Runway Your Way Makeup Tutorial

Makeup on the runway can range from a neutral, natural look, a la Calvin Klein or Jill Sanders, to the wild geometric creations featured by Dior and Yohji Yamamoto. Runway looks are generally difficult to translate into everyday schemes, but with a little daring (and the right outfit, of course), anyone can wear something ripped from the runway.

Today I’m going to be teaching you how to look like a model in Chanel’s S/S 2013 runway show. This is entry-level runway—still bold and graphic but ultimately wearable and won’t take you all day to apply.

Step 1: Prep, Prime & Apply Foundation

Begin by toning, moisturizing, and priming your face. Stay away from mattifying primers, though—key makeup artist Peter Philips kept skin luminescent. Conceal any problem areas such as extreme undereye circles or blemishes, but use a light hand. Apply a light-coverage foundation over your entire face, or if you only have a medium- or full-coverage foundation, mix with your moisturizer to thin it out before applying. Powder lightly in the T-zone and chin area if necessary, avoiding the eyes and cheeks.

Step 2: Create Your Shiny, Smoky Eye

Line eyes and waterlines top and bottom with black pencil liner and smoke it out. You can have a slight wing but anything more will be overpowering. Feel free to make the line as thick as you’d like, though!

On the runway, Philips used Chanel’s Illusion D’Ombre cream shadow in Platine Preciuex, but I’m going to be using Maybelline’s Color Tattoo in Silver Strike (much more budget-friendly and I'm actually a big fan of the formulation as well). Following your natural eye shape, brush the color on all the way from lashline to brow, extending to the sides of the nose in the inner corners, and in a thick line beneath your lower lashes, finishing in a point slightly below the tail of your brow. Touch up the black liner if needed (I like to add black gel liner at the lashline for additional depth) and add several coats of mascara.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

Philips skipped blush but if you feel washed out you canwear some. I’d go with a sheer cream blush or a matte powder blush. Fill in your brows (don’t outline) with a color slightly lighter than their natural color if needed. Now add a swipe of clear lip gloss.

Step 4: ​Put the Bass in Your Walk!

You're runway-ready!