Bare Assertions

 

George Prentice summed up nude makeup more concisely than any famous makeup artist by stating "A bare assertion is not necessarily the naked truth."  Nude makeup is an illusion comprised of the same makeup components to the most colourful or dramatic makeup imaginable.  Its techniques and placement are the same, all that changes are the shades and tones of the colour scheme.

Naked makeup has been a fashion staple for the last fifteen years, it was first launched in the grunge and minimalism fashion of the mid 90s to mid naughties, with Kate Moss being the forerunner. Freckles shone through and makeup was about enhancing features, not bringing attention to itself.  Pinky-brown lipsticks, fawn eyeliners and auburn mascaras were marketed in the quest of making women look like the best version of themselves. Makeup accents  within or layered on the nude look have come and gone as fashion has moved, but the nude base has become a classic go-to staple (or perhaps a lazy alternative) that runways keep revisiting. It's being continually recycled because it is the an easy backdrop in allowing one single exaggerated makeup fashion statement to stand out.

Since the 90s, for the past fifteen years, the naked face has been used to showcase the winged eyeliner (2007 to present); thick brows (2003 to present); dolly blush application (2002 to 2007); super thin stylised defined brows (1999 to 2003); and deep matte lipstick (1990 to 1998, more recently 2009 to present) just to name some of the past and recent trends that utilise the naked face as its base.  By contrasting a single makeup exaggeration on to a blank, or nude face, will amplify the exaggerated item further as there is no other feature or makeup competing against it.  In eliminating all distractions that would attract the viewer's gaze away from the overstated makeup item, any chance of facial balance to soften the look is also eliminated.  Yet, despite the severity created to the face with a singular exaggeration, as a fashion statement (only) these amplifications are pushed by runways and glossy magazines as being fashion friendly and wearable; after all, they argue, one would be wearing and accentuating only one feature. Choosing fashionable over flattering is the wearer's choice, and I for one often choose trendy over pretty. However, what does raise a question is whether any technique used to such an extent and for such a long period of time is justifiable in artistic and fashionable terms.  To be creative and innovative takes more effort (and perhaps more talent).

The Prada model to the left (autumn/winter 2011) nude makeup is chosen to act as a vehicle to exaggerate the colour that has been in fashion spring/summer 2010, that is, peach/apricot. The colour of the lips and cheeks has been showcased by naked makeup illusion, where no eye shading is used and highlighting is used to eliminate all crevices and depressions so to make the eyes seem as flat as possible. Also,  no facial contouring is utilised, and a stereotypical "spring" complexion model (little contrast between hair and skin tones and clear, warm, golden undertones) is chosen. Although the blush and lip tint are quite sheer and have a natural semi-matte finish to them, the apricot colour within these two washes literally pop out of the photo as there is no other features, colours or shadows to counteract its effect. Added to which, the natural warm tones within the model's skin and hair further accentuate the peach colour.

Turning back the clock, Shu Eumura cosmetic brand launched the photo to the right to advertise false eyelashes in 2007. Here, nude makeup is taken one step further by camouflaging all features into one blank base. Natural eyelashes, cheek bones and cheeks, lips, brows and hair are monotoned and downplayed. The only other feature (other than the false eyelashes) shaded with a soft wash colour are eyelids.  However, this wash of eyeshadow does not serve to flatter the model, or create balance to the face, it exists purely to create a background and frame to  the false eyelashes resulting in further exaggeration.

Technology is also responsible for the naked makeup trend being continually recycled and relaunched.   Since the advent of synthetic oils in foundation in the early 90s, and and more recently in powders and eyeshadows, makeup up is no longer a substances which sits on top of the skin in an obvious manner, nor does it completely camouflage the skin anymore.  Synthetic oils in makeup means that makeup adheres to the skin more securely and has given chemists the power to further dilute pigments for sheerer finishes, allowing skin to be seen through the makeup.  Also, its tenacious adherence means that it is able to flexibly move with the skin without budging or sinking into pores, furrows and wrinkles. Gone are the days of a chalky powdery layers of eyeshadow that prevailed  just five years, eyeshadow really does look like eye shadows. The Stella McCartney  model on the left has a nude makeup using the latest makeup technology other than the lipstick barely showing through, base, blush, eye makeup cannot be detected.

Added to which, makeup brushes have readily available to all are now marketed in every conceivable size, texture and cut. Makeup application has become faster, more accurate, and more controlled and if the applier desires, sheerer. It is easy to forget that as recent as the the early 90s makeup brushes were very hard to come by and often makeup artists were forced to cut out their own brushes and scour art supply stores to find brushes. Mass produced brushes with decent tapering and fibres are now available to all so the fashion can now comfortably launch any type of makeup technique, as the tools to back their trend is already in place.

The last influence and the reason as to why nude makeup trend has had such a long fashion span is due to the film industry.   Films, since the 90s have not only opted for their typical neutral and matte makeup policy on all characters (except where characterisations dictate) have opted from the mid 90s to make makeup as natural as possible.  A friend of mine who is renowned film makeup artist confessed to me that she pretty much works with a handful a soft neutral mid toned to light tones matte shades and darker shades are primarily used to enhances the lash line only.

To be truthful, I'm not all that certain that the nude makeup look is particularly trendy on its own at this time. It was a common fad a couple of years ago, I grant you that. The makeup market has also helped propagate it of recent by marketing a variety of "nude" eyeshadow selection ( such as Urban Decay's The Nakeds and Nyx's). However, if you are hoping to make an avaunt gard statement, streetwear wise it probably misses the mark.  Despite the fashion circuit pushing this trend on to us, we are not  living a minimalist fashion phase. Perhaps makeup has become too natural like for a naked makeup look, such naturalness can defeat the purpose of makeup all together. Fashion, has a tendency to bring attention on to itself, in real-life a truly naked face when done expertly using latest state of the art makeup it would be assumed not have any makeup on.  The nude makeup 2010/211 "trend" has, however, served a very important function: it has rendered top heavy makeup, dark eye makeup, big lashes and shiny eye makeup dated.  It is more accurate to describe it as a transitional recycled trend whose purpose is to age naughties makeup trends and take us into a new makeup fashion age.