The selfie is so ubiquitous that the word was added into the Oxford dictionary last year. The chatter on social media has gone from a dull buzz to a deafening roar; it’s where trends sprout and spread like wildfire.
When it comes to beauty trends on social media—Instagram in particular—the look that reigns supreme is a sculpted, polished face, using makeup tricks to erase flaws, to create the illusion of high cheekbones, narrow, upturned noses and full, pouty lips.
Pair that look with the right angle and lighting, and poof! Insta-reinvention.
For Spring-Summer 2016, MAC is seeking to overthrow this Insta-trend with pared-down beauty focused on key areas.
“It’s a simplistic take on beauty, whether bold, exaggerated or pared down,” says MAC senior makeup artist Louise Zizzo, who flew in from San Francisco to demonstrate the brand’s new looks.
That MAC is spearheading the backlash against social-media makeup is an irony given that these looks were the same ones that made MAC wildly popular in the late ’90s.
“We’re doing raw makeup, giving you a real girl feel vs a makeup artist feel. It’s not contrived or over-produced,” adds Zizzo.
MAC’s S/S ’16 trends are divided into two categories: All or Nothing. Each category is broken down into subtrends.
“All” trend is all about “stylish eccentricity.” “It’s simple with bold jolts of kaleidoscope color; there’s an experimental and youthful feel to it,” says Zizzo.
“Nothing” is a move away from tanned golden skin, which was always equated with luxury (as in you’re so rich that you can afford to fly to luxe island destinations and tan all day).
“We’re starting to see a move away from luxury skin, and just see skin that looks well taken care of, shown by incredible skin texture,” adds Zizzo.
And to put her money where her mouth is, Zizzo proves just how real-girl friendly the new trends are: Each demo took her about five minutes to finish.
Another plus for MAC’s trendy looks is that with the exception of a few new formulations and textures, most of the products used to create each look are taken from existing shades in the brand’s wide range, so you can instantly adopt the trend if you’re a faithful MAC shopper.
The latest S/S ’16 trends from MAC and tips on how you can make them yours:
Trend 1: All
- Crayon
Focuses on one bold color, like bright primary hues and wearing it in a strong way.
Tip: Select a bold hue to make yours and use MAC’s pigment and mixing medium to create a solid wash on the eye.
- Aquatic
This trend uses various degrees of blues and greens. At Issey Miyake, makeup artists mixed blue and green pigments and blew it through a straw onto the model’s temples to create a randomized shape.
Tip: Use an aqua pencil to draw on an intense blue and line the edges with a soft acid green line. Make the blue more intense by adding a shimmery eyeshadow in a similar shade.
- Hot cherry
Red goes from glamorous to youthful with a more casual application.
Tip: MAC’s new Retro Liquid Mattes help you paint on the red vividly, thanks to its high-pigment, budge-proof formula.
- Broken Doll
This is all about playing with the lashes; false eyelashes and mascara are used to create a “distorted doll” look.
Tip: According to Zizzo, the key to achieving this look is to avoid perfection. “A haphazard feel is something a real person can do. It’s a very playful season.” Orient your mascara wand vertically to group lashes together to form a spidery effect.
Trend 2: Nothing
- The Face
This mimics male beauty and focuses on the skin. “It’s very bare, very raw,” says
Zizzo.
Tip: To get this look, Zizzo advises using just a touch of concealer on problematic areas, and to smudge eyeliner for a “left in” look. Finish off the bareness by brushing up eyebrows.
- Lustre
This trend is all about radiant skin. “Technology is hugely at play here,” says Zizzo, referring to the improvement in base formulas, allowing you to cover blemishes with as little product as possible.
Tip: The humidity here ensures that everyone’s face comes built-in with the Lustre trend (hello, natural oils!). To nail the look, Zizzo advises keeping the T-zone mattified and concentrating the radiance on select areas. “Careful placement is key,” he says.
Apply a luminous Cream Colour Base (Luna) or Strobe Cream on the bridge of the nose, highest part of cheekbones and Cupid’s bow.
- Raw Refined
This eschews the traditional summer shades of bronze and gold in favor of a more ’90s-related palette of taupes, corals and peaches.
Tip: Use Paint Pot in Groundwork to create a layered taupe hue on the lids and add a bit on the hollows of the cheeks to help create a satiny texture on skin. Strobe Cream applied on cheekbones helps balance the taupe hue and adds a glow to the skin (blend well with a soft fiber brush).