Every year when New York Fashion Week rolls around, brand devotees anxiously await what Becca McCharen-Tran and her team at Chromat have whipped up for the season: always inclusive of gender, varied body types and abilities. This year, even with the drastic shift in social distancing, Chromat's Spring 2021 beauty look met the same standard, with the finished product representing more than just vibrant lids. In lieu of a physical presentation, the brand dropped JOY RUN, a short film starring luminaries like artist Maya Margarita, ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, and many more. In addition to the presentation's talent, the beauty looks were something to be seen.
"This season, it was all about the ombré colors on the eyes," Fatima Thomas, key makeup artist and senior national artist for MAC Cosmetics says in a release about the makeup looks. "The ombré shades and liners were inspired by color spectrums and the beauty and possibility of abolishing the two-system gender binary and really embracing spectrums." The looks are a direct extension of what McCharen-Tran created Chromat to represent. “I was an organizer for Black queer and trans movements for over 15 years before I started making films," McCharen-Tran says in a release. "One thing I always saw was that our community always finds a way to reach for joy in pleasure in the midst of challenges. So what we are making ultimately is a film that supports us plugging into something larger than ourselves and to be seen as valuable, important, and powerful. What we are making will shape the world.”
The vibrant eyes created by Thomas included four blue neon looks: one crafted with a light and dark color packed on the inner and outer corner of the eye, creating negative space on the lid, a floating geometric liner with a gradient in the crease, a lightly arched liner strike, and a dramatic lid with yellow on the base and blues creating an extended wing. All were executed using MAC Pro's Acrylic Paints and Chromalines which Thomas says she mixed together to create customized shades. "To pull off this rich, technicolor vividness, I like to layer pigments and matching eyeshadows on top to pull that great intensity," she says.
And while the looks may be a bit complex for those without a steady hand, the brand has already crafted a way for everyone to join in on the fun. On Sept. 15, Chromat launched a set of four Instagram face filters with the distinctive makeup looks featured in the film. All you have to do is visit Chromat's Instagram page to rock the bold liner looks.
