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.

Do my cheeks look big?

Flushed pinkish fuchsia blush applied in a circular manner over the cheeks; thin, defined brows; pinkie-brown lips -- a remnant of the 90s makeup fashion that remained with us through to the mid naughties, and  the style of makeup that still persists within the 35-45 age bracket today. The blush  is placed over the entire "apple of the cheeks" (that's the front and circular protruding section of the cheeks) to give a flushed look of exertion.  While the bone depressions and the cheek muscles that lead into the temples are completely ignored. This look became so mainstream that makeup companies  released blunt cut circular ferrule blush brushes instructing customers to apply their  blush in a circular, flat motion.  Cheeks were not encouraged to be sculptured. The blush hues pushed towards the cool side of the colour spectrum which helped counteract some of the synthetic exaggeration for most caucasian women). Regardless, this makeup trend rounds up the face and sets eyes closer together.  The excessive center facial focus it creates translates to loss of definition and dimension, imparting a sfake, doll like look.  The immaturity it created did, however, fit extremely well with the accompanying clothing and accessories fashions of  the times.

However, by the mid naughties this blush application was not melding well into incoming and  opposing fashion trends.  The 90s  "little girl",  pre-pubescent inspired fashion started to wane by the early naughties. Small, center parted hair; drop waist cothing; kitten heeled mary-janes evolved into "I am a Woman and I Ovulate" so I can wear my hair big; with low cut cleavage shoes and uber heels; and cinched in  high waisted silhouettes.

Similarly, big, pink, cooled toned cheeks, thick brows, bronzer and oily lips clashed with each other,  rendering the wearer cheesy to garish. Extremly noticeable in high fashion hubs such as southern Europe cities where trends are layered on top of one another with no fear over kill, as there are no self imposed outdated  and misapplied Chanel restrains that seemingly rule the American style culture.  The thick brow trend meant the viewer's eye was already being pushed upward and centered to the middle upper face region and eyes, the addition of  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang wind-up doll cheeks was causing major imbalance and overload to the face.

The solution came  in various stages and has completely reshaped blush application. The first change the fashion world saw was the position in which blush was applied.  As can be seen on the model to the left, the blush continues towards the ears, softening the face with a hint of  continuity, and  creating a subtle sculptured feel that looks less harsh and more natural. The end result is sleeker, elongated cheeks, with the illusion of the apples of the cheeks being placed lower and further apart on the face, connecting out and up to the cheek bones, dragging the cheeks upward and out. For reasons of geometry the viewers gaze feels more at ease with this type of blush application.

This second change came by way of default through  the bronzer come-back. This time round, though, cosmetic companies are now saturated with makeup artists who over the past ten years have altered makeup counters to include professional makeup, tools and/or techniques. In using artists to push bronzer has meant that it's peddled as a low-lighter, thus educating customers to utilise it  as a pseudo facial cheek contour.  Bronzer application has evolved so much that it is becoming rarer to see it merchandised with foundations and pressed powders.  More likely to find it categorised with blushers, and marketed as a cheek contour or for adding warmth and depth to the face.

The third change came through the addition of cheek high-lighting using a shimmery or pearlescent highlighter, so to enhance  the contouring  creatd by a deep blush shade or a realistic contour shade.  The combination of the shades together creates the maximum three dimensional cheek effect . Contouring is the new facial accessory and it's very likely here to stay with us for most of this decade.

The three dimensional cheek trend of the 10s  has been such a  marketable success that many cosmetic companies often package  blushes with a contour and/or a highlighter. Two examples can be seen below: Nars Blush Highlighting/Bronzer Duo (left) a high-end option and Milani Sunset Duos Blush and Bronzer (right) a low-end option.

The last fashion change in blush has been the colour changes.  Gone are the  olive skinned inspired  cool  toned colours. The blush colours are now softer and warmer  including hues such as apricot, tan, tawny, peach, mandarin, beige, and soft coral.  All colours are either neutral or lean towards the neutrals colour family due to their high yellow content.

The combination of all these changes has seen cheek accentuation become one of the primary fashion focuses. A little blush, when pressed for time, like mascara, is the only other makeup accessory that can be worn alone. Complex, three dimensional cheeks with enhanced zygomatic bones may be considered high-fashion,  but  sweeping, on toned blush is still  beautiful, and very much an on trend alterantive (as can be seen worn by the model above).  There is no need to feel overwhelmed by techique and choice, tailor the choices to your preferences and enjoy the warmth and youth that is exuded by blush.

Introduction

I am a makeup and fashion junkie who goes by the nickname FemmeFroufrou when on-line, and I've been toying with this makeup blog (and extra) ideas for some time. After years of researching and writing stories and reports on the subject, I have finally mustered the courage to publish some of my work on Refined Eye.

My goal is to produce posts and videos rich in information specifically dealing in makeup theory with fashion as its context. As a result, Refined Eye's posts will tend to be lengthy, but since such detailed posts absorb a lot of time to compose, I will be treating this blog like an on-line glossy magazine with a monthly post/subscription. New stories will be scheduled for the first of each month.

It is my belief that other facets of makeup blogging are very well covered by an enormous number of blogs and commercial sites. There does, however, exist a substantial deficit in makeup sites annd blogs dealing with my specific topics, it is my hope to abridge this existing gap.

Bookmark, subscribe, sit back and read Refined Eye at your own leisure, I guarantee you will  always find something new and something useful. I sincerely hope you will enjoy my blog,and utilise its information to your advantage. Feedback, suggestions and requests will always be welcome, please felle free to e-mail me with your suggestions, queries and feedback.