Fendi Couture’s Pearlescent Eyes Are a “Simple and Pure” Touch

Today inside Paris’s Palais Brongniart, guests including Kerry Washington, Milly Alcock, and Rita Ora filed into a futuristic oval room for Fendi’s spring 2023 couture show. Their first glimpse of the collection featured glistening gazes that mirrored the pearl drops and pavé jewels swinging from the ears of models like Lineisy Montero and América González. 

“We talked about simple and pure,” says makeup artist Peter Philips of conceptualizing the look with Fendi’s artistic director Kim Jones. “Kim sent shots from the fittings ahead of our meetings [and] it was clear that the delicate approach of the silhouettes, the lace-inspired detail, and the soft color palette wouldn’t benefit from a bold makeup look,” he explains. Instead, the collection of liquidy sequin columns and sheer silk draping required beauty with a gentle fluidity. To balance the elements, Philips collaborated with hairstylist Guido Palau, who slicked back lengths with visible comb marks gleaming. The result was a cleaner, more classic silhouette than the Y2K-inspired wet waves Palau delivered at the Italian house’s ready-to-wear show last year.

To play off the reflective lighting, Philips chose subtle pearlescent elements that would bounce off of fresh skin enhanced with Dior Forever matte foundation. “On the eyes, I used a Ben Nye pearl cream eyeshadow, which I topped with the Dior Backstage universal glow palette (the pearl shade),” he says, noting that the multiuse bestseller also doubled as a highlight for cheekbones. For deeper skin tones, cold bronzes from the same palette offered a chilly glow, and Rouge Dior limited-edition Mitzah collection nudes created stunning lip shades. The final effect read as featherlight, ultramodern, and refreshingly easy to recreate for the season’s shift toward refined-yet-unfussy beauty codes.