WET & ALL SET: The four faces of summer

Humidity works in our favor this summer. When it comes to beauty, two things are happening. First, dews and glows are returning with exaggerated flair. Second, those who couldn’t care less about trends are bound to get trendy. All of which blend in perfectly with our summer-all-year weather (with the exception of this week, which has been pretty chilly).

At the MAC SS17 Pro Tour held recently at Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu, Los Angeles-based director of makeup artistry Gregory Arlt, who is also responsible for creating looks for beauty icons like Gwen Stefani, Dita Von Teese, Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller, laid down the trends for the season.

Summarized in four easy-to-remember words — Real, Free, Wet and Warm — these trends are not the type you mix and match. Their defining qualities stand out, and can each be achieved using one product. The following are the sought-after looks backstage at spring/summer Fashion Week, where MAC did looks for a total of 195 shows.

We obsess over good lighting and this is how you get it everywhere. “Wet” is the fashion industry’s response to the fine-tuned approach to mass culture beauty. “Glosses, oils and shines look authentic, as though they come from within the skin. Shimmers and powders always tend to look more like makeup,” says Garland.

Because the “Wet” trend implies texture, less is indeed more. As Barber points out, applying gloss must be strategic. “It all looks massaged in, not artificial, and is very specifically placed.” He is referring to the eyes, cheeks, lips and temples.

“It’s luminous, hydrated, dewy, not gooey skin,” says Arlt. He uses MAC’s bestselling Strobe Creams, which comes in a variety of shades, from Gold, to Peach, to Silver and Red. For the skin, he likes to use Prep + Prime Essential Oil and Essential Oil Stick. For a more precision gleam, he recommends MAC Gloss Texture Cream.

LET’S BE REAL

“Real,” as Arlt describes, shows an unfiltered realness to makeup. “It’s a little lived-in, but not undone,” he says. “Real” ranges from bare-faced and groomed to stronger looks that are broken down. “Everything feels very easy, unforced,” says Val Garland.

Arlt creates clean, beautiful skin using MAC Studio Fix Sticks and Next to Nothing Face Color, with a statement of color on the mouth using MAC Retro Matte lipstick. Should you want definition on the eyes, try Arlt’s “apply and deny” trick, in which you apply a matte, neutral eyeliner or shadow, and then blend it neatly and seamlessly across the lashline or all over the lids.

FREE-FORM, IT SEEMS

If freedom is doing whatever the hell you want, then the “Free” trend is applying makeup without being bound by rules. You can skip the heavy foundation — if you like, because this trend is always worn against nothing else. Ignoring rules on placement, MAC makeup artist Alex Box describes it as “a marking rather than a classic beauty gesture,” enhancing the features in a non-traditional sense. But although it comes across as naïve, it’s not without technique. “Seeming spontaneity is more difficult to craft than perfection,” says Terry Barber.

Arlt describes it as artisanal and inspired by the graphic ‘80s. He uses MAC Chroma Line Graphic Pencils and color mascara to achieve the look.

WARMING: EXTREMELY HOT

Arlt describes this look in a way that we all can understand: “Think Giselle, ‘90s supermodel, golden bronze skin.” The “Warm” trend is feminine, and inspired by an organic palette of heated shades, soft washes and tints. “The modern way to wear them is in textures that have an affinity with the complexion.” Translated from Greek: this means you should see skin through them. They should bring life to the face. “Peach, pink and tan look alive and fresh when applied with transparency,” says Mark Carrasquillo. Giselle example aside, this is the trend that’s easiest to achieve.

“It’s a comforting bronzing story,” says Arlt. For a warm, sunkissed look, Alrt uses a cream color base and dusts points on the face with MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Show Gold, Soft Frost, or Beaming Blush, topped with Loose Powder in Touch My Body.