Focusing exclusively on cruelty free brands, celebrity makeup artist Suzy Gerstein played the juxtaposition of stunning Sudanese model Nykhor’s rich skin tone with the vibrant playfulness of 80’s inspired color. Everything in the details – from photographer, Matthew Priestley’s opting to shoot film to stylist, Rachel Gilman’s artful layering of denim with pops of geometric accessories – gives a nod to the past while looking thoroughly chic, modern and original.
Nothing about this violet and pink-toned look is shy. Bold eyes and lips play off the Nykhor’s flawless skin. Suzy achieved the mesmerizing Violet eyes with a combination of Milk Shadow Liner in Hustler, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pencil in Dhalia, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pigment in Rave, and Make Cosmetics Satin Luminous Lipgloss in Sea. The matte fuchsia lips play on the sheen of the eye makeup and are a combination of eyeshadow and lipstick, the hot pink in Viseart Editorial Brights Palette applied over Milk Lip Color in Freshhh.
Rask dark denim jacket, Steven Alan burgundy hoodie, PRPS light denim jacket, Steven Alan denim shirt, Mounser long silver earring, Eddie Borgo gold earrings.
This look really shows how Pantone’s color of the year, Greenery, can be the focus of a look. Bite Beauty’s lipstick in Kale was balanced out with a subtle reverse cat eye using a combination of Milk Makeup Shadow Liners in Model/DJ and Make Beauty’s Matte Eyeshadow in Hudson. Suzy allowed the skin to have a natural glow by opting for no power just Milk Makeup’s Blur Stick.
Rask dark denim jacket, Ji Oh white blouse, Eddie Borgo long gold earrings.
The simple flash of color at the eyes is what makes this one of my favorite looks. It is minimalistic yet incredibly striking. The underliner is created by layering the royal blue Milk Makeup Pigment in Sesh with a deep green found in Viseart Editorial Brights Palette to create an electric teal hue.
Steven Alan burgundy jumpsuit and orange t shirt, PRPS denim shirt, Mounser large silver circle earring, Eddie Borgo long gold earrings.
Suzy created a subtle, monochromatic flush on lips and eyes using the burgundy hued RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Diabolique, allowing the eye makeup to pull focus. Going from dark to light, Suzy applied Fierce Magenta Pigments in Black Diamond and Cashmere Sapphire followed by Milk Makeup’s Mermaid Parade Pigment across the lid.
Rask light denim jacket, Steven Alan light pink shirts and denim jumpsuit, Eddie Borgo earrings.
Suzy chose Honest Beauty’s Honestly Luminizing Foundation in Espresso for Nykhor, which was a perfect match for her rich skin tone. She also applied the foundation to Nykhor’s lips, muting their naturally deep tone, which allowed her to keep the bold cheek and strong brow the look’s focus. Suzy defined the brows with Fiona Stiles’ Brow Micro-Precision Brow Sculpting Pencil in Warm Brown. She sketched some of the brow pencil on lips as well (an unlikely use for a brow product, but Suzy believes there are no rules on makeup). With its high wax content and neutral tone, the pencil subtly defined lips and unified the look without adding the distraction of additional color. She achieved the shock of pink on the cheeks with a blend of Gressa Skin Lip Boost in Radiant and Gress Lumiere Luminous Complexion Fluid in Elise.
PRPS denim jacket, Steven Alan white shirts, Paula Mendoza gold cuff earring.
The dreamy quality of our models beauty inspired this last look. Suzy created a cloud-like illusion around her eyes by buffing out Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Feathered with luxurious cruelty free brushes by IT Cosmetics. The deep gloss on the lips is a combination of Henne Organics Lip Balm with Fierce Magenta Pigment in Sinful.
Mounser earrings, Steven Alan t shirts and hoodie.
Thinking outside the box, Suzy used both eyeshadow and lipstick to create a vibrant sunset-inspired eye look. She applied a wash of Milk Makeup Lip Color in Name Drop into the eye’s crease as a base and intensified the color with yellow and orange eyeshadow from the Viseart Editorial Brights Palette. She topped the yellow with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Glitter in Neon Yellow applied over a thin layer of Milk Makeup’s Face Gloss to give it something to stick to. The striking splash of purple opalescent color in the tear duct is a combination of Milk Makeup’s Halographic Stick and Bite Beauty’s Opal Lip Gloss. The thin line defining the eye is W3LL People Expressionist Eyeliner. Lips are a light application of Armour Beauty Gloss in Foxy Brown.
Paula Mendoza and Eddie Borgo gold earrings.
Photographer: Matthew Priestley
Makeup: Suzy Gerstein @ Honey Artists using Milk Makeup
Model: Nykhor Paul @ Muse NYC
Stylist: Rachel Gilman
Stylist Assistant: Mikah James
Writer: Alex LaMarsh
