When I saw Stephane Marais' name on the program as key makeup artist for the Alice Roi show, I thought we were in for something gorgeous. Instead...well, first, let's posit a little theory.
I think that for runway makeup to work, it has to fall into one of two categories: (1) beautiful or (2) interesting. After all, not all the makeup we see on the runway is going to be 100% wearable (especially in couture shows) but admiring the artistry and taking inspiration from it is the key.
However, the look at Alice Roi was neither beautiful or interesting. Eyes were smothered in charcoal shadow from lashes to browbones. Even the inner corners, usually reserved for pale highlight shades, were not spared. In person it was even more striking. Dark shadow all the way up to the brows is just not flattering, and the same shade in the inner corners just makes the eyes look close-set and tired. It reminds me a bit of the look from the Valentino Couture show a couple of seasons ago, which I feared was a harbinger of things to come.
It appears the "dead look" has shifted its focus from the lips to the eyes. I saw this at two other shows yesterday, and I suspect that we'll be seeing even more of it.
I did like the cheeks here, though. They didn't photograph very well but they had a dewy pink-peach shimmer on the cheekbones that was quite lovely. To get the look, **I recommend Becca Pressed Shimmer Powder in Princess**.
photos: **elle.com**
