Extreme Beauty

THE MAJOR MAKEUP STATEMENT ON THE RUNWAYS THIS SEASON: CLEAN, FRESH SKIN CONTRASTED WITH A SINGLE ELEMENT SO BOLD TO THE POINT OF BEING WEIRD – AND WEIRDLY AWESOME. (HELLO, PROSTHETIC HEADS AND EYEBALLS AT GUCCI, AND ALIENESQUE PAINTED FACES AT MOSCHINO.) HERE, FIVE TRENDS THAT’LL LET YOU GET YOUR FREAK ON THE CHIC WAY.

THE MAJOR MAKEUP STATEMENT ON THE RUNWAYS THIS SEASON: CLEAN, FRESH SKIN CONTRASTED WITH A SINGLE ELEMENT SO BOLD TO THE POINT OF BEING WEIRD – AND WEIRDLY AWESOME. (HELLO, PROSTHETIC HEADS AND EYEBALLS AT GUCCI, AND ALIENESQUE PAINTED FACES AT MOSCHINO.) HERE, FIVE TRENDS THAT’LL LET YOU GET YOUR FREAK ON THE CHIC WAY.

TEXT SOFIA KIM PHOTOGRAPHY STEFAN KHOO STYLING JONATHAN CHIA HAIR KEN HONG MAKEUP PETER KHOR MODELS NORA S/MANNEQUIN & ZITA D/AVE

LIGHT UP YOUR FACE: Glow remains the beauty buzzword, but this takes things up a few notches. Models at the arty-meets-feminine Preen by Thornton Bregazzi had their foreheads dusted with glitter for an ethereal halo effect, while at Giambattista Valli, makeup artist Val Garland swathed entire faces with holographic glitter. “Sometimes, (this girl) goes a little crazy, and decides to jump on a horse and go to the nightclub,” Garland says of the inspiration behind the latter look. For something more suitable for day: Go light on the iridescence – or limit it to just one or two spots.

GO PICASSO WITH THE LINER: An artier, more graphic take on last season’s deconstructed eyeliner look, it can range from extreme, crystal-studded, Crayola-bright cat eyes at Prada to abstract, freestyle lines as seen at brands as diverse as Jeremy Scott, Louis Vuitton and Jason Wu. Its playful, made-for-editorial effect means that there are few rules. A piece of advice though: It’s the perfect chance to experiment with coloured liners like the ones from Dior’s Diorshow On Stage collection – 17 unexpected shades (price unavailable) like pink and turquoise in matte or shimmering finishes, all water-proof. Top, Bottega Veneta

GET MASSIVE WITH THE BOUFFANT: Fashion hair god Guido Palau teased models’ locks at Miu Miu vertiginously high for a rebellious take on ladylike’50s-style dos. And then he went even bigger and higher at Valentino’s Fall Couture show in July (a feat that reportedly took 50 wigs, 150 hours of prep and 11 staff – and a sure sign of the return of glamorous, gravity-defying bombshell hair). No backcombing is needed, according to the local experts we spoke to. What is: lots of crimping for volume, wax and hairspray (we recommend Percy & Reed’s Up, Up & Away Root Lift Mousse, $29, and Verb’s Volume Spray, $24). Top, Diane von Furstenberg

BRIGHTEN UP THE EYESHADOW: At Salvatore Ferragamo, it was blue or orange. At Marni, there was pink. At Altuzarra, purple... You get the idea. A palette comes in handy in such times – try Urban Decay’s travel-convenient Born To Run ($76), with 21 rich yet easily blendable shades spanning modern neutrals to shimmery copper and matte fuchsia.

BE UNAPOLOGETIC WITH THE RED LIPSTICK: Yes, the look’s a classic. Nothing new. Yet its impact as a symbol of womanliness is particularly powerful set against the ongoing women’s empowerment movement. Dolce & Gabbana, Rochas and Alexander McQueen all agree – and that’s just a few of them. Choice of shade and finish doesn’t matter as long as you lay it on bold. One we’re currently obsessed with: Estee Lauder’s smooth, full-coverage Pure Color Envy Paint-on Liquid Lipcolor in the vinyl-like, crimson-hued Lava Flow ($50).

HELLO BRIGHT EYES

Glowing skin, check. Flawless makeup, check. Bright eyes that dazzle? You might need some help with that. Bausch + Lomb’s Lacelle Grace Daily disposable contact lenses in Crystal Brown, Twinkle Brown and Sparkling Black (with a unique intricate design) can give you that added sparkle. These ultra-comfortable lenses have a 55 per cent water content and highly moisturising Methacrylic Acid (MAA), and can be worn all day so you will always have that subtle twinkle in your eye.

Available at $60 per box of 30 pieces, or at a promotional price of $100 for two boxes and $190 for four boxes, from leading optical chains and retail outlets.

TRAVEL BUDDY

Packing for a vacation is always a struggle: What makeup do you take with you, and what skincare will you need? One item that you should never leave home without is Bio Oil. The all-in-one moisturising oil isn’t just travel-friendly (it comes in a 60ml bottle, so you don’t even need to check it in), it’s also a miracle worker for dehydrated skin, a makeup remover, cuticle nourisher and – if need be – even a shaver oil. It is infused with a unique Purcellin Oil complex, which helps all active ingredients get rapidly absorbed into skin, leaving it feeling soft and supple, without any oily residue.

From $15.50, in three sizes (60ml, 125ml, and 200ml), at leading pharmacies, selected department stores and hospitals.

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