Thebutterfly bridgemakeup trend currently fluttering across therunwayis electrifying, ethereal, simple, and bright. The look stretches along the crevices of the nose, the inner crescent of the eyes, across the bridge of the nose, and even up toward the inner corners of the brow bone. These vibrant eyeshadow blends bring all the attention to the center of the face, creating a shape that mimics the wings of a butterfly. It is the next wave of minimalistic beauty, giving the wearer freedom of individual expression without requiring much additional makeup.
My first encounter with the butterfly bridge eyeshadow look was through the photosDeviate– a woman-led, genderless, Detroit-bred fashion label – showcased onInstagram. Makeup artistKabuki, a painter by nature, was behind the looks for the brand's spring/summer 2023New York Fashion Weekdebut.
Mark Hunter/Courtesy of Deviate
Kelsey Tucker, the creative director of the brand, tells Allure that for the show, she and stylist Aryeh Lappin created a mood board inspired by Edvard Munch's painting “The Scream." She describes the aesthetic as "1930s film noir and gothic glam" with a fusion of Alexander McQueen's runway beauty moments seen throughout the late '90s and early 2000s.
All that goes on backstage before a model hits the runway is a collaboration between the designer and the makeup artist. Tucker says she mimicked "the scream eyes” for Kabuki, with her hands pressed against her face and her mouth wide open. From that reference, Kabuki created the final look that we would then see throughout Deviate's NYFW presentation. The end result was much less terrifying but just as dramatic.
Kabuki confirms that his roots as a painter heavily influenced this particular look; he likens these butterfly bridges to the work of Austrian expressionist painter Egon Schiele. Kabuki also wanted to create makeup that would complement the clothing and take the brand's diverse model casting into consideration. Kabuki's soft yet vibrant eyeshadow blends were done with allcream products,giving each model their own color theme.
Oliver Halfin/Courtesy of Deviate
If you want to create your own butterfly bridge at home, Kabuki's number one tip is to use a primer on your eyelids. This prevents the cream shadow from settling into harsh lines; he recommends theMAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Basein particular.
In addition to the primer, Kabuki mixesKryolan Professional Make-Up Blendinto the shadows to create the perfect consistency for the look. He first applies the cream pigment onto the face, then adds a few drops of the Kryolan Make-Up Blend to where he wants the shadows to look the darkest. Once the blending oil is added atop the pigment, Kabuki uses a brush to blend the shadows outward to create an almost airbrushed effect. To build up the pigment in the smaller crevices around the eyes and nose, your fingers work great too.
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