The anti-socials
MANILA, Philippines – Social media has saturated the beauty industry to the point of rebellion, as is evident in the makeup trends that stand out for spring/summer 2016. Those makeup transformation videos, oddly satisfying as they are to watch, are recipes for achieving a specific type of beauty that this season vehemently rejects. This type of beauty — brows so done, you might as well stick a fork in them, angular faces by way of painted-on light and shadow, perfect lips and perfect eyes all on the same canvas — sits it out this season, to make way for a rawness that has gone MIA from our lives.
With skincare becoming more and more an obsession for many women, wearing makeup that flaunts or enhances the results of a painstaking regimen is a natural beauty progression. This season’s trends, a mix of ‘80s playfulness and ‘90s abandon, mirror our shared fixation on youthfulness. Strong brows are conveyed through a healthy fullness, instead of with severe shapes. Carving and sharpness are replaced with brightness and plumping. The overprocessed finish is abandoned for the so-called natural look — the holy grail of beauty, made possible with the right tools. This way we all look like ourselves, even as we embrace trends.
“It’s about rejecting the idea that beauty can be a ‘recipe,’” says MAC’s Terry Barber.
“It’s like a punk attitude in that it’s a backlash, this rallying against ‘social media makeup.’ It just feels newer to not overthink and overwork things,” adds Val Garland.
The result of this reboot, which is somewhat of a cycle that happens while the year is fresh and new, is the philosophy of “all or nothing” in beauty.
For spring/summer 2016, MAC divides trends into two. All: bold, brave and standout makeup accents that decorate a clean canvas. Nothing: a face that’s well-groomed, almost with an athletic spirit, and thus healthy-looking. What these trends have in common is anyone can wear them anywhere. As Romero Jennings points out, “The concept of runway-to-reality feels old now. The most important thing now is individualism and makeup that translates straight to the street.”
A L L
Crayon
“There’s nothing retro or nostalgic about these bright colors or their placement,” says Terry Barber. Crayola-like spectrum pigments applied with spontanety make this look modern and straightforward.
Gareth Pugh | Marques’Almeida | Manish Arora
Aquatic
International Klein Blue and its close relatives are the eye color of the season. This true cobalt blue has a richness to it that gives the eyes an almost a graffiti-like urban twist.
Jonathan Saunders | Monique Lhuillier | Missoni | Issey Miyake
Broken Doll
The unorthodox lash is a way to give the eyes an edgy feel, and gives the entire face the look of a cute little distorted doll.
AF Vandevorst | Daks | Sonia Rykiel | Thomas Tait
Hot Cherry
This season, the strong red lip is worn on a bare face, making the look easy and youthful, instead of grounded on grown-up glamour.
Kenzo | Oscar de la Renta | Veronique Branquinho | Vivienne Westwood Gold Label
N O T H I N G
Chloé | John Galliano | Marco de Vincenzo | Paul Smith
The face: This trend steers towards lo-fi beauty — one with a rawness that’s achieved through makeup that ranges from just a touch of concealer to the careful placement of hydration against a bare complexion.
Delpozo | Léa Peckre| Proenza Schouler | Zac Posen
Lustre: More radiant than metallic, with a satin, pearly sheen, this look is anchored on texture. It draws attention to specific areas by adding points of shine against matte skin.
Altuzarra | Carolina Herrera | Lamaire | Moschino
Raw refined: Sun-kissed rather than suntanned, this trend takes a ‘90s palette but makes it dreamy with golden, lucid tones, radiance-boosting taupes, peaches and corals. The idea is for makeup to look like a second skin.
