SET OF COLOURS, GAME OF TEXTURES
Colour, matter, texture and their interactions in light and space… essentials.
photographer Paul Von Borax
Chromatology, a science in itself but quite subjective, always depending on who is looking. The feelings they provoke can be very different, hence their saturation and intensity.
Let’s start with the warm hues the fiery colours.
Red, associated with love, passion, and blood, is a very powerful colour especially in its purest form. The dark versions are more elegant. We immediately visualise a sublime woman with blood red lips and nails on red soles high heels. Or an elegant one with black cherry painted nails. Femininity at its peak.
Orange is as powerful, less sanguine. It calls for attention, vibrant and energising, it is often associated with health or a pretty complexion. Think of a blush peach.
photographer Thomas Braut
photographer Ben Fourmi
Yellow, the colour of the cheerful energising sun, will be used for a dazzling effect and that till its darker shades. Antique yellow playing with golds or, conversely, more neutral yellows.
The cold colours, those of nature, night and waters.
Blue will vary, depending on its degree of saturation and luminosity. If a light one will offer a candid side, the darker are sophisticated.
Green, found between blue and yellow, applies to the same principles. Cheerfulness and freshness versus deep traditional shades.
Violet is considered the colour of the kings and luxury. A whole symbol goes with it in design industry. Get red into and you will find passion, mixing blue you get closer to sophistication. A light purple or lavender will bring a youthful and romantic side. We should not forget all the pastel colors, by the way. These are attached to soft poetics.
The colours communicate and play. Put side by side they sublime each other, one on top of the other they offer other shades or neutralise. In make up, the volumes, shadows and lights are created by black, white, all shades of grey and neutrals.
The TEXTURES
Matter is real because it is an expression of the spirit.
Black is the strongest tone of the neutrals. Bears a mysterious side, modern, yet traditional, unconventional, yet classic. Here again, it may depending on the shades with which it is or not associated.
They are of much importance. A make up can be fluid, light, smooth, creamy, thick, soft, water-based, oil-based … this chemical details will determine the texture. The substance constitutes the body, the volume, the thickness, the density.
Lets just mention prostheses, latex, pearls, plexiglass, cracks with clay, etc. But it may be a light matter, transparent – the so demanded second skin effect. Smooth, rough, grainy, fibbery textures, they take shape in colour and light, expressive accents in space, sensations and visual perception.
photographer Paul Von Borax, center photographie, John Hannequin
lower photos, Eric Ouaknine
First of all, explore, experiment, the most important question is what do we see or what we perceive. An ambiguous question with which the fashion and cosmetics marketing plays depending on their respective visual identity. From Stories that brands tell our unconscious or conscious brain. As in the art world, where pigments, matter and textures play with our emotions.
Lips instant by Anne Arnold and lower image, photographer Emmanuel Boum
All of this opens endless horizons for us. With the technological advances more and more efficient incredible products are emerging. Ultra-correcting foundations with light sensors all in glow and transparency. Anchors for the lips and eyes with a zero-material finish. Bright tints in ultra-shiny nude or matte shades, our own laboratory keeps expanding. The curiosity to mix, divert, test, watch, to go beyond the products, beyond techniques. A single objective in mind, rendering the result. The important thing is to be in perfect harmony with the visual, whether photographic, scenic, advertising or more simply put, adapting it to each woman. The gesture is nothing if the intention of the result is not there.
In conclusion, with the unlimited harmonies and shades, endless materials, make-up has not finished making women and men beautiful, perfecting a character for the theatre or films, for our beloved creative make up universe but the goal of this all, is continuing to make sets of colours and textures for the happiness of all.
Make up and text by beauty editor, Anne ARNOLD
