MANILA, Philippines - At the fall Marc Jacobs presentation, the makeup, by Francois Nars, was a stark reflection of the designer’s inspiration: mainly the ‘80s. Fashion has been flirting with the decadent decade for a while now, but only now are the tributes reaching its zenith — due, no doubt, to Michael Jackson’s passing. All that flash, dazzle and pop has become new again.
Same goes for the heavy eyeshadow and dramatic lipstick that characterized the ultimate ‘80s pin-up: those Robert Palmer girls with their slick, poufy hair, tight minis and sharp stilettos. “What makes ‘80s makeup so striking is that there was no structure,” says Shiseido chief makeup artist Lee Roberto-Figueroa. “It was all about piling everything on and layering — totally edit-free.”
Orange lipstick, in particular, has made a marked return to the beauty trend shop, turning up in vivid, day-glo hues and more day-appropriate peach-toned shades. So the big question is: Who can wear orange lipstick? “Who can’t?!” Lee counters. “No rules rule!”
“There are tons of oranges out there — from glosses to full on creamy matte lipsticks. Try one or the other or layer on for full effect. My fave is the Perfect Rouge in Orange (OR418) by Shiseido,” she says.
Don’t let those jail uniforms fool you. Orange can flatter the most extreme of skin colors — from porcelain to ebony. “The great thing about it is that it can flatter both light and dark skinned. If you have light skin then just do a stain application — dab on the color and spread with your fingers,” she explains. “If you have more melanin, hence darker, then slather it on as you need more color to show color anyway.”
“As for avid users of self tanners, if you look orange with the product you are currently using, throw it in the bin — and try Shiseido Brilliant Bronze Self-tanning gel. Plugging intended.”