Milan Fashion Week Fall 2013 backstage beauty: Gucci proves that red eyeshadow is here to stay

Gucci Fall 2013 backstage beauty
Photography courtesy Pat McGrath/Twitter
Gucci Fall 2013 backstage beauty
Photography courtesy Pat McGrath/Twitter

Is there anything more enchanting than red eyeshadow? It’s an unassuming colour—we’re accustomed to bright-red lips and rosy-red cheeks, but apply the shade on your eyelids and everyone will take note. Shades of crimson and maroon have been slowly infiltrating red carpets and runways for a few seasons now: Miu Miu did a stunning red winged shadow for Spring 2012 and Keira Knightley wore the shade for a very romantic look last fall. And now Gucci has brought the shade back into the spotlight with a burgundy eye that, frankly, I haven’t been able to stop looking at ever since makeup artist Pat McGrath tweeted pictures from backstage.

According to Allure, the deep red shade was a direct request from Gucci’s Frida Giannini as a necessary “flash of colour.” After lining the eyes with a brown pencil, McGrath applied the burgundy pigment to lids with a brush, forming it in a loose, winged shape. (And to go back to my point about wanting to stare at the Gucci Fall 2013 look for hours on end, this backstage action shot from WWD is just as engaging. See also: just how shimmering this deeply pigmented colour is.) Bleached brows—a McGrath and Gucci signature—helped to emphasis the burgundy shadow and make a greater contrast between models’ eyes and the unusual colour choice. A healthy coat of mascara also allowed for further definition, but really it’s that first step of lining (and tightlining!) the eyes that really make the red shadow at Gucci look so slick and not all all sickly.

What do you think? Is red eyeshadow here to stay? Are you already adding a burgundy shadow to your shopping list or do you still need to be convinced?

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