‘It’s a Jane Birkin meets Vicky Pollard kind of vibe,’ says Terry Barber, the director of makeup artistry at MAC Cosmetics.
This isn’t the most obvious pairings, being a bit of a culture clash, but makeup is moving into a slightly nostalgic, edgy space over the autumn and winter months.
Think red vinyl lips, smoky slate eyes, and minimal face makeup.
Terry thinks this makeup moment has been a long time coming, too.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, he says: ‘It’s easy to think of this new take on beauty as some king of grunge/punk revival, but for me it’s more of a desire to escape the strict, one-face-fits-all movement of the previous decade, where people were required to follow a laborious recipe to create a face that didn’t look like them and was subject to the approval of others.’
By this, he means the cut-crease, cut-contour, super sculpted, super-heavy Instagram face.
While that look still has its place in this decade, Terry has long been expecting a slight turn away from this, towards something fresher and more tailored to the individual.
‘When you’re judged purely on the shape of your eyebrows then it’s definitely time for things to change,’ he says.
‘Being cool, effortless and expressing an attitude through self-owned signatures, to me represents the new aspiration in beauty.
‘As a makeup artist, a phrase I hear a lot is “don’t make it too perfect”.’
This is where smudgy kohl-lined eyes are coming back. As people are experimenting with different shapes and tricks, the need to look perfected is waning.
A blurred, slightly run-down eye look that feels grunge-meets-glam is the way forward.
Making smoky eyes easy
The smoky eye is a big trend this season, but it’s one people often roll their eyes at, being synonymous with difficulty and harshness.
Terry says it doesn’t have to be so hard.
‘A blackened eye doesn’t have to look like you’re going through a second wave of teenage angst,’ he jokes.
‘It’s definitely grown-up and can be incredibly chic or high glamour when it’s worn in a more beautifying way.
‘Smudging a black kohl around the eye, dusting over with a grey or brown shadow to soften and going to town with a volumising mascara is instant Bardot-esque glam.
‘Even adding a touch of gloss or balm over the lids gives you that sexy, slept-in messiness.
‘”Last night’s eye makeup” has definitely become a new design classic. Think grunge period Pamela Anderson or skater style Kristen Stewart. A lived-in eye lid to this decade is what an airbrushed cut crease was to the last one.’
Bold lips
It’s all about eyes and lips this season – and lips are taking on a reddened, shiny form.
Terry says: ‘A vinyl red lip is the ultimate statement of decadent glamour and has been made considerably more wearable through the long-wear technology in lip products.
‘I always use MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Feel So Grand for that perfect vinyl red mouth, which looks straight out of Studio 54.
‘It’s colour that stays completely stable underneath a layer of gloss and looks like you’ve painted your lips with nail polish.
‘It’s important, however, to remember that it is a glossy red mouth so avoid kissing everyone in the room and probably don’t order a massive burger. Maybe remain fairly aloof and just concentrate on looking really good.’
To tone it down and make it that bit more practical, opt for ‘just bitten’ apple tones over siren reds.
The catwalk trends we’re seeing are inspiration after all – they don’t need to be done literally.
‘It’s important to realise that catwalks represent extremes rather than reality.
‘It’s a piece of theatre that reflects shifts in style culture through provocative, often fantasy imagery which can look ridiculous, even comical, yet ensures things don’t remain the same.
‘Catwalk makeup is not necessarily designed to be copied – but it can inspire us to try something new that we hadn’t thought of before.
‘Your beauty is your own, but looking at catwalks can encourage you to give it a different attitude or add another detail.’
Undone is the new done-up
‘Undone’ makeup is going to be bigger this season – and thank god, because who can maintain something airbrushed during a season of wind and rain?
Terry says: ‘I think that people are starting to realise that undone doesn’t mean sloppy and raw doesn’t mean ugly.
‘It’s part of the new craft of beauty – where we combine perfection with imperfection, beauty with anti-beauty and naturalness with drama.
‘To me, that’s what makes people feel more stylish and confident and not like they’re wearing the makeup version of a costume.
‘There’s nothing wrong with wearing a lot of makeup or wearing very little.
‘I love seeing a clumpy mascara, weird eyeshadow or smudged lipstick worn as a badge of honour. It means they’re making their beauty speak the right language for them.’
Trend-wise, the door is open around individual interpretations of grunge-glam.
However bold you go with the lips and eyes, Terry thinks more of us will be opting for barely-there skin.
He says: ‘The thread that runs through is the quality of skin. Dense coverage foundation has been replaced with tinted products with a gleaming finish.
‘Even the most dramatic of makeups are looking more modern on a more realistic looking skin coverage,’ and this look was all over London Fashion Week, as artists teamed vibrant features with stripped back, almost entirely natural skin.
‘Plenty of black liner and tons of mascara is still, and will always be the ultimate symbol of cool-girl glam. To me that never dates.’
What a fun time to dig out your old kohl liner.
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