Backstage before Armani Privé, makeup artist Linda Cantello explained how she worked the show’s black and white theme into the maquillage. “We were really going for a modern-couture look, so a red lip didn’t really work and neither did classic eyeliner.” Instead, she paled models’ complexions by adding a few drops of Maestro Zero (on counters in November) to their normal foundation shade and accented lids and cheekbones with a highlighter from the Orient Excess collection (out for the holidays). Next, the pro reached for the house’s new star product, Eye & Brow Maestro in Jet, and smudged the pigment around the eyes and past the outer corners before straightening the brows with the same formula in a tone closer to each catwalker’s hair color. The final flourish was Black Ecstasy, a mascara with a wet finish that is set to launch this September. “She’s a woman of mystery, but couture makeup is becoming much more simple and accessible,” she explained. “It’s real, but it’s more.”
Working with L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni Art Hot Style Constructor, hair guru Peter Gray crafted an “almost DIY,” not-too-perfect twist high at the back of the head. The finished look was soft, with sweeping fringe and a hint of a bouffant as a nod to the sixties. “Whatever we were going to do, Mr. Armani wanted it to feel young and fresh,” he noted. “The actual style was a process of iteration, tweaking until we got it right—a bit like a tailor would fit a piece of clothing.”
