Back in February, at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week shows that took place in New York, Paris, and Milan, beauty took an evolution from innocent to goth. Suddenly it was declared that the biggest and boldest beauty trend for Autumn/Winter 2009 would be the black (or close to black) lip. We saw it everywhere - Rachel Roy, Yves Saint Laurent, Tuleh, Catherine Holstein and more. At this point, it was time to let our inner 'emo' personality out of its little black hole to come out and play!
I don't know if the dark mood of these key makeup artists which created the looks for these shows, had to do with the fact that the world was at its worst economic point in modern history; or maybe they were just sick of making models look pretty? Either way, one thing was clear - the blacker the better, and we had better braced ourselves because the call for a dark Autumn and Winter had been unleashed.
Whether or not you consider it actually wearable, it's pretty much evident that the black lip trend isn't going anywhere; at least for now. Since September pretty much every large beauty brand has unleashed their dark inspirations in one way or another. Let's go through a quick breakdown of some notables, shall we?
- MAC Cosmetics just launched an noir inspired collection appropriately called, Style Black. The collection which is fully inspired and based on the color black, is as they say, "From “Back to Black” beehive and eyeliner to Steven “80s” Sprouse-in-the-House kohl and fringe to Gareth Pugh London New Goth, Black is simply beyond." The collection is a bit intimidating just by looking at the promo images, however MAC has successfully created a line of wearable items which include mineralized eyeshadows, black-based glosses, and the most gorgeous black-based nail lacquers that this Autumn/Winter will ever see. Oh yeah, and of course, the collection wouldn't be complete without a creamy true black lipstick (Black Knight - used at Tuleh A/W '09) and black gloss (Blackware). The collection is available online now at MACCosmetics.com
- Urban Decay who's always been known for their edginess, beat everyone to the punch when they released their first ever black lipstick called Oil Slick, back in August with their Fall 2009 collection. The lipstick itself is a glossy black shade (not exactly opaque) which is infused with a touch of microsparkles. Check out Oil Slick at UrbanDecay.com
- Chanel will be introducing their dark inspired collection, Noirs Obscurs; which will hit counters this November. The collection itself is a play on black which features three limited-edition lipsticks, all black-based, each with a different, nuanced undertone. While this collection isn't entirely black (Coco is way too classy for that anyway), it's more about capturing the enigmatic essence, seduction and sophistication of the color. Peter Phillips (Creative Director) has take the black trend and has turned it from goth to luxury while capturing many of the nuances and undertones of the classic shade. The collection which also features an eyeshadow quad, new mascara, and nail lacquers will be available on counters and online this November. CHANEL.com
What are your thoughts on the black lip trend? Wearable? Or just pure fashion? Discuss!
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