THIS is the year that we can flout makeup rules. With brow bars and salons inaccessible to most of us for most of the last 10 months, we’ve finally seen less of the Instagram brow trend. We’ve also seen looks that are more authentic and not just for social media. For Spring Summer 2021, MAC Cosmetics’ makeup references are “relatable, accessible, inspirational and desirable.”
“Beauty feels less generationally divided now,” said Lyne Desnoyers, executive director of makeup artistry at MAC.
“There are as many Gen-Zers as 50-year-olds choosing to style themselves with a stripped-back bare face or really embrace their creative color. This ageless thing is really important. Whether you are into highly creative ‘fashion’ makeup or straight-up beauty looks, your choice should be honored, cherished, nurtured and respected, whatever your age,” said MAC Senior Artist Keri Blair.
There is less obsession about being perfect so goodbye (for now) to Instagram brows.
What we’re seeing are four trends that perfectly encapsulate our new realities: Natural, Glam, Blur and DIY.
NATURAL
“THIS is about makeup that doesn’t look like makeup but is very groomed,” said Terry Barber, director of makeup artistry at MAC. Skin on camera now plays a key part in the way that we do our makeup.
“It’s lighting, it’s lifestyle. It’s our new reality of constantly being in front of a screen,” said Desnoyers.
“Our need for connection on screens means we want skin that feels fresh and filtered. Cameras and lighting affect everything,” said Blair.
The skin is enhanced, not covered in foundation. Skin looks healthy and clean but not necessarily flawless.
- Natural Essentials: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, Prep+ Prime Fix+, Mineralize Blush and Glow Play Lip Balm
GLAM
We’re all wearing masks when we’re out of the house so it’s all about the eyes. So where do we turn to for eye makeup inspiration? For the Glam trend, MAC points to the 1960s, 1970s and the supermodel side of the 1990s—elegant shadows, stretched lashes and beautiful brows.
“The color palette, shape, texture and the attention to details of these decades is here but now it is completely decluttered,” said Lyne Desnoyers.
The key development in eye dressing right now is that they’re briefer, lighter and less concerned about looking luxurious. Brows are a “personal identifier,” said MAC Senior Artist Fatima Thomas. “Open up the brow so that it has a streamlined look that is more like an eyebrow than a drawing.”
“I like to feel the hairiness of a brow now, so it’s got texture rather than a flat blockiness to it,” said makeup artist Steve Huynh.
- Glam Essentials: Clear Lipglass, MAC Lash, Dazzle Eye Shadow Extreme and Matte Lipstick
BLUR
THIS look is all about soft focus beauty mostly using MAC’s Powder Kiss products. “Powder Kiss Eye Shadows almost work like a blush…they are finer and skin-like, beautifying rather than theatrical; this allows makeup wearers to be more adventurous with color because they are so flattering and easy to apply,” said Barber.
Beauty is much more forgiving right now.
“At its most natural, this is as close to makeup reflecting real life as you can get, imitating blood under the skin, a light shadow under the eyes…all the very small tweaks that again have a range. It can also be pushed to sophisticated versions that come with layering several colors in an ombre,” said Desnoyers.
- Blur Essentials: Powder Kiss Lipstick, Strobe Cream, Powder Kiss Liquid Lip Colour and Glow Play Blush
DIY
“THIS individualistic and expressive direction is about seeing makeup as a delightful accessory instead of a curative necessity,” said Thomas. It’s all about inclusion, diversity and celebrating differences. Desnoyers said this is makeup that “is still about choosing a feature and pushing it to the max with a painterly approach of playing with proportion and color and in a highly individual way.”
“Sometimes people don’t apply makeup to make themselves look prettier. It’s a style thing. This type of makeup is so completely self-owned,” said Barber.
- DIY Essentials: Art Library Palette in It’s Designer, Brushstroke Liner, Powder Blush and Lip Liner
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