The line between art and beauty has blurred this season. Illamasqua’s creative director Alex Box takes us on a journey through her favourite art movements told via make-up.
Photography: Malcolm Pate. Beauty Director: Joanna McGarry
Cubism
Spearheaded by Pablo Picasso, cubism reigned in the early 20th century. Subjects were deconstructed and reconstructed from a multitude of angles. Box’s take on the movement uses, “distorted perspectives and layers to create a geometric surface that pushes and pulls the perception of the face.”
Make-up: Aquacolour Make-up 070 White, £7.99, Kryolan; Powder Blusher in Hussy, £16.50, Illamasqua; Illusions D’Ombres De Chanel in Emerveille, £22.50, Chanel; Crayon Intense Eyeliner White, £16.50, Dolce & Gabbana; Powder Eye Shadow in Feline, £15.50, Illamasqua; Purity Nail Varnish, £13.50, Illamasqua
Dadaism
Dadaism dominated art and design from 1916 to 1922. With a palpable humour, the Dadaists actively ridiculed the perceived pointlessness of the modern world. Here, Box reflects its absurdity by, “showing how you get there with visable safety pins.”
Make-up: Diorskin Nude Fluid Foundation in Ivory, £29.50, Dior; Sheer Finish Pressed Powder, £22, Bobbi Brown; New York Dream Touch Blush in Plum, £6.49, Maybelline; Artliner, £19.90, Lancôme; Lipstick in Box, £15.50, and Sealing Gel, £10.50, Illamasqua
Postmodernism
Postmodernism gained momentum as a movement in the late 20th and early 21st centuries and is characterised by the desire to find new angles. “The Postmodernism movement is all about new interpretations,” says Box. “I took a classic Forties look and juxtoposed it with a jarring modern twist – it’s a reinvention.”
Make-up: Poudre Universelle Compacte, £28, Chanel; Gleam Cream, £23, Illamasqua; Pure Colour Eye Shadow in Sepia Sand Satin, £16, Estée Lauder; Eyeliner Cake in Mislead, £15.50, Illamasqua; Double Wear Stay-In-Place Gel Eyeliner, £15.50, Estée Lauder; Color Sensational The Shine in Cherry Candy, £7.19, Maybelline
Romanticism
With a bias towards emotional subject matter, the romantic era spanned the art, literary and intellectual worlds during the early 19th century. “This is the antithesis of Cubism. It’s a feeling,” says Box. “She’s drenched in emotion and the effect has no edges.”
Make-up: Pore Refining Primer, £24, NARS; SkinBase 2, £25, Illamasqua; Shimmer Blush in Plum Wine, £16, Bobbi Brown; High Beam, £18.50, Benefit; Metallic Eye Shadow in Rockstar 11, £15, Bobbi Brown; Pure Pigment in Furore, £15.50, Illamasqua
Baroque
Translating as ‘rough pearl’, the baroque movement of the 1600s was defined by dramatic intimations of grandeur. Of her interpretation, Box says, “I was inspired by decaying flaked paintings, the adornments reference the jewels of the time.”
Make-up: Single Shadow in Etrusque, £16.50, NARS; Precision Ink in Alchemy, £17, and Pressed Powder in White, £19.50, Illamasqua; Bare Minerals Rose Radiance, £19, Bare Escentuals; PowderBlush in Smouldering Plum, £19, Clinique; Gloss d’Armani 502, £21, Giorgio Armani.
