Most makeup artists do pretty. Mark Carrasquillo, a makeup artist’s makeup artist, prefers to explore character and meaning, to tell stories and defy convention. (Upon request, he can also do pretty.) Here, he shares some of his favorite work.
Modern Disco
Blue, pink, purple, metallic, shiny—this mash-up of gaudy makeup, above, has no business existing on one face, even if that face belongs to model Imaan Hammam. But the excess is part of its appeal. The eyeliner is electric blue and winged. The cheeks are a bright opalescent pink painted all the way to the temples. And the mouth is covered with a mix of purple and pink metallic lipstick. The result clearly takes its cues from disco, but what makes it right for today is the lack of mascara and heavy foundation. “Mascara would date it,” says Carrasquillo. “Back in the day, she would’ve worn full foundation. Instead, the skin looks real.” In the end, “good taste doesn’t always make a good picture. Usually, it kills it.”
