Makeup Experts Break Down the MAC Products You Saw at NYFW
Beauty

Makeup Experts Break Down the MAC Products You Saw at NYFW

Rhinestones all across the face, extended winged eyeliner, neon colored lids — there was no dearth of beauty inspiration on the NYFW runways this season.

And makeup artists were bolder and more creative than ever. Over at Marc Jacobs, for instance, makeup artist Pat McGrath had the models covered in warmer tones of highlighter topped with sparkles and shimmer. At Barragán, Marcelo Gutierrez made the case for red blazing hickies as the hottest new beauty trend.

There were a lot of other innovative and slightly bizarre looks too, like styling hair to resemble animal heads at Kaimin. While recreating some of the more complex looks may take a bit more than a YouTube tutorial, there are some that are easier to pick up with a little bit of help.

To aid your next runway-inspired makeover, PAPER spoke to Senior National Artist at MAC Cosmetics, Fatima Thomas and Director of Makeup Artistry, at MAC, Romero Jennings — the artists behind Chromat, VFiles, and Gypsy Sport — to breakdown their favorite beauty looks of the season.

Romero Jennings, Director of Makeup Artistry, MAC Cosmetics

VFiles

Shows: VFiles

Inspiration: "This season, I created the look for designer DiDu at the VFiles show. This show really embodied creative expression, individuality and authenticity. The look was inspired from the designers' clothing that was super sexy and futuristic. I thought of liner as an armor or protection but done in a feminine-unique way. The difference with liner this season besides the electric vibrant color is the extreme extension. The long-liner look is artistic and flattering on every eye shape."

The Process: "For the liner, I used two shades of orange to create an ombre shade. The main products for this base were M•A•C Acrylic Paint in Genuine Orange, eye shadow in Can't Afford This, It's Designer Palette from MAC Art Library with the MAC 212 Flat Definer Brush. Then I wrapped an icy blue shadow to contrast the liner and highlight around the high points of the face. To add more detail, I used MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid in Diamond Crumbles mixed with MAC Glitter in 3D Silver to really command attention on the runway. I kept the lips simple with a touch of our MAC Love Me Lipstick in Pure Nonchalance to get a natural look."

Standout Products: The standout product of the season was the MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick. This foundation was a game changer and was used at many shows backstage this season! The skin looks flawless, smooth, hydrated but matte at the same time.

Fatima Thomas, Senior National Artist, MAC Cosmetics

Chromat

Shows: Gypsy Sport, Chromat

Inspiration: For Gypsy Sport Spring 2020, the look was bold, graphic black and set against bright colors. I was inspired by '90s tribal tattoos and the colors of a tropical sunset. Chromat Spring 2020 celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a retrospective of some of our favorite past looks, along with some new looks. The signature statement is always about dynamic color combos, and shapes that relay movement.

The process: The look for Gypsy Sport was created with MAC Brushstroke Liner in Brushblack and bright pigments such as MAC Pigment in Rock-It Yellow, Genuine Orange and MAC Eye Shadow in Stars N' Rockets. I topped off the lips with MAC Liquidlast Liner in Point Black and Clear Lipglass.

Standout products: My go-to product for backstage is MAC Lightful C Marine-Bright Formula Softening Lotion on a cotton pad to get the skin, any type, to its ultimate condition. My holy grail products from this season were MAC Brushstroke Liner and Art Library Palette in Its Designer for an ultimate pop of color that we saw all over the runway.

Photos courtesy of Luca Cannonieri (for MAC Cosmetics)