Down to the sea this summer - and beyond

When it comes to makeup, what’s so cool at the moment that it’s hot? This spring and summer Bobbi Brown is in sexy nautical mode, Lancome makes the eyes even better “messengers”, Chanel goes for butterfly-wing colour blocks, and Nars revives the “futuristic” glam of the 1970s.
MAC, meanwhile, is already looking ahead to autumn and winter, when your makeup will tell a tale!

BOBBI BROWN

American Bobbi Brown calls her Navy & Nude collection a modern take on a summer look that’s sexy, yet fresh-faced. If Hollywood star Katie Holmes, the brand’s presenter, is anything to go by, this line is absolutely perfect.
Even if you’re spending summer at the seaside, the warm weather means that, in beauty terms, less is more. A shot of navy-blue liner might be all you need. It’s flattering, sexy and goes with everything, from a striped tee to a chic slip dress.
The Navy and Nude Eye Palette comes in a smart, blue tortoise-shell compact. Inside are a mirror and two shelves, each holding your eye shadows – Ivory, Cement, Blazing Star Sparkle, Beige Shimmer Wash, Twilight Pink Metallic, Naked, Slate and Rich Navy. This is your one-stop shop for an effortlessly chic summer look. Drop it into your weekender bag and you’re ready for anything.
Makeup artist Maratee Loppot says navy is a classic hue that’s best when applied in a soft, smoky blend. Brush it over the cheekbones to suggest subtly sun-kissed skin and lend a pearly glow. Sheer pink and nude beige glosses complement this season’s dramatic navy eyes and leave lips looking full and fresh. And, to complete this gorgeous look, Bobbi Brown presents bright navy nail polish, the perfect accent for glowing summer skin.

LANCOME

Proving more than ever that the eyes are the windows to the soul, Lancome’s Hypnose Palette offers all-new applicators along with five shades and effects per palette to blend and layer with infinite freedom. “Doll Eyes” has fresh and natural shades for wide-open eyes, “Star Eyes” offers chic and elegant harmonies for sophisticated eyes, and “Drama Eyes” gives you intense smoky shades for spectacular eyes.
Utilising “wet” technology, eye-shadow pigments are applied in a fluid. As it evaporates it leaves a concentrate of colour on the skin that’s infused with remarkably even and perfectly dispersed pearl pigments. The result is ultra-luminous makeup with perfect coverage and hold. You can create your own look in five easy steps with professional results.
Each shade has its own specific function. First, each palette’s signature shade forms an even colour block over the lid. Second, the highlighter illuminates the brow arch. Third, the eyeliner enhances and defines shape. Fourth, a darker shade in the lid hollow and outer corners creates contours and sculpts a wonderful “cat eye” effect. Lastly, applied to the inner corner of the eye, the more luminous shade adds a final touch of radiance.

CHANEL

Peter Philips, creative director at Chanel, has used the most vibrant hues to compose a poetic beauty that combines the hot season’s carefree energy and playfulness.
Colour blocks inspired by butterfly wings can be applied to the eyelids in endless combinations. Eye shadows flit away from the corners to accentuate a graceful gaze. The summer palette comes in shimmering Golden Yellow, Electric Blue, Aquatic Green and Intense Coral that seem to quiver in the light, just like a butterfly’s wings.
Philips has also developed a new and playful pen, the better to apply creamy Stylo Eyeshadow, his revamped texture with its high concentration of water. Colour flutters down to the lashes, enlivened by joyful mascaras. On the nails are more dazzling shades adorned with metallic effects. And the lips are kept natural in peach and raspberry tones.
NARS

Nars has gone back into the past to take another look at the future – how it loomed for us in the 1970s. What we foresaw now comes true in a seductive, surreal glow of sophistication that’s polished, yet punk. Bold colours dart about, from outrageous flamingo-pink lips to eyes that flirt in sea-foam green, dandelion and African violet. Electric-orange nails add a striking finishing touch.
Founder and creative director Francois Nars selected iconic model Stella Tennant to show off his innovation. He made her skin vibrant and luminous, with the cheeks highlighted in a wash of sheer colour patted on at the crests and then out to the temples. Loose, light-reflecting setting powder was next dusted all over the face to lend the makeup a soft-matte, luminous finish.
Then, to create a multidimensional, dramatic look for Stella’s eyes, a smudge-proof shadow base was applied to the lids, followed by an African violet shade that extended to the inner and outer corners and up to the brow. For added intensity, the shade was then pressed along the lower lash line. Next, the dandelion shade was swept across the brow and out toward the temples. Lashes were finished with two coats of mascara. Finally, Tolede Lipstick was applied and blended with a fingertip to soften the colour, and gloss added a high-shine finish.

MAC

Mac’s “makeup that tells a story” offers, specifically, a fashionable fable of femininity that takes into account all the complexities of a woman’s life and the beauty aesthetic that’s such an important chapter in it. Mac’s winter trend is more moody, more mysterious, and layered with feeling. There is a beautiful tension and duality – hard meets soft, proper is mixed with perverse, past collides with future.
Sanid Intaasa, the firm’s resident senior makeup artist in Bangkok, explains the four looks. “Reb-elle” will give you a black eye. Any sense of sexy smokiness is replaced by a rebellious streak that’s unconventional and anti-glamour. This is black like charcoal. “Spiritual Eyes” evokes a sort of ghostly smoke. “It’s a cold colour – steel, cement, slate, lead – against alabaster skin,” says Sanid. “Imagine the dark, poetic romanticism of moonlit-dappled skin. A blending technique is used that leaves no fixed lines.”
“Au-currant” offers lips coloured for the season – red that’s underpinned with an intimation of mystery, such as beguiling Bordeaux or a glossy cranberry. Set against a pallid complexion, it brings a mesmerising beauty. And “Perspex-tive” revisits the monochrome effect. “The focus is on how the skin picks up the light,” says Sanid. “It creates dimension, as in a chalky matte on the T-zone, a balmy waxen feel on the cheeks, and a wet look or glossiness on the eyelids. It places the emphasis on texture rather than colours.”