When London Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2014 shows ran from 13 to 17 September 2013, the beauty story was skin: luminous, lightly tinted and a little damp-looking. Where New York had leaned on bright matte lips, London’s dewy face relied on shine for its interest.
At Felder Felder, Julien Macdonald, David Koma and Christopher Raeburn, faces looked stripped back and well prepped. At Paul Smith, strikingly bare skin was dotted with painted-on freckles. The overall impression was of fresh, rain-touched skin that still looked polished.
Who set the tone
Temperley London showed on Sunday 15 September, and it supplied the most romantic version of the look. Backstage beauty, created by Lisa Eldridge for Sunday Riley, was described as effortless and 70s-inspired. Alice Temperley’s collection was a fairytale of gowns in blush, lilac, mint and white. She told AFP backstage that fantasy clothes are a pleasure when everyday life is so ordinary.
Models wore subtly highlighted cheekbones and the sheerest tint on lids and lips, a softness that suited the embroidered flowers and lace.
Paul Smith showed the same afternoon with a different mood. AFP described elegant matching suits in vivid colours, from white and bright blue to sunshine yellow. They were worn with sheer silk voile shirts and 1970s-style wide trousers. Against that sharp tailoring, the barefaced skin, mussed hair and wispy flyaways gave the models a deliberately undone finish.
How the dewy face is built
The method is about evening out the canvas without hiding it.
- Start sheer. Skip heavy foundation. A tinted moisturiser over primed skin gives light cover. A slightly deeper shade pressed into the hollows of the cheeks can add gentle contour. Blend near a sunlit window so nothing looks heavy.
- Add a glow. Mix a small amount of creamy foundation into the same amount of moisturiser and press the blend onto the cheekbones for a fresh-from-the-shower sheen.
- Set lightly. Dust translucent powder with a soft brush in small circles, then press your palms against the face to lift off the excess.
- Finish with mist. A spritz of facial mist gives the final wet-look finish.
Concealer, brows and eyes
Coverage stays selective. Concealer goes only under the eyes and on visible blemishes. For dark circles, warm a little creamy concealer between your fingers. Look down into a mirror laid flat on a table to find the crescent-shaped shadow, then pat it in with the ring finger.
Brows anchor a minimal face. Fill sparse patches with a pencil, then darken and set with clear gel.
On the lids, pick up champagne or bronze shadow on a damp brush and press it on instead of sweeping, which gives a pearlescent finish. Liner is optional. Curl the lashes and use a glossy-formula mascara on the upper lashes. If your lashes are already full, a clean mascara wand can wiggle clear petroleum jelly through the upper and lower lashes for shine without clumping.
Lips and hair
A sheer peachy stick or a nude gloss is enough. To avoid a lacquered look, press the colour into the centre of the lips with warm fingers, then press the lips together for a natural stain. At Temperley London, the lips were kissed with soft rose.
The wet-look finish carried through to hair. Many London presentations paired the pared-down face with high-shine ponytails, a look also seen in New York.
Thirteen years on from the 2013 shows, the formula still rests on the same few steps: sheer base, a glow on the cheekbones, defined brows and glossy, barely-there colour.