There is something seductive about Italian beauty culture. It’s compelling, mysterious and it pulls you in. This is part of what makes Milan Fashion Week, in my opinion, to be so intriguing. Runway shows like Prada and Dolce & Gabbana intrigue with bold patterns and innovative classic designs, but the beauty looks are what really captivate my attention. There’s something about each look that draws you in – whether it’s the smoky eye that doesn’t allow you to look away, or the bold lip that you can’t help but focus on. Something about each look captures the mystery and the intrigue – and that’s part of the reason that I gravitate towards Italian beauty culture so much.

Trousers Topshop // Leather Jacket AllSaints // Turtleneck White House Black Market // Sunglasses QUAY // Boots Topshop // Ring Monica Vinader

BEAUTY NOTES

Fearless, bold and continuously making statements, runways like Versace show that Italian designers and makeup artists are not ones to shy away from bright colours and unconventional techniques. Metallics, ever a classic favourite, making new appearances on the runway in ways that are quite unexpected. The sultry smoke that gripped me was present on runways like Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Giorgio Armani. Each designer put their own spin on a classic, sexy look and made it wearable for nearly any occasion. Pat McGrath, this season’s beauty sponsor for Prada, took the smoky eye one step further by mimicking the look of eyelashes near the models’ eyelid crease – not only did this create visual intrigue when looking closely, but adds a mysterious edge to an otherwise classic look.

Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana both played around with adding colour to their looks – often in the form of a berry lip. This is partially what inspired my take on these runway to everyday looks – taking aspects of multiple shows and aiming to create one simplified look that can be tailored to suit whomever would like to wear it. Personally, I love interpreting runway trends to be worn for every day. Because my style is quite classic and I don’t always opt for trend led pieces, one way to keep my looks current is by utilizing a trending beauty look. It may sound simple, but it has the power to instantly change your look if you wish.

Trousers Topshop // Leather Jacket AllSaints // Turtleneck White House Black Market // Sunglasses QUAY // Boots Topshop // Ring Monica Vinader

GET MY LOOK

I wanted to try and recreate this seductive, smoky look that’s been running through my mind since the Milan Fashion Week runway shows. My goal was to create a beauty look that was wearable enough for day time, but one that would also be perfect for an intimate date night. Personally, I love a lightweight base – my favourite drugstore foundation of the moment is the Airbrush Effect from No7 Cosmetics. Almost like a CC cream, you don’t need a brush to apply and it provides a lightweight, even coverage that evens skin-tone and mattifies oily skin. I have a relatively pink undertone to my skin, so to finish the base I used the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil to set my foundation. This powder has incredible skincare benefits due to its composition – I have incredibly acne-prone skin, so the fact that this powder is hypoallergenic and does not clog pores is a huge bonus for me.

Global Beauty: Italian Romance

To recreate the runway smoky-eyes that had captivated many in the beauty community, I used both a Lancome palette and the Perfect 10 palette from Soap & Glory. The key to this look was actually creating the base with a highlighting bronzer – after sweeping it over my cheekbones, I used some on my eyelids as well for the metallic base. The palette from Soap & Glory was then used to deepen the metallic base, and the palette from Lancome was used to darken the crease and add drama to the eye. A bold brow was the perfect complement to a brown smoky eye, and finishing off the eye with a black mascara and adding a nude–berry lip fully completes the look.

Are you one to love recreating runway looks? I love seeing the creativity that people add to their lives every day – it’s incredibly inspiring to see. Did you watch any of the shows from Milan Fashion Week? Which was your favourite? I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments. Until next, xoxo.

The Look

Monochrome Minimalist uses affiliate links. Read the DISCLAIMER for more information.