From New York to Paris, the SS24 catwalks have delivered some eye-catching beauty moments, whether it is the resurrection of finger waves, blush's big comeback or the evolution of the 'clean girl' make-up aesthetic, there's enough inspiration here to take us through to next summer and beyond.
SS24 was also a strong season for unexpected beauty trends that rebelled against the norm. Brows performed a disappearing act, dark lipsticks were aplenty, and after a summer of barely-there, milky manicures, maximalist talons are back with a vengeance. But perhaps the most off-kilter inspiration this season came via Prada, where slime and aliens were a point of reference.
Strange? Maybe. But this is Prada after all, and under the watchful eye of designers Raf Simons, Miuccia Prada and key make-up artist Lynsey Alexander, this surprising combination results in what is quite possibly one of the dreamiest looks at fashion week thus far.
The sleek headbands at Prada (hair was skilfully done by Guido Palau) meant that the models' complexions were left completely exposed. This lead Alexander to enhance the 'silhouette' of the face by building on the brows, making them appear 'quite handsome and modern boy-ish'. In contrast, eyelids were heavily influenced by the translucency of the sheer pink slime that dripped down the catwalk at the Deposito of the Fondazione Prada in Milan.
The brief was to make the models appear 'otherworldly, highly refined, super shiny,' according to Alexander. This translated into vinylic, light-reflective eyelids that felt 'alienesque, a bit out of this world'.
'The eyeshadow wasn’t about a shape, it was about covering the lid from the lash to the brow so it’s very strong,' she says. 'I used the skincare (serum) to create this amazing wet, lacquered skin so it looked like glass.' As serums are absorbent by nature, they were tapped on just before the models hit the runway to ensure it stayed glossy. The eyeshadows - from warm terracotta to a sandy neutral - were bespoke to each model's skin tone.
Alexander, who also worked on Prada Beauty's launch this year, used a mixture from three to four different eye palettes to create the shades. Lashes were left bare in order to respect the cool girl mood. 'We used pink on the eye and rather than it looking girly, sweet and romantic, it had a boyishness. It looks tough and strong. Mascara would have taken it in a totally different direction,' she explained.
These ethereal eye looks came to life against a canvas that was velvety and lived-in, with the gentlest hint of contour on the cheeks and neutral lips. After prepping the skin with Prada Skincare, Alexander used Prada Monochrome Hyper Matte in Argile to add dimension to the cheekbones.
'I take the bullet - which has this fabulous flat triangle on it - and I run it under the chin and blend it. If ever something is not blending, I take some more skincare and warm it in my hands and push it into the skin,' says Alexander. 'This is a fabulous colour for contouring because it’s cool and it absorbs the light, it isn’t bronzer and it isn’t glam. We chose not to highlight with shimmer as we love the translucence of the serum, the skincare really become the make-up.'
Despite its quirky influences, there's no denying the refined elegance and wearability of this look. Glazed cheekbones have been a huge topic in beauty for a few seasons now, and its refreshing to see the trend evolving into a different yet-no-less covetable form that works beautifully across all seasons. Looks like we'll be swapping our shimmers for eye gloss for the foreseeable.
ELLE Edit: Prada SS24 Make-Up Look
Prada Monochrome Hyper Matte Lipstick in Argile
Prada Dimensions Durable Eyeshadow Palette
Prada Augmented Skin Serum
