As I dressed myself in purple yesterday, I thought about where it was I was going that day and who it was that would see me. How many other people would I see that showed their love and support for a community grieving? I had clients all day and figured that I wouldn’t see much throughout the day and that my small act of remembrance for these sad and senseless deaths, would go, for the most part unnoticed. But, as I applied my own makeup in the mirror I realized that the actual act of wearing purple for the day wasn’t really the point. The point was never to have a world that, for one day flashed this vibrant shade (although that would have been a powerful statement all on its own). What mattered was that the act of making sure I had something purple in the wash the week before, then picking the purple garment, and finally the simple yet compellingly powerful reaction I got every time I looked down at the purple that would catch my eye throughout the day, causing me to once again remember why it was that I was doing this. This was what the day was about; it was about remembering. To remember those that we have lost because people choose not to; to remember what it feels like to be different, to be alone, to want to be loved for exactly who you are and always will be – a beautiful person who deserves the world, but more than anything deserves another day alive with the rest of us.
I thought about this and realized that this simple yet effective trigger can help keep these people in our hearts always, and those like them. The act of taking the blinders off and opening your eyes to the world around us is a compelling idea, and one that I challenge all of us to do more. We had a day where wearing purple meant we remembered, but the question I ask all of us is, is today the day we forget?
Of course it isn’t! So in the spirit of this, my Makeup Breakdown this week shows us how to wear purple every day. It doesn’t always have to be external. It doesn’t always have to be this editorial. It just has to be there, in our minds and in our hearts.
To know that it will get better.
For this I picked a shoot in Vogue Nippon with model Dree Hemingway and photographer Nathanial Goldberg. There is a strength and softness to the shoot and especially the makeup, and of course it’s purple. So let’s get started shall we?
1. First off we need to apply Smashbox’s luminous primer over your full face.
2. Next comes MAC’s moisturecover concealer to the areas you need it.
3. Set with a shimmer powder to finish off the foundation work. ( Benefit Show Offs! Shimmer Powder)
4. We want to create a dramatic contrast to the purple, first, so use a shimmery white eyeshadow down the sides of the nose, above (that’s right, above the brow), and the top of the cheek bones. (MAC Crystal Avalanche Eyeshadow)
5. Start with blue shadow and cover the entire lid and under the eye. Then cover the same area with a purple shade, the blue tone underneath giving it depth. Fade the purple all the way up to the brow and out to the temple. This is a large eye that encompasses the entire socket. (Urban Decay Shimmer Eyeshadow)Â You will be following the angle of your brow down and the bottom lash line up into a soft point out towards your temple.
6. The purple shade can also be layered on top of a pink blush and placed in the hollow of the cheek to further emphasize the sculpted look.
7. Use a lavender kohl pencil on the waterline. (Make Up For Ever waterproof kohl pencil)
8. Define your brow with a color to correspond with your hair color, but perhaps for this look a shade or two darker.
9. Finish off with a hearty coat of mascara and a layer of nude lipgloss. (Your fav brand will do.)