Joan Smalls posted this selfie of her Alvin Ailey Gala makeup with the caption, “Feeling a bit #emo tonight.”
But exactly how did she pull it off without looking like a witchy schoolgirl? Close analysis (Read: Lots of zooming in, lip biting, and head tilting) revealed there were a few tricks for making this look work.
1. The finish: This shade is the darkest of the dark so matte would have looked severe and dry. And a high sheen would’ve been very “teenager trying too hard.” This midway-point stain is perfection.
2. The rest of her makeup is simple: Perfected and polished skin and brows. A zippy, graphic swipe of electric blue shadow. And “graphic” is key here. Smudgy, smoky shadow would have taken this look to vampire bride territory.
3. She’s a supermodel: Let’s face it. Joan is otherworldly beautiful, but the rest of us can still make the lip work with a little makeup help (see above). Even skin and bold brows are key.
4. The dress: It’s elegant and chic. No lace. No cut-outs. Just gorgeous satin simplicity…there’s a theme.
5. The hair: It’s pin straight and perfectly coiffed. A prim chignon would’ve also worked but anything else more eye-catching (curls, a messy updo) would compete too much with the lipstick.
This look fits perfectly into our growing collection of weirdly beautiful, darkly ethereal makeup inspiration. There’s some serious makeup mastery at work here. Most of all, though, we’re loving how this look isn’t the either/or situation usually associated with bold lips or statement eyes. It’s both, and we think she’s pulling it off marvelously.
Let us know what you think, though — are we the only ones planning on wearing this exact makeup really soon?
Source – essence.com,
