NEW ERA : SUPA DUPA FLY

Symone L Winter by Sarah Feingold

Out with the new and in with the old. More than a senseless subversion of a classic, we’re bringing your attention back to a look that carries its own turbulent and tender history. This timeless combination spun heads decades before its recent viral moment on TikTok. Known as a staple look of the 90s, having been donned by all dolls—supermodels Iman and Naomi, culture starlets Aaliyah and Pamela Anderson, all young, pretty, fly Black and Latina hip-hop fans, it’s a look that always circles back.

Toasty brown liner contrasted with high-shine clear gloss: A lip combination renowned for its instant vixen-making effect, the roots of this look trace back to communities of colour. It is a creative solution born out of the once ultra-limited options available on beauty shelves for Black and Latina women.

At a time when department store shelves were predominantly filled with foundation shades ranging from pale to cream, with very few lipstick options suitable as an everyday choice for those with darker-skinned complexions, the affordable brown or black brow pencils and eyeliners sitting alongside tubes of gloss created a pairing that has remained relevant for decades. Even for those of us who don’t keep an arsenal of beauty products in our vanity, this lip combo requires only two main players, but our rendition is about more than just the lips. Skin is paramount here: no heavy contouring or blush needed. We want it icy clean with warm, shimmering highlights for a healthy glow.

SKIN

For this look, the initial step involved clearing and prepping the skin. Maintaining a minimalist base, the focus was on giving our beautiful muse a bronze, healthy glow achieved first using MAC Cosmetics’ Strobe Cream in Goldlite. This not only served to moisturise and prepare the higher points of the face but also doubled as a shimmer-infused highlighter. In combination with Fenty Beauty’s lightweight Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer, it locked in fresh hydration and created an ideal base for foundation products.

Next, we went in with Chanel’s Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint—a lightweight, buildable product that seamlessly blends and melts into the skin and offers a gorgeous bare-skin effect. The formula is light and workable, so we suggest applying it to the face with your fingers for optimal blending.

To brighten the complexion, a single dot of MAC Cosmetics’ Pro Longwear Concealer was applied under each eye and blended. Less is more here: due to the product’s thickness, a minimal amount was enough for high-grade coverage. Wanting to add dimension to facial angles and introduce some warmth, we opted for MAC’s Studio Fix Sculpt and Shape Contour Palette in shade Medium/Dark.

The Prep + Prime Highlighter played a crucial role in bringing a sheer, sultry brightness to the cheekbones, while the Simi Haze Skin Suede Melting Balm in shade #04 Terracotta was applied to essential areas—apples of the cheeks, temples, and just above each brow—for an extra touch of warmth. A light application of Chanel’s Natural Finish Loose Powder, using a large, fluffy brush, beneath the eyes, on the temples, and around the nose and chin, helped mattify and set the products in place.

For a touch of transparent shine, the Hydra Melt Dewy Skin Balm from Simi Haze was applied to the cheekbones, the tip and bridge of the nose, and under the eyebrows—anywhere you desire to attract and reflect light.

EYES

We opted for a simple eye makeup approach to anchor the focus on the lips. Starting with MAC Cosmetics’ Brow Set brush-on gel, we shaped, cleaned up, and refined the brows, securing and setting the hairs in place.

Next, MAC’s Eye Kohl in the warm bronze shade Teddy was applied to the upper lash line. To soften and blend the liner out, we used MAC’s Single Eyeshadow in the shade Sandstone, utilising a flat defining brush to extend the liner’s wearability by working it into the shadow pigment. Starting with the product a bit further away from the lash line, blend out the liner using the shadow powder along the width of the lash line. This gives a more intense, diffuse, and hazy effect.

A few coats of SimiHaze Beauty’s Easy Lash Mascara were then swept over the upper and lower lashes. Finish the eyes by applying SimiHaze’s Hydra Melt Dewy Skin Balm to the brow bone for a lovely and subtle transparent highlight.

LIPS

As standard practice, we prepare the lips with Mac Cosmetics’ Lip Conditioner to ensure maximum hydration. Make sure 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 moisturising step—allowing plenty of time for the product to work its magic.

Outline the lips with MAC Cosmetics’ Lip Pencil in Cork and then double-line with their darker Lip Pencil in Chestnut, gently buffing both products towards the centre of the lip for a seamless look. We want to double up on the liner here and retrace the mouth with the Lip Pencil in Chestnut, making sure that the outline of the lips are intense, clean, and precise. Lastly, grab a flat pencil brush for lip gloss application, taking care that we don’t mix the distinct elements of the lip combination together. We used Topicals Slick Salve Mint Lip Balm in the transparent shade Glass Slipper.

If you recreate, remix, or reimagine this look, we’d love to know: tag us on Instagram with #NBGANewEra.

Symone L Wynter by Sarah Feingold
Hair: Sergio Estrada
Make-Up: Mollie Gloss
Light by Matthew Yoscary

Produced for NBGA in New York

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