Giorgio Armani's Fall/Winter 2020 Show Celebrated Effortless, Classic Beauty

Just hours before Giorgio Armani was set to close out Milan Fashion Week, the designer announced something that the fashion world hadn't seen before. Instead of staging his show in front of a large audience of buyers, editors, and influencers, models would walk a runway in front of an empty room. The decision was made after a spike in coronavirus cases throughout Italy. In order to not expose his audience to a large crowd gathering, where the disease could easily spread, Giorgio Armani's Fall/Winter 2020 show would only be available for viewing via video stream on the designer's social media accounts.

It was an odd moment of the real world breaking into the fashion world — a crossover that only tends to happen when designers are making political statements, like those about sustainability. But even though the show's venue was empty, the beauty look for the presentation was anything but. It might not have been the glitter-filled eyes of last season, but it did embody a certain chicness that's indicative of Armani.

"The classic Armani DNA was revisited with shapes and contrasts of light and shadow," Armani Beauty International Makeup Artist Linda Canntello said in an email. The look was inspired by the velvet textures of the collection, and focused on neutral smoky eyes and glowing skin.

To create this muted, yet beautiful, look, Cantello started with either the brand's Designer Lift Foundation or Powder Fabric Foundation, depending on skin type, before contouring the skin with Armani's Neo Nude A-Contour for glow.

The focus, though, was on the eyes. Cantello applied a light trace of Armani's Smooth Silk Eye Pencil to the top lash line. She then used a lipstick — Armani's Lip Maestro Liquid Lipstick in #101 — to create the veil of soft, diffused brown. A swipe of the brand's Smooth Silk Eye Pencil highlighted the outer corners of the eye, and a few swipes of Eyes to Kill Classic Mascara created a gorgeous frame.

Cantello finished the look off with Lip Maestro Liquid Lipstick in #200 for a natural lip shade. The makeup look perfectly complemented the hair, which was gathered into low-slung, silky ponytails.

The show may have happened behind closed doors, but this was one beauty look that's just begging to be worn out and about.