Every once in a while, MAC Cosmetics hosts an exclusive presentation featuring celebrities, the country’s top beauty editors, and celebrity makeup artists. More than just a product launch, MAC’s Trend Presentations are an important learning avenue for the country’s tastemakers in terms of forecasting. For Autumn/Winter 2019, concepts like modernism, art deco, suprematism, and romanticism dominated the preview. Some of these looks are a bit too avant garde for everyday life, but as Miranda Priestly points out, the looks we wear everyday are inspired by the runway - one way or another.

As we say hello to the start of August, it’s time to shake up the usual polbo and lip tint look and try out some fresh ideas! Update your face with our top picks of the seasonal trend as interpreted by MAC Senior Artist Regan Rabanal.

Velvet Skin

Matte is out, velvet is in! We just did a feature on velvet lips but this look is translating to face bases as well. What makes velvet skin unique is the soft focus matte finish that looks dry but is not zero-shine. It features a sort of “diffused light” or “soft focus glow.

Regan likes to bathe the skin with the MAC Lightful C skincare, not only for the SPF protection but also for the alluring glow it provides. Try the MAC Lightful C Naturally Flawless SPF35/PA++ Foundation (P2,200 for 30ml) for coverage, and blend a thin layer of powder over it before setting with the MAC Prep+Prime Fix+ Matte (P1,400 for 100ml). The creamy glow buried under a mattifying powder and fixing spray creates that non-flat matte look of velvet.

Graffiti Liner

So many artists and brands have done their own interpretation of graphic liner, but I love Regan’s tip of using a brow pen to first create an outline before committing to an eyeliner! Brow pens have enough ink for you to see if your wings are even, but are easy enough to remove without the stain of an eyeliner. MAC Shape + Shade Brow Tint (P1,400 for 0.95g) is what he used, I believe.

Regan showcased a pretty striking graffiti wing that pulls back to the crease. I find the messiness so interesting! But make no mistake: deliberate messiness requires very specific restraint, and merely ‘scribbling’ it out will yield amateurish results. The weights of the lines and the decisions of where to branch out are very pretty! You don’t need anything else for this look but the MAC Pro Longwear Fluidline in Blacktrack (P1,450 for 3g).

Lived-in Lips

This look is bomb! A reinterpretation of gradient lips, lived-in lips takes it a step further. Whereas gradient lips suggests applying foundation within the lip line as a way to create a smaller lip silhouette, lived-in lips will take product and diffuse it a little over the lip line to create a bigger lip silhouette. You can achieve this same look by using the velvety textured MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick (P1,100 for 3g) and brushing excess product over the lip line.

As you might be able to tell, I am a sucker for velvety treatments! I find them to be very modern, and easily adaptable for everyday makeup looks. If you’re feeling more adventurous and want to try something edgier, here are the other trends and inspirations to look into:

Romanticism

Inspired by 18th century paintings, women’s faces are given a cherubic quality. Pale, glowing, and desaturated, there is no colorful eyeshadow and the base is almost completely set with highlighter. Eyes are accentuated with highlighter as well. The key is using different shade, and limiting all of them to diffused and fine particles. It shouldn’t look wet nor glittery! This is not the time to bust that highlighter on fleek - any glow must be fine and practically imperceptible to the naked eye. A palette such as the MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette (P3,650 for 4.5g x 3) can help you achieve this look.

Colored Highlighter

Now, if you do want to bask in an otherworldly glow, this is a completely different, more modern direction than romanticism. Highlighter formulas now celebrate different hues and textures: metallic, robotic, cybernetic, with different undertones, in colors that range from gold to blue to pink. MAC has a collection of loose MAC Pigments (P700 for 2.5g) to play with!

Graphic Lips

Here is another lip trend to keep an eye on. Graphic lips are a statement, but going bold red is not the only way. Using a dark lip pencil such as MAC Lip Pencil in Plum (P1,200 for 1.45g), simply fill in the top lip and create a thick outline using a lip brush at the bottom lip. Coat generously with clear gloss!

These are the runway and fashion trends MAC has curated for the upcoming season. I’m really loving the mix of both historic and modern influences, and how they translate to fresh, exciting, and inspiring looks. What was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

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