Art and cosmetics are made for each other

Makeup and art are inextricably linked. The face is the canvas, and the make-up is the paint. Makeup artist Serge Lutens in the 80s painted on the faces of models not ordinary arrows and well-defined lips, but practically paintings worthy of an exhibition in a museum of modern art. Now creative makeup is already included in the mandatory list of skills of every professional makeup artist. Green lips and blue arrows, a blue rectangle all over the face and red lines along the eyelids – every season, models with incredible make-up walk the catwalk, as if its creators were flipping through the albums of Roy Lichtenstein and Mark Rothko.

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And in the world of cosmetics and perfumery, creative directors of brands introduce us to the masters of contemporary art and the main art trends through jars and bottles. Stockholm-based perfume house Byredo launches Bal D’Afrique, a tribute to the craze for African culture in the 1920s. On the bottle of the Pharell Williams Girl fragrance is a miniature from a new star in the art sky, an artist with the pseudonym KAWS. Yves Saint Laurent has eye shadow in shades of the costumes of the Diaghilev Russian ballet. A few years ago, Chanel literally released a palette of lipsticks – each shade was hidden in a tube, like oil paint.

But the leader of this entire cosmetic art movement is the American brand NARS. They have more than one collaboration with artists, photographers and designers. François Nars, the creator of the brand, has worked on hundreds of shoots in his life and is familiar with the best of the best in the art world. Therefore, the annual art-themed makeup collections are both an homage to the great artists of bygone years and a tribute to contemporaries whom Nars admires.

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For example, in 2012, NARS collaborated with the Andy Warhol Foundation. Eye shadow, blush, nail polish and lip gloss in bright, neon colors were reminiscent of the artist’s iconic portrayal of actress Marilyn Monroe. Warm red lipstick is a reminder of that very picture with a can of soup. And the surface of three limited-edition shadow shades was adorned with Warhol’s iconic 1967 self-portrait painting.

The following year, François Nars turned to one of his favorite photographers, Guy Bourdin, for inspiration. The released collection overnight became a bestseller. The focus was, of course, on the lips. It was them that Bourdain always wanted to see bright and glossy on his shootings. The hit of the collection was a clutch with lipsticks in the form of plump red lips, and the shades of lipsticks exactly repeated the favorite colors of the maestro – fuchsia, red, neon orange.

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But this year’s collaboration is a hit, for which all the collectors of the world lined up. François chose photographer Steven Klein for collaboration and inspiration. Cases of shadows, rouge and lipstick adorned the works of the main artist-provocateur of our time. Frank, sexy, shocking – the packaging of products from the NARS x Steven Klein collection is already a provocation. But what’s inside is a pleasant surprise. Gold, sand and black shadows are suitable for creating a classic and sexy make-up. In sets with blush and bronzers – wearable and discreet colors. But lip shades will delight those who cannot imagine their life without bright colors. Intense grape and cherry shades give the effect of a vinyl coating on the lips. Brick red and neon pink lipsticks will last on the lips for a record long time, withstanding the party and kisses after. And dark and rich nail polishes will remind the colors of Klein’s works.

What to expect from NARS next year? This is a secret that François Nars has not yet revealed. But knowing the maestro’s impeccable taste, there is no doubt that the 2016 collaboration will be something very exciting.