Catwalk beauty trend: power pastels

More punky than pretty, pastels were spotted across every fashion capital, taking up residence on the models’ lids in a variety of guises. At Marc Jacobs the directive for hair and make-up was ‘grown-up pastels’. Make-up artist Diane Kendal interpreted this as sugar-almond swatches of colour against fresh, bare skin devoid of anything prettifying such as blush.

There was a similar mood over at Paul Costelloe, where make-up artist Lisa Potter-Dixon juxtaposed the peach pops with ‘fresh, clear skin and brushed up, boyish brows.’ The key, it seems, is to add elements that keep the pastels from becoming too saccharine. What’s more, now is exactly the time you should be experimenting with colour, albeit of the pale variety: ‘The stronger sunlight gives a warmth to pastels that can appear cold and lifeless in the winter light,’ confirms make-up supremo Ruby Hammer.

But while a flat, matte pastel can look arresting on the catwalks, she notes that for darker skintones in particular it can be a little overkill for everyday life. ‘Just be wary of them appearing chalky,’ Ruby says. ‘That said, if you have the confidence to pull off a milky matte pastel with style, it can look wonderfully striking.’

How to make them as wearable as possible? ‘It’s best to keep things monochrome,’ she says. ‘A coral pastel looks beautiful on eyes, cheeks or lips and don’t forget pastel nails.’ It’s a trick that was employed by make-up artist Tom Pecheux at the Brandon Maxwell show, where he opted for a grown-up cool pink tone as the blusher, lipstick and eyeshadow. ‘Make sure you also frame the brows to add a bit of strength and opt for a thin coat of brown mascara instead of black, which can look too harsh against pastel shades,’ adds Ruby.

And then there’s the question of texture, as a hint of sheen can make all the difference when it comes to wearability. ‘Go for a gloss or cream for the lips and cheeks if you’re wary of pale, while a gentle shimmer on the eyes is super-flattering for older skin types,’ says Ruby.

Images: Getty Images