Winged Liner Is Out, According To Dior — Try This Look Instead

When most of us take black eyeliner completely around the eye, the look is resemblant of a raccoon. But Peter Philips, key makeup artist for Dior isn't most of us. So when he crafted a black eyeliner look for Dior Spring/Summer 2021, the result struck the perfect between balance between goth and glam, enticing us to reach for our nearest black liner.

"The inspiration for the look is actually the venue," Philips says referring to the dimly lit, black-walled runway space near the Tuileries Garden in Paris. "It's a black box with beautiful stained windows similar to in a Gothic church, or a cathedral. The eye makeup look was created to emulate one element from the stained glass collage. The strong black eye makeup matches the black box. And the 'light' comes from the eye itself."

The harsher look struck an intentional contrast between the more delicate fashions of the runway. "We wanted very strong eyes so a framed eyeliner was perfect," Philips says. "But we didn't want a winged eyeliner because we didn't want to make it to look too retro. So we kept the same thickness of the liner strokes consistent, trailing it all-around reaching the waterline. You can see the very intense black, and it has a bit of a smudge. We went for a sharp eye with soft edges." After that, Philips lightly enhanced the brow as to not detract from the liner.

However, Philip's approach to skin was more laid-back. "We used the Face And Body Foundation for the skin," he says. "So we had a beautiful natural finish, which was luminous, but not pearlescent." However, once foundation was applied, there was no intense setting involved. "We didn't use too much powder, just a little bit to mattify around the nose." Part of the reason excess powder wasn't needed is because Philips prioritized proper preparation of the skin, something he says is easy to replicate at home. "The key to create a perfect base really depends a bit on your skin and also on your climate," Philips says. "But a necessary element in any circumstance is of course a primer. After your moisturizing routine, add a bit of primer, then you apply your foundation. It will change the world for you. It will make sure that your foundation stays on longer."

The lips were also understated, as opposed to the bolder pouts that were frequented during Milan Fashion Week. "We scrubbed the lips and we applied the lip maximizer for a plumping effects. That was it. Smooth skin, strong eyes and plumped lips."

The best news of all, though, is that the look is protective face mask-friendly. "For people who wear masks, [they're discovering] the magic of eye makeup," he says. However, as Philips did, try to adjust focus to the uppers of the eye. "It's important that when you're going to put on makeup, you don't put too much under your eye because sometimes the mask raises up. That can smudge your eye makeup. So put the focus on the eyelid and eyebrows." He suggests an amendment to the lips. "I would use lip stain or something more smudgy and long-lasting than a balm," he says. "In addition, I would always carry a compact with powder. If you take off your mask, you can touch it up easily. Shift the focus to embrace gorgeous eye makeup. Who knows, you might discover a new woman in you."

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