NEW ERA : MIDNIGHT COWGIRL

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it’s also on the lips of the beheld. When it comes to achieving the perfect glam for a night out, most of us are blindly guided by instinct to reach for our most neutral cold-tone shadow palettes: black, grey, silver, plum, icy blue. Maybe we’ll also throw on a wispy false lash and sharpen our faces with a warm contour if we’re feeling particularly daring. “Dark glam” has long been synonymous with a very specific kind of drama: charcoal, sooty eye makeup and satin red lips.

While a smokey eye is certainly a nightlife staple in its own right, sometimes a beauty look, both sultry and mysterious, can be accomplished in lesser known ways. Shimmering metallics, almost-bare skin, blue-black lipstick, and dewy eyes are the key components of the pictured look. Flirting with transgression while maintaining wearability, the pop-of-colour lip and bare eye combination delivers a desired hint of mystery while subverting every rule that’s been written about how to wear your makeup on a night out.

This fresh, timeless twist on nocturnal beauty—modelled by our muse Adele—is all about the lips as a focal point. Deep, black lips paired with a light, sheer single-shade shadow creates a contrast that effortlessly channels the initial inspiration: moon, stars, and city life. “I was inspired by the unpredictable mystery of nightlife. The endless possibilities of a night have always felt thrilling to me,” renowned makeup conceptualist and photographer, Sarah Feingold, confessed about the look. “When you’re looking at a city at night, from faraway, it seems so silent and dreamy. Almost cinematic. The lights of the city are twinkling like stars, but then you get closer and you become aware of all the noise, the dark alleys, dances, drunkenness, the commotion.”

This look demands minimal special techniques to execute, so you can recreate it at home before your next outing. The vital element is bringing attention to the mouth, so we want to focus on using a rich, dark colour that contrasts the nakedness of the eyes. Deep plum, wine reds, black-reds, and chocolate shades can all provide a great base for a standout lip.

SKIN

Achieving a natural, dewy facial surface is the first essential aspect of this look. The first step was applying Chanel Hydra Beauty Cream topped with Mac Cosmetics’ Strobe Cream in Pinklite to moisturise the skin prior to applying foundation. The Strobe Cream’s reflective pigments work as a moisturising highlighter and give a super smooth base to work with.

Adele’s skin appears nearly bare, with MAC Cosmetics’ Studio Radiance Serum-Powdered Foundation offering light coverage and a radiant base. The foundation has a smooth texture and is buildable, perfectly in sync with the natural, glowy look we aimed to create. For the finishing touch, we used Espressoh’s Dewy Latte glow booster on the tip of the nose, along the cheekbones, and in the innermost corners of the eyes.

It’s worth noting that no concealer was used for this look, allowing the skin to retain its natural, moisturized appearance. We simply added an extra layer of the foundation under the eyes and around the mouth to lighten any dark shadows.

EYES

You won’t have to worry about palette fatigue—when it comes to the eyes, there’s no need for any complex smudging, blending, or baking. Keep them light and airy, focusing on brightening the corners of the eyes. Byredo’s Kayal Pencil in the shade Kali Kali was used to create definition on the top lash line, and a few coats of Mac Cosmetics’ Gigablack Lash were applied to the lashes. To enhance that glow we created on the skin, we used that white shimmer shade from Isamaya’s Industrial 2.0 Colour Pigments palette to highlight the corners of the eyes.

LIPS

To prepare the lips, we applied Mac Cosmetics’ Lip Conditioner to ensure hydration. Ensure that the lips are dry and clean before product application to enhance the longevity of the lip liner.

A noteworthy tip is to incorporate the lip conditioner during the initial application of the Strobe Cream—allowing plenty of time for the product to work its magic.

Outline the lips with Mac Cosmetics’ Eye Kohl pencil in Feline, gently buffing it towards the centre of the lip for a seamless look. For optimal contrast, we double-lined the lips which created a fortified base. We then applied the dark blue shade from Isamaya French’s Industrial Colour Pigments 1.0 eyeshadow palette, dabbing the pigment onto the lips before adding the glittery turquoise shade from Isamaya’s Industrial Colour Pigments 2.0 palette. While applying the pigment, take care to place a cosmetic tissue just beneath the lip to avoid transferring residue and to safeguard the foundation.

To complete the metallic effect and add a hint of luxury, we topped the lips off with MAC’s Reflects Transparent Teal sparkling white glitter. Finally: clean up the borders of the lips with your concealer and a slightly pointed concealer brush, blending it outwards into your foundation for a super crisp line.

We sealed the ‘border’ by lightly powdering with Mac Cosmetics’ Studio Fix Powder to lock in the product and prevent smudging.

Adele Ruboneka by Sarah Feingold
Hair: Rachel Polycarpe
Make-Up: Mollie Gloss
Light by Matthew Yoscary

Produced for NBGA in New York

Dominique Mkhonza

Editor