Beauty is back at MAC

Beauty is back!” So says Nicole Thompson, senior makeup artist at MAC, who was in Manila last week to present the brand’s spring-summer 2012 trends.

This season signals the death of androgyny and hard edges; what’s in is colorful, polished makeup, and most importantly, shiny — virtually wet — skin. Think Jude Law’s plasticized android perfection in A.I.: Artificial Intelligence rather than oil slick.

Which is good news for us here in the tropics, according to Thompson, because the humidity outside does half the work. The other half, of course, can be achieved through new MAC cosmetics like Metal-X cream shadows and Mineralize Skinfinishes.

The product Thompson can’t live without, however, is Fix+ (Fix Plus), a spray moisturizer that imparts a gorgeous shine. “Just massage it in,” advises the makeup artist, who’s worked with the likes of Kanye West, Hugh Jackman and Harper’s Bazaar.

Trends of the season: Thompson’s real-life versions of the runway looks (from left) Nouv-Eau, Ore-Inspired and Neo-N. MAC cosmetics are available at Rustan’s.

MAC, which creates the makeup looks for about 800 fashion shows every year, is without question the go-to brand for the world’s top fashion designers. Backstage becomes the testing ground for what products will be launched in the next collection; makeup artists like Val Garland (“the queen of skin and eyeliner”), Alex Box and Thompson herself are handed giant bags of products, which they test on the models and then give feedback on.

Of the 300 shows they did this season, four main trends emerged, which Thompson demonstrated on four local models, skillfully translating the edgy runway looks into beautiful, wearable reality.

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MAC is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.

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Nouv-Eau

The look: Soft, delicate and romantic with a ’20s feel, shiny skin, a strong, natural brow, and stained lips.

Inspired by: Flowers

Seen at: Etro, Issey Miyake, Paul Smith, Marni, Missoni

How to get it: Prep skin with Studio Fix fluid foundation, Strobe Liquid and set with Mineralize Skinfinish in Natural. Add dimension to brows by filling in with brow shadow and pencil in Lingering and Fling, then softening with a brush. Stain lips with pink Lovelorn lipstick. Create a light-textured smoky eye by mixing Satin Taupe and Silver Ring eyeshadows and sweeping it from lid to brow and under eyes with a soft #217 brush. Finish with new Dimension powder all over face.

Ore-Inspired

The look: Super sun-kissed, metallic and luxe, jeweled eyes and skin, bronze and orange in all forms (like hot orange blush), the punch of a dark lip.

Seen at: Haider Ackermann, Donna Karan, Hussein Chalayan, Diane Von Furstenberg, Roland Mouret

How to get it: Press Rusty Metal-X cream shadow on eyes. Apply Red Hot Copper on top like a halo and underneath eyes with your finger. Wrap cheekbones in gold Extra Dimension for face. Dot Fusion Gold Metal-X shadow (MAC’s most used tint in the Paris and Milan shows) on inner corners of the eye, down the nose and on the bow of the lips. Thicken lashes with Zoom Lash. For a deep berry-red lip, apply Diva lipstick.

Trick: Prep lip brush in lip conditioner first before loading brush in lipstick for a sheerer, less-drying effect. Top with clear Lipglass.

Neo-N

The look: The “neon nymph” sports a simple but bright detail of super-saturated color, like red lashes or blue lips. Alternatively it’s an ’80s urban street look or kaleidoscope of colors created with MAC Paint Sticks.

Seen at: Vivienne Westood Gold Label and Red Label, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung and Manish Arora

How to get it: For a pretty, doll-like look, dust face with Extra Dimension powder in LA Gold. Cover #7 false lashes with Russian Red lipstick and set with a red, orange or pink blush before applying. Line and fill in lips with Pro Longwear lip pencil in Kiss Me Quick. For a fuller, “collagen” pout, you can overdraw your natural lip line. Top with clear Lipglass. Rub Pink Nouveau lipstick on cheeks. Then, in one vertical stroke from cheek to brow, brush on Dolly Mix blush.

Ath-Elite

The look: Clean and minimal, with black, “Elizabeth Taylor at the gym” brows, architectural eyeliner/ “skyliner” and “Olympian skin” — the most perfect skin you could ever hope for.

Seen at: Chloé, Giambattista Valli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Proenza Schouler, Gareth Pugh

How to get it: Prep skin with MAC Fix+ and Strobe Liquid. Hide flaws with Moisture Cover concealer. With fingers or brush, apply several sheer layers of the new Extra Dimension foundation, a cross between cream and powder, for perfectly polished skin. Line eyes with Blacktrack Fluidline, winging it out at the ends. With a sponge, press Mineralize Skinfinish powder in Natural on the “hotspots” of the face — forehead, nose and chin — to control shine. Apply Petting Pink Lip Conditioner on lips and cheeks.