From The Straits Times    |

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Stella McCartney

Could eyeliner be Paris’ beauty rebuttal to New York’s orange lip?

Show after show in the City of Lights saw rebellious runway girls with seemingly bare faces, their naked skin a foil for eyes adorned with sexy, sooty swooshes – or contemporary Mod white liner, as was the case with Kenzo.

At Stella McCartney, the beauty code was downtown punk – think British street style culled from the fashions of The Bromley Contingent and Vivienne Westwood circa 1970. 

Pat McGrath and her team ran a matte mahogany pencil along the upper and lower lash lines of the Stella girls, letting both lines meet in a fierce flick that tapered off just below the outer edge of the brow. The tail was ever so slightly smudged for a provocative, morning-after vibe.

For Saint Laurent and Haider Ackermann, backstage mood boards must have been pinned with pictures of the slouchy rich kids at punk’s temple of cool, Max’s Kansas City nightclub in New York City.

Haider Ackermann’s Stephane Marais, for instance, conjured up a gorgeous, grungey cat’s eye that glittered with obsidian flecks – echoing the spangly slate hue of the runway itself. 

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Haider Ackermann

Punk-inspired eyeliner can look really expensive and well, “editorial”. Ahead of the year-end soirees, here are some quick tips on how to “wing it” and nail this aggressive, party-ready look:

1. First, choose your instrument. In this instance, short and stumpy is good. A magic marker-like felt tip applicator in true black will give you a thick, solid stroke for the “body” of your cat’s eye; angle the applicator for precision tapering of the tail.

2. To apply, gently use your free hand to pull the eyelid taut for a flatter canvas to work on. Starting from the inner corner and fanning outwards, take a deep breath and line your eye in one single swipe, simultaneously easing up on the pressure so that the line becomes naturally thinner towards the end.

3. After you’ve reached the tail end of your line, work backwards to the inner eye again, using fluid, feathery strokes this time. Using an angled sponge, smudge the line around the midway mark above your crease: We’re gunning for an undone, too-cool-for-straight-lines look.

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Saint Laurent

4. For the graphic, glittering effect seen on the Parisian runways, switch your marker pen for a thinner liquid stick in the same hue. Gently graze the slimmer brush at the end of your drawn-on line, working it in so that you get a dark, nicely winged tip. This will be the black base for a top layer of glitter.

5. Wait for the base eyeliner to dry, then swipe on a very thin film of clear makeup glue. While the film is still wet, pick up black or emerald glitter from the pot using your fingertips, then press the particles directly onto your cat’s eye, concentrating on the mid-crease section.  

6. Finish by keeping the rest of your face completely free of colour – that means no blush or illuminator. All the glam and glimmer should emanate from your eyes. (Of course, we’re not asking you to go barefaced. Create an even, natural-looking canvas with a tinted moisturiser, medium-coverage concealer on spots and dark circles and a dusting of translucent powder.) 

7. Balance out your top-heavy look with a hydrating, high-shine gloss on your lips, and keep your hair out of the way by pulling it back into a low-slung ponytail.

Pair your aggressive eye with say, a monochromatic bodycon dress and black leather booties, and you’ve successfully married high fashion with street punk. Have fun!

For more information on Stella McCartney, visit www.stellamccartney.com. You can follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+

For more information on Saint Laurent, visit www.ysl.com. You can follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

For more information on Haider Ackermann, visit www.haiderackermann.be

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