venere 236 lipstick, Dolce & Gabbana, ₹2,500 approximately. 2. Mysterious Red lip pencil, Nars, ₹2,100 approximately. 3. Yeux Graphic 4 Couleurs Violet Smoky Palette, Sephora, ₹1,500 approximately. 4. Ecstasy lipstick, Giorgio Armani, ₹2,600 approximately. 5. Khôl Diorshow Mascara, Dior, ₹2,600 approximately. 6. Phyto Lip Gloss No8 Pink, Sisley, ₹2,900 approximately.

Pictured: 1. The Foundation Natural Glow 100, Dolce & Gabbana, ₹4,200 approximately. 2. Eyeshadow Essentielle Gri-Gri, Chanel, ₹2,400 approximately. 3. DiorShow Fusion Mono Lune, Dior, ₹2,600 approximately. 4. Blush Embellisseur L’Orchidée Rose, Sisley, ₹5,800 approximately. 5. Gloss Dior Addict 364, Dior, ₹1,700 approximately.

Photographs by Baard Lunde. Still lifes by Stefano Bianchi. Make-up by Damian Garozzo. Model: Katya G (Karin Models).

From the December 2013 issue of L’Officiel India.