Missoni Spring 2013 backstage beauty: Examining the bright lips and space-age skin of this anime-inspired look

Missoni Spring 2013 Backstage Beauty Runway Main
Photography by Peter Stigter
Missoni Spring 2013 Backstage Beauty Runway Main
Photography by Peter Stigter

Read all the backstage tips from Missoni Spring 2013 »

Nothing says Missoni like colourful knitwear. So when the 60-year-old Italian label strayed from its trademark in favour of new shades and textures for the Spring 2013 collection, it was a shock to all. The Missoni runway show started with white, ended with black and featured a selection of amped-up pastel shades in between. The label went even further out of its comfort zone in applying layers of futuristic looking organza and embellishments over the signature raschel knit. When it came to beauty, a whole other set of surprises was in store. The au-naturel look typical to the Missoni runway was ditched in favour of a playfully amped up, space-age anime aesthetic.

All focus was on the neon pout which makeup artist Lucia Pieroni achieved by mixing M.A.C pigments in hot-pink, orange and white. The “manga mouth,” as Pieroni dubbed it, provided the necessary pop of colour on the runway. Pieroni opted for natural, illuminated skin, which she achieved with a sheer foundation and a creamy highlighter. The “ethereal and slightly spacey” look was completed with an almost-naked eyelid. To achieve this, Pieroni applied clear lipgloss to the lids, skipping the mascara, shadow and liner—which also kept the strong lip at the centre of attention.

Hairstylist Eugene Souleiman, global creative director of Wella Professionals, stayed true to the spacey aesthetic in developing an athletic look for hair that involved a sleek, flat top half and looser, free-flowing tresses on the bottom. Mousse and salt spray were used to achieve the futuristic style.

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