Like your high-school spirit week or a ’70s costume party, fashion is always more fun with a theme. But since such dress-up opportunities don’t come around all that often, it’s exciting to see a blast-from-the-past trend that’s now often seen as costume-y get some play in the real world — which is exactly what happened at New York Fashion Week this season.
On the heels of last year’s Euphoria makeup moment, which showed up on runways in the form of rhinestones and sparkly eyeshadow, this past week saw another beauty theme baked into numerous designer presentations: a hard nod to punk rock, some loosely referencing Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (which, by no coincidence, is currently topping the box-office charts).
From heart-stamped face paint at Christian Siriano to the revival of chipped nail polish at Khaite, scroll through to get inspired by the high-fashion beauty trend that feels as fresh and timely now as it did at CBGB in 1975.
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Face Paint
Erin Parsons, the lead makeup artist for Christian Siriano, looked to Harley Quinn as the jumping-off point for the designer’s Fall/Winter 2020 show. “Inspired by shiny flecks in the fashion collection and the Birds of Prey star, I recreated the comic-book character’s signature dark eyeliner and the heart tattoo on her cheek,” Parsons says. “I added an orchid-pink lip for a finished look that was equal parts sexy and strong.”
Maybelline Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Color in Creator, $, available at Target
Maybelline Maybelline Hyper Easy Waterproof Liquid Liner In Pitch Black, $, available at Ulta BeautyPhoto: IMaxTree.
Slick Hairstyles
Hairstylist Laurent Philippon calls the slick hairstyle he executed at Christian Cowan’s runway show “rock n’ roll.” The hair pro used Bumble and Bumble styling products to create an inverted French twist, roughed up to give it a mullet vibe. “I used Sumogel to pull strands out around the face, then spritzed Sumo Liquid Wax+ Finishing Spray for buildable separation, light hold, and natural sheen,” Philippon says.
Bumble and bumble Bb. sumogel, $, available at Sephora
Bumble and bumble Bumble and bumble Sumo Liquid Wax+ Finishing Spray, $, available at Bumble and bumblePhoto: IMaxTree.
Vampy Lips
The dark purple-black lip color stood out among the romantic floral displays at this season’s Rodarte show. Makeup artist James Kaliardos partnered with Nars to create the final look, which featured a deep plum lip lined with the brand’s Precision Lip Liner — in the blue-black shade Star Rockin’ — and filled with Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu and Audacious Lipstick in Liv.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, $, available at NARS
NARS Precision Lip Liner in Star Rockin, $, available at NARSPhoto: IMaxTree.
Chipped Nail Polish
Nail pro Jin Soon Choi and Khaite designer Catherine Holstein dreamed up the season’s most unexpected manicure: glossy black and purposefully chipped. Choi, who describes the look as “effortlessly cool,” says she created it using her Absolute Black polish and a glossy top coat, then used a brush dipped in nail polish remover to chip away the tips.
JINsoon Absolute Black, $, available at JinSoon
JINsoon HyperGloss, $, available at JinSoonPhoto: Courtesy of JinSoon.
Bright Hair Color
Day-Glo hair accompanied the trench coats and rubber-soled boots at Rag & Bone’s Fall/Winter 2020 presentation. Hairstylist Anthony Turner used custom wigs for each model, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find similar options elsewhere — or go the Billie Eilish route and try the trend for real.
Feshfen Pink Ombre Heat Resistant Short Bob Wig, $, available at FeshfenPhoto: IMaxTree.
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