To unveil Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent Spring-Summer 2021 collection amid the global pandemic, models took to the sparse desert of an undisclosed vacation for a socially distanced strut through sand dunes. Some teamed the creative director’s take on “comfortable” and “soft” silhouettes with sunglasses, while others seemingly went makeup-free—embracing fresh-faced, healthy-looking skin. But a handful of others embraced a 60s-inspired mod makeup look likely dreamed up by YSL Beauty’s global director and makeup artist, Tom Pecheux.
Select models captured viewers’ attention with graphic eyeliner, specifically, a concept called the “floating eyeliner trend,” or a “floating cut crease.” He complemented the eyeliner look with fluttery lashes. Makeup artists painted a curved line on the center of their lids, smack dab in between their eyebrows and their crease. This minimalist liner moment was paired with cat’s eye liner that extended into their inner corner and an outer wing that pointed down instead of up.
The finishing touch was voluminous, fluttery lashes, an overall look that was the perfect combination of feminine and edgy. To give the appearance of full bottom lashes, the beauty expert drew lines underneath the bottom lash line, à la Twiggy. Pecheux hasn’t confirmed the inspiration behind the eye makeup, but it most definitely resembles a modern take on the British supermodel’s quintessentially 60s glam. Fix your eyes on the images below to spot the resemblance.
It’s not entirely surprising that the makeup took cues from the retro era because Vaccarello did as well. “I wanted to speak to the comfort of the 60s and to the comfort of today,” the Belgian fashion designer said in an interview ahead of the Saint Laurent show’s SS21 film release. He searched for inspiration for SS21 in the Saint Laurent archives, struck by the jersey-heavy collection Yves Saint Laurent debuted in 1968, amid the Vietnam war. Today’s similarly difficult times translated into a”more gentle, stripped back” ready-to-wear collection, including pieces with frills and flowers to impress Zoom meeting attendees, but remaining comfortable all the while.
If you’re inspired to recreate the floating eyeliner trend, GRAZIA recommends using a marker-like eyeliner pen for precision, like YSL Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils Felt-Tip Eyeliner. Obviously, applying the liner isn’t a race (think: slow and steady). Take your time perfecting the line, and be sure to have Q-tips and micellar water at the ready in case your eyeliner gets a little wonky. The liquid eyeliner also doubles as a way to draw in a few faux Twiggy-approved lashes just below your lower lash line.
Below, we’ve rounded up a few essentials to help you recreate the floating eyeliner trend and Twiggy’s famous drawn-on eyelashes.
Press “play” on the video below to experience the Saint Laurent SS21 show in full.
