How to get larger-than-life, theatrical eyes that pop

For the better part of the past two years, our faces have been covered up, with only our eyes getting the action. But as we look ahead to a new year with a renewed sense of positivity — all our facial features are itching to get some attention and make a statement. Whether it be a squiggle of eyeliner, a graphic shape or a boldly splattered placement of colour — the playful use of eyeshadow and colour as a whole, brings out a childlike creativity in makeup. 

At Libertine, models were sent out with bold, red lips paired with sooty, kohl liner that in past years would have felt too overpowering but now felt surprisingly necessary.  A throwback to children’s face paint and nostalgia was the mood at Paul and Joe as asymmetrical face painted eyes featuring imperfect cloud and flower shapes and paired with pared back skin provided just the right injection of visual joy. 

At Del Core, eyes were painted with wild abandon with all the colours of the rainbow, creating a messy wash of contrasting hues. From statement eyes layered with look-at-me lashes to lips glazed with gloss or vinyl colour — throw the rule book out the window.  It’s all a about a total no-holds-barred, more-is-more approach to makeup.

We chat to makeup artist, Alex Botha, about how to achieve the perfect graphic eye and strike a balance when incorporating statement staples.

What was the inspiration for the look created for the shoot? It was a collaboration between fashion editor Sahil Harilal, photographer Aart Verrips and myself. For me personally, our model, Sue’s skin was my inspiration.  Her deep dark skin tone paired with something cool and chalky was a great juxtaposition. 

HOW TO CREATE A GRAPHIC, CHALKY EYE WITH MAXIMUM PAYOFF

1. Use good quality makeup as you need maximum pigment pay off.
2. Always have a mixing medium at hand when wanting to create a creative look.
3. You can scrape any eyeshadow and make your own paint. I used Duraline from Inglot mixed with a Bperfect eyeshadow. 
4. Avoid too many layers to prevent cracking, have enough product on your brush when starting each stroke.
5. Trace your lines first before applying pigment with a flat, dense brush.
6. Block out eyebrows for maximum impact of eyes. Use a clean mascara wand, dip it into a cream concealer in your skin shade and brush onto eyebrows.
7. Finish off with a pair of statement lashes.

3 TIPS TO AMP UP LASHES:

1. Don't be scared to cut false lashes along the strip and apply in 3 to 4 parts for an easy fit and application.
2. Individual lashes on the ends of your lash line create a more “cat eye” effect. One can always cut a strip lash in two and just use half a lash on the outer corner of the eye. Apply mascara afterwards so everything looks unified.
3. When applying mascara, push the brush into your lash line, closing up any gaps between skin and hair. Have an earbud handy to clean away any product that may have smudged on the lid.

DOs AND DON'Ts OF GLOSS LIPS

“DO pair and bright glossy lips with a nude eye. Gloss can be very overpowering so balance is key.  DON'T go mental on the eye if the lip gloss is bold.  That being said, I love  gloss, it really does help give smaller lips the illusion of being bigger.”

EYE MAKEUP TRENDS ON OUR RADAR:

“Graphic liner in any colour, shape and form has maximum impact. Keep it classic or make it punk. My absolute favourite, paired with a lash.”

EYE MAKEUP TREND TO LET GO OF:

“Definitely the cut crease and overdoing skin.”

THE KIT:

1. Inglot Duraline, R269, Edgars
2. Erborian CC Crème High Definition Radiance Face Cream in Caramel, 15ml, R390, Arc 
3. Lottie London Hy-Glow Jelly Hybrid Highlighter in Hyper, R120, Superbalist 
4. Huda Beauty Faux Mink Lashes in Farah #12, R385, Arc
5. Essence Ice, Ice Baby Eyeshadow Palette, R88, Superbalist 
6. Revlon Colorstay Skin Awaken 5-in-1 Concealer in 070 Nutmeg, 8ml, R180, Clicks 
7. WBeauty Ultimate Colour Lip Gloss in Black Cherry, R159, Woolworths

STOCKISTS:

• Edgars
• Arc
• Superbalist
• Clicks
• Woolworths