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THE BEAUTY EXPERT

RED HOT NORMANI

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REIMAGINING THE RAINBOW THE SCIENCE OF MELANIN 48 OF THE WORLD’S BEST LIP SHADES S E P T E M B E R

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Formulated for all curl patterns NO SILICONES · VEGAN FORMULA · CRUELTY FREE

SEPTEMBER 2021

REPORTER 16 The most-searched hue in the world might shock you • Glow on the go 20 Natalie Portman on the scent that reminds her of Star Wars

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THE COLOR OF US

An explanation and celebration of melanin

22 Prints and hues for chic throne rooms 24 Editors’ Favorites 26 Makeup artist Erin Parsons’s beauty museum • A centuryold accessory’s comeback 28 Discontinued, not forgotten • A mascara trifecta • Peer inside this month’s Allure Beauty Box

ALLURE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT © 2021 CONDÉ NAST. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 31, NO. 7. September 2021 issue.

ALLURE (ISSN 1054-7711) is published monthly (except for combined issues in December/January and June/July by Condé Nast, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: Condé Nast, One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. Roger Lynch, Chief Executive Officer; Pamela Drucker Mann, Global Chief Revenue Officer & President, U.S. Revenue; Jason Miles, Chief Financial Officer (INTERIM). Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 123242885RT0001. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS (SEE DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to ALLURE, P.O. Box 37617, Boone, IA 37617-0617. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to ALLURE, P.O. Box 37617, Boone, IA 37617-0617, call 800-678-1825, or email subscriptions@allure.com. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. Subscribers: If the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. If during your subscription term or up to one year after the magazine becomes undeliverable, you are ever dissatisfied with your subscription, let us know. You will receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within eight weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to ALLURE Magazine, One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. For reprints, please email reprints@condenast.com or call 717-505-9701, ext 101. For reuse permissions, please email permissions@condenast.com or call 800-897-8666. Visit us online at www.allure.com. To subscribe to other Condé Nast magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.condenastdigital.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 37617, Boone, IA 37617-0617 or call 800678-1825. ALLURE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ARTWORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ARTWORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY ALLURE IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE.

WAYNE LAWRENCE

30 Dye it yourself • One pyrotechnic makeup tip

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SEPTEMBER 2021

Download the YouCam Makeup app by opening your iPhone or Android camera and hovering over this QR code. With a few clicks, you can try on a rainbow of makeup looks as seen on pages 80–89.

FEATURES 66 Ready for Her Solo.

After years of having her star power curtailed as part of girl group Fifth Harmony, pop phenom Normani is defining herself on her own terms. By Lakin Imani Starling

OVER THE RAINBOW

The shades you’re about to see everywhere, from Adrenaline Rush to Gloxinia

NEWS & TRENDS 38 Talking Beauty. Gottmik on the best base makeup and the worst way to start a vlogging career.

50 Modern Wellness.

Vision Quest. Perspectives on color blindness.

By Sam Escobar 52 Phenomenon.

Generation Green.

Millennial pink’s long-lost cousin has arrived.

By Brennan Kilbane 58 48 of the World’s Best Lip Colors. And there’s a chart!

ON THE COVER Laurel DeWitt top. Chanel earrings and necklace. To create a similar look: Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette, 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion, Vice Lipstick in Big Bang, and Stay Naked Threesome in Fly by Urban Decay. Photographed by Adrienne Raquel. Cover illustration: Andreea Robescu. Fashion stylist: Nicola Formichetti.

Hair: Ursula Stephen. Makeup: Sarah Tanno. Production: Viewfinders.

6 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

60 Making Scents. Artist’s Palette. Perfumer Frédéric Malle sees scent through a unique lens: color.

By Liana Schaffner 64 In Transit. The Beauty of Now. For these folks, it’s not about the destination.

72 The Magic of Melanin.

A more-than-skin-deep investigation of the human pigment.

80 The New ROYGBIV. Three artists, two Gossip Girl stars, and one Pantone Institute specialist help us reenvision the rainbow.

REGULARS 8 Editor’s Letter 10 Michelle’s Most Wanted 44 Dream Kit. A few of our favorite colorful characters reveal their beauty essentials.

54 The Face Chart.

Blush inspired by morning sun on flower petals, as painted by Danessa Myricks.

56 Ask the Beauty Expert.

Dear Allure: Am I more of a summer, or a winter?

90 Allure Recommends.

It’s a juicy one.

JOE LINGEMAN

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COOLER COLOR, LONGER.

UNCAP THE LOVE™

E D I T O R T H E F R O M L E T T E R

Snapshots from top: Never a dull moment with Awkwafina; mini Michelle Lee (my daughter Gabby) gets to work; fun nights with Halima Aden; Fernanda Ly raises the stakes; a look by Pat McGrath for our Business of Beauty cover story.

Opposite page, top: Celebrating our annual Best of Beauty Awards with staff.

GOMEZ: MICAIAH CARTER, 2020. SCHAFER: MIDENGE. DILONE, HAMMAM, LAGUM: PATRICK DEMARCHLIER, 2017. LY: SOLVE SUNDSBO, 2018. ESTÊVÃO: RICHARD BURBRIDGE, 2021. CL: PETER ASH LEE, 2021. GOLDSTEIN: SCOTT TRINDLE, 2021. PORTER: BEN HASSETT, 2020. MIRREN: SCOTT TRINDLE, 2017. LEE: EMILY LIPSON. REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF MICHELLE LEE.

a fond farewell I’m terrible at goodbyes. I’ve certainly had a fair share in my lifetime. Moving to new schools. Switching jobs. Just this fall, we packed up our house of 16 years and moved to my husband’s childhood hometown. Now, after nearly six years at Allure, I’m closing this chapter and heading to a sunny new coast for a big new role at Netflix. And I’m struggling to find the right words.

It’s an exciting moment, but bittersweet because I’ll miss everyone at Allure so much. This has been a dream job, where I thought I’d stay forever. I still pinch myself over the incredible experiences I’ve had during my time here.

I’ve interviewed icons (Helen Mirren, Lupita Nyong’o) and trailblazers (Awkwafina, Mj Rodriguez). I sat front row at a fashion show in an English castle and soaked up skin-care history in Shizuoka, Japan. I had my nails painted by masters and rang the opening (and closing!) bell at the New York Stock Exchange. But the memories I’ll hold most dear revolve around what the brilliant team here accomplished.

When I first started this job, I did a Q&A session for about a hundred members of our revenue team. In a final, fun speed round, the interviewer peppered me with questions like, “What three words best describe you,” “Favorite lip color?” and ended on: “What’s your goal for Allure?”

Without hesitation, I answered, “I want to change the world.”

At the time, I said it with a wink. But nearly six years later, I’m immensely proud of how much ground we moved. We genuinely shifted the way people look at and talk about beauty. We helped change the global narrative around

aging. We challenged the way the industry talks about sustainability. We explored, deeply, the culture of hair and skin color and race and the many ways the traditional beauty machine has excluded people. We challenged the antiquated notion of who gets to be beautiful. We celebrated many firsts (the first man, first trans woman, first model with Down syndrome on our cover) and rejected tokenism (after having only two Asian cover stars in the first 28 years of Allure, we’ve featured 8 in just the past few years).

We did all this while maintaining and expanding Allure’s authoritative science reporting and product reviews everywhere from these pages to our Science of Beauty podcast.

I want to thank the whole team, past and present, who made these years so special. And I’m so grateful to all of you out there who’ve supported what we do. This may be goodbye, but I’ll be a reader and watcher and consumer of all things Allure, always. To quote Keats, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 ALLURE 9

W A N T E D

pigment power

M I C H E L L E ’ S

M O S T

WHO SAID FALL SHADES NEED TO LOOK LIKE CRUNCHY LEAVES AND SPICED COOKIES? STEP INTO A NEW WORLD OF AUTUMNAL COLOR.

1. TATA HARPER BLUSH IN NAUGHTY. Tap this sheer, hydrating cream on cheeks, lips, and lids for a soft wash of color. $42.

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2. CHLOÉ GEMMA SUNGLASSES. Sunnies so cute you’ll plan the rest of your outfit around them. $495.

3. ABOUT-FACE SHADOWSTICK IN CREATURE. One swipe of this intensely pigmented crayon makes a bold statement. $21.

4. UZ EYE OPENING LINER IN BURGUNDY. Black-eyeliner devotees, hear me out: Rich burgundy makes for an intriguing swap. $16.

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6. BOTTEGA VENETA LACE-UP MESH PUMPS. After a lifetime of neutral heels, I’m leaning way into a new shoe rule: only showstopping shades. $930.

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5. RARE BEAUTY WITH GRATITUDE DEWY LIP BALM IN COMPLIMENT. Most lip balms barely leave a hint of color, but this one packs a welcome punch. $16.

7. DANESSA MYRICKS BEAUTY COLORFIX 24-HOUR CREAM COLOR IN CRÈME BRULEE. This versatile waterproof cream is an Allure Best of Beauty Award winner for good reason: The opaque color doesn’t budge. $18.

8. JINSOON NAIL POLISH IN DOUX. One of the longest-lasting formulas I’ve tried, and in a pretty, milky pink. $18.

JOSEPHINE SCHIELE. Bottega Veneta heels available at net-a-porter.com.

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shock value

In the early 2000s few things were more satisfying than flipping open a Motorola Razr, throwing on a Paris Hiltoninspired slip dress, or swiping on a lip gloss—and the most amazing iteration of each came in splashy magenta. After an arduous year, we’re once again craving the cheery shade, a not quite red, not quite purple-pink. It is the most-searched color on the internet these days, and makeup artists will tell you it’s also one of the most unexpectedly versatile pigments in their kits. “It can be soft without being purely pink, edgy without being dark, and vibrant without being neon,” says makeup artist Amrita Mehta. Magenta can be subtle, as in a layer of tinted lip oil. It can be complementary, as in swaths swirled onto cheeks. Or it can be daring, as in graphic lines painted around the eyes. Whichever direction you go in, makeup artist Kento Utsubo swears it will pair nicely with any other color you add to your face. And we have one more thing to say about it: That’s hot. —DEVON ABELMAN

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1) Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream in Ascend. 2) Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Divine Blush in Cherish. 3) Tom Ford Spring 2021. 4) Versace Spring 2021. 5) Versace Fall 2021. 6) Claudia Li Fall 2021. 7) Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde 2. 8) Paris Hilton in Las Vegas, 2001. 9) Nars Single Eyeshadow in Domination. 10) Zendaya at the 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards.

PANTONE: COURTESY OF PANTONE. TOM FORD AND CLAUDIA LI: INDIGITAL. VERSACE: IMAXTREE. LEGALLY BLONDE 2: EVERETT COLLECTION. HILTON: JEFF VESPA/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES. ZENDAYA: KURT KRIEGER/CORBIS/ GETTY IMAGES. REMAINING IMAGES: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE.

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LIFT TO EXPERIENCE PERFECT

LIFT TO EXPERIENCE PERFECT INTENSE

magenta, 3 ways 1 2

Dab a lipstick on the center of lips and diffuse it to the edges, says Mehta, for a gorgeous, Popsicle-stained effect. (Try Maybelline New York Color Sensational Ultimate Slim Lipstick in More Magenta.)

Magenta blush sounds intimidating, but dusted across temples and cheekbones “it leaves a beautiful, fresh flush of color,” says Mehta. (Try Nars Blush in Coeur Battant.) Top it off with a clear balm for dewy etherealness.

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A creamy magenta pigment like Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix 24-Hour Cream Color in Freedom (top right) is opaque enough to use as a graphic liner. Or, blend a pin drop-size amount onto each cheek for a sheerer wash. Tap whatever is left on your fingertips onto your lids for a monochromatic moment.

A B R I E F H I S T O R Y O F M A G E N TA

JOSEPHINE SCHIELE

Suddenly, the purple-pink hue is all over the place: on the eyes at Versace’s fall show, the lips at Tom Ford’s spring show, and head to toe on Rihanna. Even the Oscars red carpet got a magenta makeover this year.

But the color-of-the-moment had its first moment 162 years ago—an origin story that rests on Napoleon III (as in, Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew). He defeated Austria in an Italian town called Magenta—stay with us here—right around the time commercial dye manufacturing was taking off. The second-ever dye to be invented—a blue red—was named for the battle. Finally, designers could stop coloring clothes using crushed snails (purple) and scale insects (red).

Manufacturers started churning out iterations of magenta and The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine declared wearing two shades at once the height of fashion. Rih Rih proves they got it right.

From top: Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix 24-Hour Cream Color in Freedom, About-Face Fluid Eye Paint in Dionysus, Shiseido Pop PowderGel Eye Shadow in Waku-Waku Pink, Em Cosmetics True Gloss in Magenta Magic, Zara Beauty Ultimatte Refillable Matte Lipstick in Knockout, and Jennifer Behr Naples Bow Barrette in Hot Pink.

“New Yorkers have a reputation for wearing all black, but I’ve always loved mixing colors and prints,” says designer Ulla Johnson. “I have an intimate relationship with color. It is absolutely mood changing. Every collection is a celebration of pattern.”

The same goes for her latest makeup collaboration with

Bobbi Brown—an “optimistic” mix of lip tints (blush pink, strawberry red), an orangeyred matte lipstick, shimmery shadow sticks (like sunny bronze), a blending brush, and a pinky-gold highlighter, all dressed in a fanciful, busy floral print. Toss everything into the coordinating bag for the happiest touch-ups yet.

—PAIGE STABLES

SEPTEMBER 2021 ALLURE 19

In her next life, Natalie Portman would be an eye cream. Plus, eight other facts you never knew about the Oscar winner and face of the new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, a powdery reincarnation of the rose classic.

On visiting the Dior rose fields in Grasse: “It was hundreds of roses. I’m not so eloquent with this right now (laughs). I’m like, the ‘field of rose’ was hundreds of roses. I mean, mainly the thing that’s impressive is the scent, of course, because it’s just kind of carried on the wind. You don’t have to lean over and smell it. You just stand there when it’s blooming and this delicate fragrance surrounds you.”

On her favorite nonperfume smell: “Definitely orange blossoms. We have so many in California.

When they’re blossoming, it’s just incredible. It’s such a scent of home for me.”

landscape. You look out, and everything is these different shades of blue.”

If the Natalie Portman were a beauty look, it would be... “Quite minimal, probably just a strong lip and almost no makeup otherwise. I have about a five-minute attention span for doing my own hair and makeup. Lipstick is the best. Like, you have style, but it takes five seconds.”

If she were to be reincarnated as a beauty product it would be...

“Maybe eye cream. I feel like that’s the top thing that helps a tired mom.

So that’s what I would do, come back and serve the mothers of the world.”

On the best-smelling place she’s visited: “Tunisia. When we were there filming Star Wars, the markets, and that was such a beautiful scent of the desert.”

On the power of color: “I’ve been wearing a lot of yellow. It’s really surprising how much it affects you, to just dress a little more joyfully. There’s been so much heaviness in the world—so much suffering, so much anxiety. I think that finding joy and beauty wherever you can is

20 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

helpful. I want to wear what makes me happy.”

If Miss Dior were a color, it would be...

“I think lavender. It’s got this very kind of delicate, sophisticated, floral scent.

To me, that’s lavender.”

On the most colorful place in the world: “Probably India, in Rajasthan. The city [of Jodhpur] is quite blue—the buildings, the

Orange blossoms; a snap of Jodhpur in Rajasthan; and the new Miss Dior, a rose and iris perfume.

On her favorite beauty icon of fiction: “Anna Karenina. They describe her with these dark lips and dark hair and very kind of lush dresses. I mean, obviously, in terms of life and emotion, I would never hope to be like her. But in terms of her look, it sounds really beautiful.”

On the actual person she finds most beautiful: “I always think about people like Frances McDormand, who are just so extremely themselves.”

—ELIZABETH SIEGEL

PORTRAIT: PAMELA HANSON/TRUNK ARCHIVE. MISS DIOR: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE. REMAINING IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES.

R E P O R T E R B E A U T Y

field notes

R E P O R T E R B E A U T Y

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a wash(room) of color

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If you want to spruce up your lipstick wardrobe, talk to an Allure editor. If you want to make a splash in your bathroom, ask one of the interior design experts at AD. The editors’ vibrant paint and wallpaper picks do for your bathroom what a swipe of crimson does for your lips.

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1. Backdrop Interior Standard Finish Paint in Rose Quartz. “I’ve always fantasized about having my own pink tiled bathroom. This glossy shade of pink has the same soft and sensual vibe.

It would go well with round mirrors, checkered towels, and cheeky accessories like Cold Picnic’s Boob Bathmat,” says Sydney Gore, digital design editor at AD.

2. Clare Wall Paint in Vacay. “Growing up, we had a very ’80s seafoamgreen bathroom and I still love it—blue skies, blue water, it all makes sense to me! This sophisticated take would be great with a blue striped shower curtain, neutral towels, and wood accents,” says Rachel Fletcher, commerce editor at AD.

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3. Farrow & Ball Paint in Pitch Blue. “This moody-blue is a subtle pop of color on its own, or a great background for bolder poppy-red or golden-yellow accents. I would immediately start searching for a mirror with a marigold frame,” says Erika Owen, global audience development director at AD. 4. Voutsa x CW Stockwell Martinique Celebration David Wallpaper. “This is a funky spin on a historic banana-leaf motif from the ’40s that was famously used in the Beverly Hills Hotel. And it is perfect for punching up a small space, particularly one without a ton of natural light. I’m not so into matchy matchy, so I’d conjure a ’70s vibe with black accents,” says Hannah Martin, senior design editor at AD. 5. Graham & Brown Midnight Tropic Wallpaper. “There’s something cozy about a bathroom with some drama, like this dark jungle print with unexpected pops of pink. You could lean into it with dark towels. The bathroom is the perfect play space for crazy print because it’s not where you spend all of your time,” says Elise Portale, social media manager at AD. 6. Svenskt Tenn Wallpaper in Eldblomman. “Brighten up your bathroom with this fantastical print, pair towels with one of its colors—blue, green, or orange— and top it off with potted greenery for a full botanical moment,” says Sophia Herring, associate editor at AD. 7. Mitchell Black Mixed Floral Bliss Wallpaper. “The abstract botanical print is a cool twist on your grandmother’s floral wallpaper and has a moodlifting palette that gives it an inviting quality. Because it has a varied color scheme, it would pair nicely with just about any colorful accent, used sparingly, to make your space feel bigger and brighter,” says Audrey Lee, commerce writer at AD. 8. Calico Mira & Milos Roze Wallpaper. “Pastel colors are winners—the pink is fun but not overwhelming and the lines look like grout. Create contrast with graphite towels and a bright bathmat or Hay toothbrushes,” says Zoë Sessums, digital design writer at AD.

COURTESY OF BRANDS

TIP

“Tape up a section of wallpaper or painted cardboard and live with it for a few days before you go all in,” says Martin.

These are no ordinary clouds They’re gathered by equatorial trade winds over a remote Fijian island, 1,600 miles from the nearest continent. Their rain filters through volcanic rock, gathering more than double the electrolytes* for a soft, smooth taste.

What these clouds make isn’t just water.

It’s FIJI Water.

FIJIWater.com *Compared to the other two top premium bottled water brands. © 2021 FIJI Water Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. FIJI, EARTH’S FINEST, EARTH’S FINEST WATER, the Trade Dress, and accompanying logos are trademarks of FIJI Water Company LLC or its affiliates. FW210624-29

5. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia. This new

SURE, YOU DON’T NEED ANYTHING. BUT IF YOU’RE LIKE US, THIS IS THE STUFF YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT.

iteration of the beloved white floral is more intense than the original—but with the same hint of brown sugar for sweetness— and clad in a floral ensemble designed by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele.

1. Haus Laboratories PhD Hybrid Lip Oil

and Neutral.)

2. Benefit Cosmetics POWmade Brow Pomade and Dual-Ended Angled Eyebrow Brush. Painting on

brow pomade used to require more restraint than shopping on Prime Day. But wipe your brush on this pot’s beveled edge and you’re left with the perfect amount of product every time.

3. Eadem Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum. Skin of color

is particularly prone to hyperpigmentation after an injury, like a breakout or bug b ite. This lightweight serum targets existing dark spots and helps prevent new ones with vitamin C.

4. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil-Free. If you go through blotting papers faster than you can say “oily skin,” you’ll find peace of mind with this mattifying tint (in 20 shades).

24 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

6. Bask SPF 30 Non-Aerosol Spray. The most

5

effective sunscreen is the one you don’t dread reapplying, and this quick-dry spray that smells like a tropical vacation fits the bill.

7. Maybelline New York SuperStay Matte Ink Zodiac Edition in Pioneer (Leo). We caught a down-to-earth Taurus using this look-atme cherry-red made for Leos—it’s that irresistible. (And the other vibrant hues in this astrology-themed collection are just as desirable.)

8. Lawless Beauty The One & Done Mascara. If most mascaras make you feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your lashes, you’ll love this vegan formula that uses lightweight alternatives to beeswax. Bonus: Castor and argan oils soften lashes at the same time.

9. Autumn Adeigbo Lime & Fuchsia Scrunchie. The

word “scrunchie” doesn’t do justice to this cheery, oversize hair accessory that elevates an otherwise basic ponytail.

GUCCI, MAYBELLINE, AND AUTUMN ADEIGBO: COURTESY OF BRAND. REMAINING IMAGES: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE.

R E P O R T E R B E A U T Y

EDITORS’ F AV O R I T E S

S P A C E S

W I T H . . .

B E A U T Y

R E P O R T E R

erin parsons B E A U T Y



A whole lot of cobalt greets you at the door of Parsons’s museum/studio. “I wanted you to be hit by the color, like when you’re standing in front of an Yves Klein painting,” she says.



It all started at an auction five years ago, where makeup artist Erin Parsons bought Mae West’s old makeup (powder, compacts, lipsticks, and more) for just over $5,000. “I never considered owning something from a vintage movie star that I’ve been obsessed with since I was a child as a possibility,” says Parsons. But once she realized it was, she just kept going: “I constantly searched for things Marilyn Monroe used so I could recreate her makeup one day. Her lashes were a mix of brown and black, which surprised me. They’re ridiculously long. Collecting [these] started my vintage obsession.” Parsons became a curator of makeup that is long past its expiration date, including colorful Mary Quant Crayons from the ’70s and a lip-shaped lipstick created by Salvador Dalí in the ’80s. “For a while, I was buying at least one item a day. With the internet, you have eBay, Etsy. I spent a fortune,” says Parsons. (Her most expensive acquisition to date: Monroe’s false lashes, for which she paid $9,000. “But I heard Audrey Hepburn’s lipstick [sold] for about $70,000, so I don’t

26 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

feel so bad.”) When Parsons’s apartment started looking like an unorganized back room at the Met, she rented a space in New York City’s East Village as an office and beauty museum—of sorts. “So far I’ve been sharing with friends or other makeup artists that want to see,” she says.

“It needs to be shared with the world, but I’m still not quite prepared to share with the public. I still need to write up information displays [to] turn this into a proper museum.”

She hasn’t thought of a name yet, “but perhaps I will make it in honor of my mother, who passed away too young,” says Parsons. “I used to steal her makeup. She inspired this life I live now.” —DEVON ABELMAN

PORTRAIT: HAO ZENG. INTERIORS: COURTESY OF ERIN PARSONS.

The decor “is Art Deco with a little Hollywood Regency (because I always go overboard) and a little Pop art.”



“I love finding wigs that still have the hairspray plastered in them from the ’60s…. I have one of maybe 60 wigs Elizabeth Taylor wore for Cleopatra.”

 Parsons’s collection includes Maybelline New York mascaras that date as far back as the 1920s. One hundred years later, she is a global makeup artist for the brand.

So Clutch

Is that a charmingly undersize handbag, or a comically oversize locket? Neither.

It’s makeup packed into a purse. “They were called ‘dance compacts’ in the ’20s,” says Parsons. “You could hang it from your finger and dance the Charleston and you had everything you needed for touch-ups.”

VALENTINO BEAUTY GO-CLUTCH This modern take wears like something between a crossbody bag and a piece of jewelry, featuring pressed powder and a mini lipstick.

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN LA PALETTE

PRODUCTS: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE

Pop in a sunset’s worth of blushes (shown here) or try one of the three eye shadow sets. The case is fully studded, presumably to deter burglars, and contains a written message from its creator: FROM XTIAN WITH .

KARESS WOODWORTH COMPACT

Throughout the ’20s, the perfume company Woodworth produced many dance compacts, a few of which, like this one, wound up in Parsons’s personal collection.

—BRENNAN KILBANE

exclusive

rest in pigment THE DISCONTINUED SHADES THAT MANY STILL MOURN.

1. COVERGIRL LIPSLICKS TINTED LIP BALM, “DARING”

Makeup artist Molly R. Stern desperately misses this drugstore shade.

“You can find it on eBay for over $70,” she laments.

“A sheer, perfect, neutral red that was truly gorgeous and universal.”

2. YVES SAINT LAURENT VINYL COUTURE MASCARA, “I’M THE TROUBLE” A

few collections ago, YSL briefly offered its slick, lash-clinging mascara in an offbeat palette, including forest green, a shocking pink, and makeup artist

Nick Barose’s favorite blue.

“It’s so ’80s,” he says. “It reminds me of the kind of makeup I saw on my mom that inspired me to be a makeup artist.”

3. GIORGIO ARMANI ROUGE D’ARMANI SHEER HYDRATING LIPCOLOR, “8”

Stern also mourns this hot pink. In the bullet, it looked intense; on lips, it was an allover, sheer wash of pop color.

4. LANCÔME COLOR DESIGN 5 SHADOW & LINER PALETTE, “KISSED BY GOLD”

Barose has been rationing

this treasure chest since it was discontinued in 2019. coppery tones,” he says,

“All you need is one swipe of mascara,” said no one ever.

If you’re like me, you layer on a minimum of three— and it’s not unusual to apply multiple formulas for the fullest, fluttery-est lashes.

This kind of layering inspired Kaja Wink Lash Trio MultiTasking Mascara, with clear, volumizing, and lengthening formulas all held together by magnetic packaging.

It’s almost like a compact— multiple products in one place—but for mascara.

On days when I follow the instructions, I layer on the clear formula first, followed by the volumizing (using its fluffy bristles for fullness), and then the lengthening (with its slim wand to elongate lashes). The result is lashes that are more perfectly defined and fuller than if I’d used just one of them. But there are no rules that say you can’t break off a single wand for a subtler effect. —PAIGE STABLES

matte textures you can use on a lot of skin tones.”

CREME LIPSTICK, “COCO PINK” This electric pink

from Chanel is the top requested shade at Three exact matches of bygone cosmetic colors. Online commenters hail it as the complexions.

Allure Beauty Box alert! S C R E E N S T A R Wearing sunscreen shouldn’t be complicated—or chalky. Sunday Riley gets it right with its new Light Hearted Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen, a pink-tinted formula that goes on sheer (on my fair skin and on my colleagues with olive and deep skin tones too). What I love most about the brand’s first sunscreen (aside from its cheery, heart-themed tube) is that, along with physical and chemical UV blockers (zinc oxide, octisalate, and octocrylene), Light Hearted is loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients, including turmeric and safflower seed oil, to soothe skin as it protects. My sensitive skin loves how the formula helps tame underlying redness, which is even more reason to reapply throughout the day. —SARAH KINONEN The September Allure Beauty Box includes Sunday Riley Light Hearted Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen along with six other products ($23 per month). Go to allure.com/beautyreporter to subscribe to the Allure Beauty Box by September 30 and get this sunscreen and more delivered to your door.

28 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

PRODUCTS: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE. REMAINING IMAGE: ROGER CABELLO/TRUNK ARCHIVE.

B E A U T Y

R E P O R T E R

THREE OF A KIND

shade shifter Last winter, I was bored at home with grown-out roots, so I cracked open a tub of pastel-pink color-depositing conditioner. About 40 minutes later, I had cheery, rosy hair and 58 selfies to mark the start of what has become a long-term relationship with temporary color.

As it turns out, the past year has been good for DIY beauty transformations—even DayGlo ones. Most home offices don’t have a dress code that precludes hair with a wash of pink, green, purple, or any other color of the rainbow.

Some pro tips: Hairstylist Matt Rez says warm shades like peaches, reds, and pinks will “always grab more evenly and are more forgiving,” so they’re probably your best option for a first foray into at-home color. Hairstylist Rachel Bodt advises that you test dyes on wet or damp hair first, so you can see how your hair will grab the color. (Use an inconspicuous strand, perhaps by the nape of your neck, for your test run.)

GIVE ‘EM A BOOST

Layering powder eye shadow over cream is the oldest colorintensifying trick in the book, but it’s not the only one.

Consider amping up pigments with some fresh alchemy.

30 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Neon Eye Makeup + White Liner

Shadows that look fluorescent in the pan often fall flat on skin, but if you layer them over a white liner you’ll get electric color payoff that goes on more evenly too. The same trick works for putting more electricity into neon eyeliners.

All of these options are temporary or semipermanent, but Nine Zero One stylist Sierra Kener says you can extend their life by adding a couple of drops of the color to your conditioner. That way you’ll get a light refresh every washday.

Unfortunately, this is an area where blondes really do have more fun: While some brands make a brunette option, you’ll get the most vibrant results on bleached hair. If you can’t make it to a colorist first, Kener suggests trying colorful clip-in extensions instead.

I’ve tried as many of these types of dyes as possible, but these three gave me the most exciting results: FOR AN ALLOVER TREATMENT: Overtone Coloring Conditioner combines a deep conditioning treatment with highly saturated color, so it’s perfect for anyone who wants a dramatic change and hasn’t seen the inside of a salon for awhile. The brand has more than 15 shades to choose from (I’m partial to the pastel pink), including options for brunettes.

FOR A SOFT WASH OF COLOR: Hally Color Cloud has managed to make the process almost completely messfree with a foam that pumps out white, spreads clear, and develops into a warm rose-gold, lilac, ash-blonde, soft-brown, or pale-blue shade. Plus, it comes with eye patches and putty (yep, like you had as a kid) to play with while you wait.

FOR STREAKS: Good Dye Young I’m Bored Hair Makeup’s serum-like texture makes it easy to add a couple of accent strands rather than allover color. Also, it doesn’t need to be washed out right after you apply, so it’s great if you decide you must get some splashes of red in your hair 20 minutes before a party. —KARA McGRATH

Eye Pencil + a Lighter

Revive a dry pencil by running the tip over a flame for a couple of seconds. After it melts slightly—and then, dear Lord, cools to the touch— it’ll glide on like the first day you opened it, says makeup artist Amrita Mehta. She adds, “The difference in color payoff is insane.” (Repeat before each application.)

Cake Liner + Lash Glue

Makeup artists use wateractivated pigments, called cake liners, to create matte looks, but these bold hues can crack after a few hours.

Paint lash glue on in your shape of choice first, as does makeup artist Naezrah Desir, then layer the cake liner on top. Your handiwork will stay smooth all day long.

—DEVON ABELMAN

HAIR: ROBERT JASO/TRUNK ARCHIVE. PRODUCTS: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE. PORTRAIT: COURTESY OF SUBJECT.

B E A U T Y

R E P O R T E R

From left: Hally Color Cloud, and Good Dye Young I’m Bored Hair Makeup, also seen below on Allure editor Kara McGrath.

© HDIP, Inc.

Luxury is where you are.

PRODUCED BY ALLURE WITH PANTENE

PANTENE’S NEW ESSENTIAL BOTANICALS ROSEMARY AND LEMON SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER DUO IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL MY GOOD HAIR DAYS. — BY BEAUTY EDITOR KAT SUICO

I’ll take any chance I can get for an escape. Sometimes it’s a quick weekend getaway or a one-night staycation at a local boutique hotel, but when time is tight, it’s just a few minutes in my shower. The fresh rosemary-andlemon scent of Pantene’s newest Essential Botanicals line turns my bathroom into a luxurious, citrusy oasis with formulas that are blissfully free of silicones, parabens, dyes, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrances.

I’ve worked really hard to nurse my hair back to health after going platinum three years ago. A major key for my back-to-black journey has been choosing products with nourishing ingredients, and this volumizing shampoo, with rosemary and lemon, also rejuvenates my hair with healthy body. The rich lather cuts through buildup and leaves my roots refreshed and ready to go. And as a rinse-and-repeat kind of girl, I love the large bottles it comes in (available at the mecca for jumbo everything, Costco Wholesale).

As for the conditioner, don’t let the lightweight texture fool you: The formula delivers hydration without weighing hair down. Lipids in the formula help strengthen my hair from the inside out, helping to restore softness and shine. This nutrient-rich duo has helped me achieve and maintain healthy, shiny hair while giving me a few minutes of showertime peace.

Pantene Essential Botanicals Rosemary and Lemon is available at Costco Wholesale.

T A L K I N G

B E A U T Y

W I T H . . .

gottmik

Gucci dress.

To create a similar look: Full Spectrum So Saturated Eyeshadow Palette in Zodiac, Exhibitionist Lipstick in Bombshell Pink, and TruBlend So Flushed High Pigment Blush in Sweet Seduction by CoverGirl. These pages: Fashion editor, Karen Lopez. Makeup: Gottmik.

WHEN THE PERFORMER FIRST DISCOVERED MAKEUP, A SEED WAS PLANTED. NOW, FRESH OFF THE LATEST SEASON OF RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, GOTTMIK IS IN FULL BLOOM. 38 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

photographed by michelle watt

B E A U T Y T A L K I N G

i

In 2021, Kade Gottlieb, better known by his stage name Gottmik, became the first trans man to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race—the Olympics for drag queens. (He took home the bronze.) Gottmik, a makeup artist, arrived in the competition’s werkroom wearing clown-white foundation and villainously black lipstick. “Time to crash the cis-tem!” he sang. His talent for transformation borders on the otherworldly, like when he remade himself into Paris Hilton (a client) for a celebrity-impersonation challenge.

(Other tricks include: Turning Lil Nas X into a note-perfect Nicki Minaj.)

Allure joined the performer at a suburban stop on his victory tour across the United States. By the time you’re reading this, he’ll be packing for the European leg.

I went to Catholic school, where you’re not allowed to wear makeup when you’re younger. I remember being in fifth grade and trying so hard to sneak mascara or a little bit of eyeliner on and get away with it.

I don’t know if it was the fact that I couldn’t wear it or if I was obsessed, but I just wanted to wear it so badly.

Before I got into the artistry of makeup, I would take a gel liner and do raccoon eyes in all black with blue mascara. I was in that emo-kid phase and living for it.

When we got to high school, me and my then-best friend started a makeup YouTube channel. This was in 2010, when YouTube was starting, so I don’t even know how we got that idea. We thought everyone wanted

40 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

to see us on our bathroom floors and watch us do really bad makeup.

Then when I moved out to L.A., I just fell in love with drag queens. I thought, This is such a fun way to express yourself and how you feel. It was my dream.

My passion for drag amplified my makeup passion. When I started getting into drag queens and watching their makeup tutorials, I knew I loved makeup and that I could draw, so I followed along.

And I was kind of good at it, weirdly and randomly, so I just practiced every day and started meeting drag queens. The first drag look I ever did, I was trying to recreate Bianca Del Rio…. I always wanted to pick the biggest features ever. I did not know how to cover my eyebrows, but I was trying.

The process of finding my drag makeup [aesthetic] helped me realize my gender identity. I didn’t even have the language to know I was transgender; I knew something was off. I was testing the waters of what I was comfortable with. I was not a huge fan of how I looked when I was done up in girly, girly, girly makeup, but I did love expressing my feminine self a little bit. So how do I make this drag? It was very confusing. Then, when I painted my face white for the first time, not only were the colors popping more, but I felt like this alien creature. And I was still able to make everything pretty in a

Terrence Zhou dress. Manolo Blahnik shoes.

2

G OT T K I T ?

1. Ben Nye Creme Stick Foundation in White 2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze 3. Belif The True Cream 4. Göt2B Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Gel 5. One/Size Go Off Makeup Dissolving Mist 6. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes 7. Biologique Recherche Serum Placenta 8. Le Labo Rose 31 Shower Gel

4 1

3

5 7

COURTESY OF BRAND

6

8

way. It was game over. I never looked back with the white clown face.

Going on RuPaul’s Drag Race, my first thought was, I’m a makeup queen. I am not about to get read by Michelle Visage. But when I started experimenting with skin-tone drag [makeup] and feeling pretty, it made me realize how far I’d come out of drag with my transition, and how I am more comfortable with that now.

It allowed me to open up and realize I’m not just a makeup queen and that I have so much more [to offer] than that. I had grown so much as an artist without even realizing it. Makeup opened me up on the show and I’m excited to explore that more in the future. It’s definitely not my favorite

B E A U T Y T A L K I N G

[thing] in the world, but I do love a skin-tone moment every once in a while now. On a normal day I use two colors, but if we’re stuck on an island and I only can bring one, I’d bring a white Ben Nye Creme Stick Foundation. I love using a skin toneish one that has a pink undertone and then highlight with the white so it gets a little dimension, which you barely even notice, but I do.

Everyone asks me what my favorite black lipstick is, and I always use Hank & Henry’s. It smells amazing.

Terrence Zhou dress. Manolo Blahnik shoes.

42 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

I put a lot of effort into my makeup, so when it comes to products I truly don’t care what it is, as long as I don’t have to touch it or move it.

I’m so lazy after I’ve finished. The second I have to touch it up, I don’t want to use it again. If I’m not feeling it, you will tell from my makeup. If I’m angry that day, you will tell from my makeup.

I’ve done a few solo campaigns since being on the show where I’m out of drag—a boy shirtless wearing eyeliner and an earring. And if you

would’ve asked me in high school if that would have happened, that would have been a definite no. I’m just so proud of that. In every aspect of my life, I always say that if I’m too comfortable with some part of my art, it’s time to move on because it’s getting boring and repetitive.

I need to keep pushing forward and pushing my limits to grow as a person and an artist. In the next 10 years, hopefully I’ll be something crazier than I’ve ever expected.

—AS TOLD TO NICOLA DALL’ASEN

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DREAM

1

“I always use JinSoon Cuticle Oil [1] for photo shoots. The formula is very rich but really absorbs. It’s similar to my Supernal Cosmic Glow Facial Oil [5]. I have dry skin, but after using this every night, my face feels supersoft and nice.”

3

“Building and filing gel extensions takes so much time. Apres Tips [8] come in so many shapes and lengths and last two to three weeks.

My favorite color combos are neons with black or white designs.

They always stand out.”

4

5

“I use Byredo’s Suede Liquid Hand Soap [4] every day. It reminds me of perfume. La Prairie Cellular Hand Cream [3] keeps my hands so soft.”

6

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mei k awaj i r i

@NailsbyMei to her loyal followers, Kawajiri started her career in Kyoto, Japan, painting intricate nail designs for Harajuku girls. When she moved to the U.S. in 2012, she brought her knack for neon colors and threedimensional designs with her.

As for her own acrylic sets, she says, “There isn’t a length I won’t go.”

9

“Half my hair is bleached right now and very fragile. I trust Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Oil Shampoo and Conditioner [7].”

10

44 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

“Kiss Me Heroine Make Impact Liquid EyeLiner [6] is super skinny, like a nail [brush]. Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow Quad [10] is my everyday. When I have a tired face, I’ll apply Pat McGrath’s Cherish Blush [2]. It makes me look happy! Byredo Argila Tinted Lip Balm [9] is in between a Chapstick and a lipstick.”

PORTRAIT: STEPHANE CARDINALE/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES. SHU UEMURA: COURTESY OF BRAND. EYELINER: LUCAS VISSER. REMAINING IMAGES: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE.

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TRY ON THE BRIGHTEST, BOLDEST LOOKS IN THIS ISSUE!

K I T

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D R E A M

co u rt n e y quinn

“One/Size Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder [3] looks great on camera and in real life.

I apply Live Tinted Terra Cotta Huestick [8] on my cheeks and lips on days I want to go more natural. If I want to do a monochromatic thing, I’ll also use it as eye shadow.”

Color Me Courtney wasn’t always the plan. Quinn came to New York City with an MBA in business and aspirations to work in fashion. But her blog, which celebrates all things colorful, turned into a full-time career. Her tip for pulling off any shade? “You just have to be brave.”

3

“I’m not patient enough for a full mask; I use Bloomeffects Dutch Dirt Mask [6] as a scrub in the shower. It’s the most transformative product I’ve used, a real game changer. Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r [1] lathers really well and goes a

2

long way. ColourPop Bubblegum Pop Lippie Scrub [2] wipes off any lipstick left behind and makes my lips nice and soft before bed.“ “There’s something fun about The Skinny Confidential Hot Mess

natural, soft glow. It’s a product I’ve been using for years.”

“Because of allergies, my eyes get really red.

Some people whiten their teeth. I whiten my eyes with Lumify eye drops [7]. They’re kind of a staple.”

“I wore shorts under dresses my whole life, then I tried Megababe Thigh Rescue [5].

There’s no [more] need for Spanx [to stop thighs from rubbing].”

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46 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

PORTRAIT: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. REMAINING IMAGES: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE.

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“I probably wear the most color on my lips and nails. Essie Expressie Seize The Minute [1] is a tomato-red that always reminds me of Paris.

[It feels] very French.”

PORTRAIT: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. LOVESEEN EYELASHES: COURTESY OF BRAND. REMAINING IMAGES: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE.

“Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder [3] doesn’t feel like I’m wearing makeup.

It evens out my pinkishrosey skin tone and gives a glow. LoveSeen Lashes [7] are easy to apply and add a natural flutter.”

3

“When I’m working from home, I light D.S. & Durga Wild Brooklyn Lavender Candle [8].

It’s so soothing. The NuFace Fix [2] is so easy to use. I leave it beside my computer [and use it while I work]. It’s supposed to activate your muscles to help improve wrinkles.”

4

ta n ya tay l o r

The fashion designer is known for using surprising color combos in her designs, often in the form of graphic prints she’s embellished herself. “I like to add random brushstrokes on top,” she says. “It adds some vibration

“After I had my second baby, I lost all the hydration in my skin and my hair didn’t feel as healthy. I started taking Goop High School 5

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retinol, revolutionized OLAY’S LATEST BODY-CARE PRODUCTS MADE BEAUTY EDITOR JIHAN FORBES REALIZE HOW CRUCIAL THE INGREDIENT IS—FROM HEAD TO TOE. I’m a beauty editor, so I’m constantly changing up the beauty products I use, including my body wash—a product that’s often left out of the skin-care conversation, which tends to focus more on the face. But it’s a crucial element, and from experience, I can tell you that if you’re not using different body washes as the seasons change, then you’re doing it wrong.

“Many people have developed great routines to take care of the skin on their face, but it’s just as important to develop a body-care routine, too,” says Arizona -based board-certified dermatologist

Dr. Sheila Farhang. “You can implement simple steps to achieve hydrated and radiant skin.”

One of the body washes I’ve been using lately is the Olay Cleansing & Renewing Nighttime Body Wash. It contains retinol, which, as the good folks at Olay explain, is a vitamin A derivative commonly found in facial skin-care products.

It works by encouraging new surface skin cell development and increasing the production of molecules in the skin’s barrier that keep it hydrated and plump. What does that mean for you? Supple-looking skin that glows like the gods touched it themselves. Plus, it can be useful in fading any post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation you may get from a breakout.

Retinol is an ingredient best applied at night, as sunlight can break it down to the point that it’s inactive.

But having a great body wash isn’t enough. “Your body’s skin also needs

moisture to maintain that radiant glow,” says Farhang. “Moisturize before leaving the shower by adding an in-shower moisturizer to your body-care routine.”

Fortunately, Olay Body’s skin experts have just the product for this: The Nighttime Rinse-Off Body Conditioner, an in-shower body moisturizer. In addition to retinol, it contains vitamin B3, which gives your skin a boost of hydration.“Its concentrated moisture helps stop dry skin before it starts,” Farhang says.

If you see me walking around this fall with glowing skin, you’ll know exactly why. These two retinol-infused body care products are my new staples.

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vision quest

AS THE CHILDREN’S STORY GOES: ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, AQUAMARINEGREEN FISH. HOW DO PEOPLE WITH COLOR BLINDNESS SEE THE WORLD? THE REALITY IS FAR BEYOND BLACK AND WHITE. BY SAM ESCOBAR 50 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES

We took an image of Marilyn Monroe (upper left) and used a digital simulator to show how different types of color blindness might impact the way you see it— though “it’s impossible...to fully appreciate what color deficiency might look like in any specific individual,” says the Mayo Clinic’s Schornack.

a

Alex stood in front of a mirror observing himself. “What color?” he inquired of no one in particular. He stared at his reflection a little longer before repeating the question: “What color?”

Alex was a gray parrot purchased from a pet shop by psychologist Irene Pepperberg in 1977. To date, Alex is perhaps the only animal to ask a seemingly existential question.

(The feathery genius, whose name is short for “avian learning experiment,” learned that the answer was “gray” after being told six times.)

Typically, of course, colorcentric ponderings are unique to humans, and the queries are endless: Is the blue you see the same blue that I see? And how do you describe blue to someone who’s never observed it?

For most, these debates arise only in Philosophy 101. For color-blind people, though, this line of questioning is lifelong and impacts everything, whether it’s navigation, doing home repairs, makeup application, or choosing an outfit.

Color blindness, a trait most commonly caused by a mutation on the X chromosome—meaning you are much more likely to have it if you were assigned male at birth (a one in 12 shot, versus one in 200 for those assigned female at birth), particularly if you’re of Northern European ancestry—is shrouded in myths and misconceptions. The big one: All color deficiencies are roughly the same or manifest as a gray-scale view of the world. Actually, those with color blindness still usually see plenty of color, they just experience it differently. Greens may appear muted. “Reds may look greenish or green may look brownish,” says Muriel Schornack, an optometrist with the Mayo Clinic. Other colors—blue and green, yellow and red, purple and red—may be tricky to distinguish, or completely unidentifiable. A complete

or near-complete absence of color, called achromatopsia, is rare, affecting just one in 30,000 people; but on the tiny Micronesian island of Pingelap, this rate skyrockets to as much as 10 percent of the population. Remember how we said it was genetic?

But biology is not the only contributor. A pair of identical twins would almost certainly possess the same form of color blindness, but a life’s worth of experiences could mean they see color differently every day.

“Genetics [only] allow us to predict what somebody is able to see under controlled circumstances, like in a laboratory,” says Robert B. Hufnagel, an ophthalmic genetics clinician-scientist at the National Eye Institute.

If you do see color uniquely, a lot of people assume you’d leap at the chance to perceive color the same way as the rest of the world. But for every viral video of someone trying EnChroma glasses, which filter light in such a way as to alter perception for people with certain deficiencies, there are countless color-blind folks who are perfectly happy with their vision just the way it is.

“I’ve literally never seen color before, so when I get comments on my [TikTok] videos that say, ‘It must be so depressing…’ I always have to laugh a bit,” says Natasha Caudill, a content creator with achromatopsia. “It’s hard to miss something you’ve never experienced before, so the way I see isn’t depressing at all. It’s just my life.”

Also consider the case of Claude Monet. (Yes, that Monet.) According to Bevil R. Conway, a researcher at the National Eye Institute, as we age our vision tends to get yellower without us ever noticing. “It’s like when you go skiing and you wear those yellow-tinted glasses. You put them on at the beginning, [and] by the end of the day you don’t even know you’re wearing them,” he says. But when Monet’s vision yellowed, so much so that he no longer painted with blues and his eyes became afflicted by cataracts, he underwent corrective surgery. According to letters written to his ophthalmologist, though, the experience had him wishing he’d left well enough alone: He then saw too much blue and began wearing yellow-green tinted glasses to restore his ability to perceive those shades.

Maybe the grass isn’t always greener (or reddish-greener) after all.

T H E W AY I SEE IT

British makeup artist Leigh Easthope has a type of color blindness that skews the way he perceives red (and colors with red undertones like purple, orange, and pink). But what do you do when you’re color blind and your livelihood depends on color? “Your ideas are not going to be like anyone else’s ideas,” says Easthope.

“And you can use that to your advantage.” —DIANNA MAZZONE PHONE A FRIEND Colleagues and friends have helped Easthope navigate new eye shadow palettes.

They’ve confirmed, for example, that a purple is purple and Easthope has labeled each color accordingly for future reference. But, for the record, he wishes more makeup brands would use shade names that actually describe a color (“It could be purple, but it’s called Fudge”) or, at the very least, provide descriptions (like, a bright purple with blue undertones) on their websites.

LEAN IN Easthope knows he doesn’t perceive light pink. So if he’s looking to foundation-match someone who appears to him to have no variation in color or any apparent undertones on their face, he reaches for a shade he’s previously labeled suitable for rosy complexions.

MIX IT UP Instead of always relying on premixed shades, Easthope likes to create his own, often using primary colors, which allows for more control. “I always mix up more than I think I need,” he says. “My biggest drama is when I’ve run out of a custom color when I’ve only finished half a face.”

GENERATION

GREEN

PROP STYLIST: ALEX SILVA

It’s difficult to say for sure what Eden looked like, but it was probably green. Jan Brueghel the Elder’s “paradise landscapes” from the European Renaissance expressed his vision of Eden in every chlorophyll variant naturally possible, in seas of trees stretching to infinity, in ultramarine surfaces of swan-flecked lagoons, and in some blues and golds. But mostly greens. The Tree of Knowledge is painted in what appears to be hundreds of shades of green, including moss, olivine, and sunlight on broadleaf, each one watching Eve commit the first recorded act of conspicuous consumption.

And today? Refined with time and technology, our greens have gotten better, cooler, richer, lusher, and more attention-grabbing than ever. Eve would flip at the gardens of Versailles or Spotify’s Stockholm headquarters. We can’t know how she would react to the current beauty and wellness market—where a new, Generation Z green has begun to sprout in packaging and branding—but it’s safe to say she would probably lose her mind.

It’s eucalyptus, but fernier. It’s Granny Smith, but younger. It’s Pharrell’s Humanrace Skincare, packaged in plasticine emerald, and the waterlogged kelp of OffCourt’s Performance Body Spray.

Larkly Suncare, a new-to-market antioxidant-packed powder sunscreen, parks its packaging hue in a pastel corridor of the lime family, ensuring a cool distance from its more radioactive cousins over at Monster Energy and Xbox. Lower the volume a little bit and you have a universal crowd-pleaser—a shade that everybody is happy to see. Blue may be the most popular color in the world (according to some psychologists, apparently), but if you’re being honest, you’d rather see green. Green is secure. Green is good. Green means go—and good luck!

Green is a leafy side salad, humming with nutrients.

Your average green-loving person has probably “been called a ‘do-gooder,’” wrote Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, in The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition. “You are a caring companion, a loyal friend, partner, and family member, and are supersensitive about doing the right thing and embracing a cause you feel is right.” (For more of Leatrice Eiseman’s color wisdom, turn to page 80.)

Gen Z is nothing if not green as they organize to save the planet they hope to inhabit through adulthood. They are more engaged in matters of climate change and the majority factor “greenness” into their purchasing habits.

Gen Z, aged 9 to 24, is also green, as its members are currently joining the workforce and bringing their value systems with them.

photographed by josephine schiele

P H E N O M E N O N

IT’S SUNSET ON MILLENNIAL PINK. THE KIDS HAVE A NEW FAVORITE COLOR.

BY BRENNAN KILBANE

Whether Gen Z is too green is up for debate, but the amount of green its members are predicted to possess is undeniable: Trillions, according to the Bank of America; they’ll surpass millennials in income by 2031. In 2019, McKinsey estimated that Gen Z would soon comprise 40 percent of the world’s shoppers.

Thus, the market grows greener by the day. Observe the foliage at your local suburban Target, where it blooms between twee pink moisturizers and clinically white moisturizers. Even a glimmer of green is refreshing to behold. Nature is healing! Megababe’s The Green Deo smells like lemons but is the color of chlorophyll, its star ingredient. When R+Co launched Bleu, a diffusion line designed to use less plastic packaging, the brand ignored the product’s own name (“blue” in French) and went with a saturated shade of mint for many items.

Over a decade ago, green was used frequently enough in marketing to draw public ire. “Everybody wants to be green,” a branding executive told the New York Times.

British Petroleum had recently rebranded from the BP monogram to an abstract green-yellow supernova; shortly after, it caused one of the most catastrophic environmental disasters in human history.

But Gen Z green isn’t the green of BP, or Hulu, or Excel.

It runs a much shorter spectrum, from Emerald City spires to Caribbean tide pools. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it feels fresh and alive,” says Helen Steed, a creative director who works on consumer brands. “And it’s natural. But the trends today are these hyped-up versions of what you would find in nature.”

“I would almost call those tones ‘digital’ greens,” says Jane Boddy, another trend forecaster at the Pantone Color Institute. “If you look at colors on your phone, they’re enhanced by the lighting you get from the screen.” The saturation makes sense, says Boddy, considering how many humans are opting to connect in online spaces, rather than terrestrial ones. In 2018, when the Times asked Boddy what color might succeed millennial pink in the coming decade, Boddy cast her lot on bracing shades of “neo-mint,” which connoted a “cool, futuristic, tech feel, but also connects with plant life and nature as we become more and more focused on preserving our planet.”

Today, millennial pink feels increasingly like a palette from a bygone era, when pussy hats were on march and Wings spread far and wide, when the future looked female. Where the millennial color family is more obviously gendered, Gen Z’s floats outside the binary. Blue might be for boys, but green is barely for humans. It’s in our eyes and sometimes our hearts. We eat greens and we play on them.

In Japanese antiquity, a single word could describe the color of the land and sky in unison, erasing the horizon into a seamless field of ao, which might evoke the sublime aqua of Urban Skin Rx’s Hydrabalance Instant Moisture Infusion.

Heaven and Earth, in one hopeful little jar.

T H E

!

F A C E

C H A R T

W I T H

danessa myricks

Before there were how-to videos, there were face charts. To celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re inviting makeup artists to pay homage to the art form.

Creating this chart took me back in time. I grew up very poor, but we could afford paper, paint, colored pencils....

So much of my childhood was about crafting and just creating with a box of crayons. That’s really transferred to my life now—color is everything for me. Color is the magic; it’s an energy, a feeling. Regardless of the style of makeup that I’m doing, color always brings the message forward. This particular look was inspired by nature. I have some roses in front of my house, and when I went for my morning walk, I noticed the sun shining down on the satin texture of the petals. I wanted to capture that softness. Blush placement can really change the story of makeup. I love the idea of bringing the color up higher so it lifts and sculpts the face. The upward flick of eyeliner helps with that too. I used a pencil-tip brush to smudge along the lash lines so everything feels soft and romantic.

Get the look: Danessa Myricks Beauty Vision Flush in Sweet Nectar, Colorfix Matte in Exposed, and Colorfix Glaze in Cappuccino, Hindash Cosmetics Beautopsy Gradient Palette, Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in All Over Grey, L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara, Kevyn Aucoin Unforgettable Lip Definer in Divine, Milk Makeup Cream Highlighter in Lit, Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzer.

54 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

illustration by samantha hahn

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!

Once upon a time, Allure ran advice columns by our favorite beauty pros. In celebration of our 30th anniversary, we’re bringing back the tradition, but this time the beauty expert is—us! (We’ve learned a lot over the years.)

ASK THE BEAUTY In South Korea the concept of “personal colors” is big...but that can make you look or feel that much better?

56 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

notion of seasons in favor of creating custom palettes for each of her clients. And instead of telling someone they can’t wear a certain color, Burr says it’s a matter of finding a variation of a shade that jibes best with their features.

Except for yellow: “That one’s really hard to wear.” That said, Burr tells her clients that four colors “work” for almost everybody: forest green, deep teal, watermelon, and periwinkle. Even over Zoom, I notice the way Burr’s deep-teal top offsets her fiery-red hair. I’m sold.

Then there is Susanna Merrick, an “intuitive stylist” based in New York City. Merrick reads auras, also known as the rainbow of colors associated with an individual’s energy field, according to New Age schools of thought. (You may have seen aura-reading machines at parties or inside spiritual shops.)

She’ll then suggest styles and colors that support your existing aura. If you’re looking to achieve

Jackson thinks Color Me Beautiful readers were motivated by the latter. “Everyone wants to know about themselves,” she says when I ask her what she thinks it is about personal color theory that continues to resonate. Perhaps the drive to be attached to a color scheme is the same one that made me take a BuzzFeed quiz called “I’m not a Psychic, but I Bet I Can Guess Your Age Based on What You’re Doing Literally Right Now.” In my adult life, I have had my astrological birth chart read more than once.

Also, I have recently handed over a vial of my spit and a lock of my hair in pursuit of my ancestry details and a personalized vitamin regimen, respectively. I’ve done all these things in an effort to help me get to know me. Color analysis is not so different.

As this month’s Beauty Expert, my professional take is this: There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from knowing a periwinkle sweater will make your eyes sparkle and your skin radiate. But there is perhaps an even greater satisfaction that comes from knowing as much, but choosing the lime-green sweater anyway.

—DIANNA MAZZONE

Cheeky, lippy, and eye shadow-y advice, courtesy of Allure’s editors. Send your burning (or itching, or otherwise inflamed) questions to beautyexpert@allure.com.

GETTY IMAGES

For as long as I can remember, my mother has recoiled at the mere thought of wearing olive-green.

“It does nothing for me,” she’d say.

Why? “I’m a winter.” She is a disciple of Carole Jackson, who published Color Me Beautiful about 40 years ago. The quasi-self-help book sorts women into “seasons” based on the tone of their hair, skin, and eyes. Depending on your season, you’re assigned a color palette that promises to “make you look great and feel fabulous.” Early editions of the book included a tear sheet prompting readers to send in $25 to receive a wallet-size bundle of swatches for easy reference while shopping for clothing and makeup.

Jackson, now 79, didn’t invent the method—and even she isn’t sure who did. But after getting her own colors analyzed (and being amazed by how wearing a certain shade of blue could make her look less tired), she had an idea: Commercialize the concept. In addition to selling the aforementioned swatches (and some four million copies of the book), Jackson inked international licensing agreements, including in South Africa and Japan.

Now seasonal color consultations are a thing once again—this time, in the world’s beauty-trend capital, South Korea.

Junghae Lee, a senior beauty editor at Allure Korea, tells me that pre-pandemic, shops staffed by “personal color specialists” were popping up left and right. During consultations, clients are asked to remove their makeup and a white sheet is draped over their clothes.

This creates a neutral background against which various shades are held up to the face; the shades that are most flattering determine one’s “season.”

Ginger Burr, an image consultant in Boston, works much the same way, but she’s abandoned the

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58 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Bright Red Deep Red

“Maybelline [Color Sensational] Red for Me is the perfect cherry I’ve searched high and low for my whole career.”

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red

Coral

[Rouge Essentiel] in Blush Pink is super creamy—a gorgeous pop of color that makes my clients look awake and healthy.”

“Nars Lipstick in Schiap is possibly the best shade of ’80’s video-vixen, neon pink ever made. Every makeup artist has a tube stashed away.

It’s electric.”

Shiseido ModernMatte Powder Lipstick

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in Surprise

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T H E C O L O R FA M I LY

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2

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OPPOSITE PAGE: LAURA MERCIER, CHARLOTTE TILBURY, AND HERMÈS: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE. THIS PAGE, SHISEIDO AND DIOR: JOSEPHINE SCHIELE. LIQUID LIPSTICKS: AIMEE BARYCHKO. REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF BRAND.

Daniel Martin

Fiona Stiles

Grace Ahn

Tatcha Kyoto Red Silk Lipstick (Martin is a Tatcha spokesperson.)

Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour Lipstick in Velvet Morning

MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Fashion Legacy

“When I think of Old Hollywood of the ’30’s and ’40’s, Nars [Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in] Cruella is the deep red I think about.”

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in Zenith

S E R V I C E Sir John

L’Oréal Paris Brilliant Signature Shiny Lip Stain in Be Brilliant (Sir John is a L’Oréal spokesperson.)

Sam Visser Dior Rouge Dior in #999 Satin (Visser is a Dior

Nick Barose Giorgio Armani Beauty Lip Power in 400 (Barose is an Armani

Uoma Beauty Badass Icon Matte Lipstick in Diana

“Gucci [Rouge à Lèvres in] Queen Christina is the perfect matte coral, straight out of a Slim Aarons photograph.”

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Siren

Kevyn Aucoin Matte f f OUnforgettable Lipstick in Confidential “works well with a bronze palette. A great way to add color without being in-your-face bright.”

Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Dragon Fruit

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick in Pillow Talk

MAC Matte Lipstick in Snob

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Dior Rouge Dior Forever Liquid in #959 Forever Bold

YSL Beauty Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick Balm in

MAC Matte Lipstick in Diva

Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Merlot

MAC Pigments come in metallic and chrome— perfect for “custom, playful look[s].” We like patting one on cream lipstick for velvety sparkle.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in

Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Lipstick in

2 “Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Diamonds in Lucky Diamonds offers a gorgeous gleam. Dab it on the tops of your cheeks for a quick highlighter too.”

Rituel de Fille Color Nectar Pigment

“Ciaté London Glitter Flip Lipstick in Chaos is really glittery. It’s the

skin tones.”

L I P

THE MAKEUP ARTIST

S C E N T S

artist’s palette

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ESTÉE LAUDER BEAUTIFUL M AG N O L I A “In perfume, the violet flower has many different, contrasting aspects—a sweet but woody base and a clean, stringent top, which mostly comes from its leaves. This perfume plays up those distinct effects. It’s a bit violet in color—bright, sheer, and dry in the back, almost crisp.”

60 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

There are tricky, technical words that perfumers use to exchange ideas (try saying “tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes” one time, slowly) and easily recognizable (easily pronounceable) ones for notes like rose or vanilla. But there’s no real universal language for complex compositions—one person’s “fresh” is another’s “sweet.”

Instead, we often conjure imagery of laundry snapping in the breeze, waves lapping at the shore, or lemons ripening in the sun. But these visual clichés aren’t the only way: “One of the most effective ways to describe scent is with color,” says Frédéric Malle, founder of the perfume house Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. For Malle, associating fragrance with color is second nature. Born with a sensoryprocessing trait called synesthesia, he perceives a range of vivid, painterly strokes when he smells perfume—or anything at all. It’s an automatic response that plays a key role in his creative process. “When I’m developing a scent with a perfumer, I might suggest making it ‘darker’ or ‘more purple’ instead of adding a specific chemical,” he says.

“This gives some direction while leaving room for interpretation. The result often surprises me.” While synesthesia isn’t exactly common (it occurs in up to 5 percent of the population), a visual approach to scent might help to build a common fragrance vocabulary. “It makes perfume tangible and more matter of fact,” says Malle, adding, “I believe everyone has the capacity to equate color with scent.”

We asked Malle to look beyond the hyperbole and show us the true colors of four new fragrances.

BRIGITTE LACOMBE

M A K I N G

A LOT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU SMELL A PERFUME—SCENTS MAY REMIND US OF OUR MOTHERS, OUR EXES, OR MOMENTS IN TIME. BUT WHEN PERFUMER FRÉDÉRIC MALLE EXPERIENCES A FRAGRANCE, HE ALSO PERCEIVES IT AS AN ARRAY OF COLORS. THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO SEE—AND SMELL—THE WORLD AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SYNESTHESIA. BY LIANA SCHAFFNER

illustrations by samantha hahn

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S C E N T S M A K I N G

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E D I T I O N S D E PA R F U M S FREDERIC MALLE SYN T H E T I C J U N G L E “It’s a symphony of greens. I told [perfumer] Anne Flipo we needed something dark, almost black, to connect very pale green (lily of the valley) and deeper greens (galbanum).

That’s when patchouli came in. There’s also a purple tinge from black currant, and jasmine has a green tint that borders on yellow. The effect is photo-realistic: vegetal, sharp. It’s an idealized portrait of a jungle.”

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M A RC JACO B S PERFECT INTENSE “It has a very soothing effect, almost like the color of vanilla or a smooth piece of cloth. A dose of jasmine gives it creaminess and depth, but I find it’s also a little musky [the result of sandalwood]. I see this as a layering of milky whites and creamy beige.”

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G I O RG I O A R M A N I M Y WAY I N T E N S E “I recently smelled Japanese strawberries, which are famous for their color, aroma, and almost creamy texture. This reminds me very much of that. To me, it conveys the pink, rounded color of a strawberry.

It is a modern interpretation of what perfumers call a floral oriental—it blends jasmine with sweet vanilla.”

62 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

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the BEAUTY of NOW Transitions apply to anyone’s life: moving to a new city, saying goodbye to a first love, getting bangs. Most of us try to respect whatever route people take to get from point A to point B; we honor their privacy.

But for trans and nonbinary people, the rules are different.

As if it were a public performance, we cue the curtain and shine the spotlight. By hyper-focusing on their appearance, we dilute their humanity and reduce their experiences to “befores” and “afters.” The reality is much less linear— and certainly more beautiful. In their true colors, four trans and nonbinary people show—and tell—us what that reality actually looks like.

—DENNY AGASSI

photographed by lia clay miller

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MATT IE LUBCHANSKY

3

NAR ANGEL RO KH He/Them

They/Them

DJ AND MUSIC PRODUCER

CARTOONIST

“Everyone’s experience transitioning varies. For me, the first time I went to the beach after getting top surgery was the most liberating moment. It was the first time I felt comfortable at the beach in just bottoms with my chest out, catching the breeze.”

“One of the most wellmeaning but unfortunate questions cis people will ask is, ‘Are they going to end up as X?’ or ‘What’s the end point?’ Defining an end point seems counterproductive for me, personally. Because this is who you are.”

2

4

She/Her

Ze/Zim

DENNY AGASSI WRITER, ACTOR, MUSICIAN

“When I get dressed, I ask myself a series of questions: Does this make me feel good because it is comfortable?

Followed by, Does it make me feel good because it convinces society of the gender I wish for them to understand? And, finally, Am I undeniable? In other words, do I check off the boxes needed to be a girl in this society?”

DE VI N- NORELLE WRITER, MODEL, TRANS ADVOCATE

“When I think of transition, I think about the fact that it isn’t for me, it’s actually for everyone else. And that it takes time for everyone else to adjust to it, to adjust to the person that you’ve always been.... It’s forever ongoing because you’re constantly coming out to new lovers, to new friends, to new strangers. And they need to adjust to learning not to gender people. Personally, I have more to go, but I’m not in a rush. I am quite happy at the moment.”

Opposite page, on Mattie Lubchansky: Moschino dress and shawl. Shaneen Huxham gloves. Michelle Fantasi and Gabriela Rosario earrings. On Denny Agassi: Chanel cape. Wray dress. Khiry earring (worn on hair) and Dinosaur Designs earrings.

On Nar Angel Rokh: Casablanca trousers. J. Hardyment necklace. Dinosaur Designs bracelet. On Devin-Norelle: Louis Vuitton shirts. Johnny Nelson and Mejuri necklaces.

Fashion stylist: Roberto Johnson. Hair: Andrita Renee. Makeup: William Scott.

This feature is part of In Transit, Allure’s new digital series about how trans and nonbinary people define transitioning—and the beauty to be found in the journey. Go to allure.com/intransit to read more.

64 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

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P H OT O G R A P H E D BY A D R I E N N E R A Q U E L

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O After years of being overlooked and undervalued, Normani is bursting back onto the scene with sizzling new music, a confident new attitude, and the same fouroctave range and sick dance moves.

By Lakin Imani Starling

I L L U S T R AT I O N BY S A R A S H A K E E L

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t’s around 10 a.m. in Los Angeles and Normani is still a little groggy. She’s seated on a bedroom floor, wearing an oversize T-shirt, her hair brushed back into a puffy ponytail, and not a drop of makeup. She seems all natural and serene, like the beam of light that seeps in through her curtains.

Normani, who considers herself to be an introvert, comes out of her shell when I ask about the mood behind one of her recent Instagram captions. Accompanying a carousel of photos in which she is working every inch of a tiled set, serving legs and cleavage for your nerves, she wrote, “Woke up this morning and remembered who I was. I’m really that bitch y’all, it’s not for play.”

She’s blushing as I read it out loud because she meant every single word. “There’s a difference between knowing who you are and knowing who you are,” Normani explains. “I know, but I’ve been starting to know.” What she means is, at 25, after too long being told to tone it down, she’s done being held back. No more shrinking.

It’s time to shine.

Over the past year and a half, a lot of truths have come to light for Normani. The pandemic mandated a change of pace that gave her the space to breathe and go inward. There had been no time to process the trauma she was left feeling after the Fifth Harmony breakup and the pause let Normani finally put her all into being a solo phenomenon. In 2018, she had released a massive single, “Love Lies” with Khalid, and left mouths gaping while she ate up her live performance of the song at the Billboard Music Awards. Then there was the EP collaboration with Calvin Harris, and successful tracks with 6lack (“Waves”) and Sam Smith (“Dancing With a Stranger”). For 2019’s “Motivation,” Normani opted not to have a featured artist and the single gained even more traction than its predecessors, thanks to the nostalgic, bubblegum-pink music video that zoomed in on her athleticism and dance talents.

Coming out as a new artist for the second time is a challenge, but Normani returned on fire. Now, the star in bloom is in the final stages of producing her debut solo album, reveling in her grown womanhood, and at home with so much more of who she is. “A lot of breakthroughs are happening these days,” she says proudly.

I L L U S T R AT I O N BY C H R I S T I N A Z I M P E L

Bringing the Heat Laurel DeWitt pepper earrings and bracelet.

To create a similar makeup look: Eyes to Kill Stellar Eyeshadow in 1, Neo Nude Color Melting Color Balm in 45, Ecstasy Mirror Lip Gloss in 101, Smooth Silk Lip Pencil in 7

by Giorgio Armani Beauty.

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ormani Kordei Hamilton was born in Atlanta in 1996 and raised in New Orleans, an only child. Her mom and dad worked incredibly hard, and for young Normani, witnessing their work ethic was an early foreshadowing of her own grit and ambition. In the midst of traveling frequently for their jobs, her parents balanced long shifts with keeping Normani enrolled in gymnastics, dance, and later, pageants.

When they were away, she was raised by her grandmother, who Normani says is the “real star of the family.” It was in her car where Normani would belt out the words to Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” She laughs as she remembers her grandmother’s commitment to her own Tina Turner fandom, like the time she went to a Halloween party dressed as the icon—wig and all. Their intergenerational bond is cosmic: “She’s really my best friend. She’s my soul mate, for real,” Normani says of her grandma.

As a young brown-skinned Black girl in the South, affirming spaces were crucial as they weren’t everywhere in Normani’s orbit. “I grew up feeling beautiful. My mom, my dad, my grandmother instilled in me at a very early age that I was beautiful,” she says, smiling. “The fact that my skin was chocolate was a beautiful thing.

My kinky hair was beautiful. I don’t need to straighten it.

I can rock my braids to my all-white school.”

Normani’s white classmates doled out microaggressions and racist comments about her skin and hair that she knows would’ve been more detrimental without the encouragement she received from her loved ones.

“I did get bullied a lot. Not feeling like I had that repreLemonade, sentation at school was very Anyone? hard,” she says. Eventually, Laurel DeWitt lemon after moving to Houston folearrings. To create a similar lowing Hurricane Katrina and makeup look: Infallible 24 switching schools a few more HR Eyeshadow in Glistening Garnet, Infallible Pro-Last times, Normani and her parWaterproof Eyeliner in Gold, ents decided when she was in and Summer Belle Glowing sixth grade that homeschoolLip Gloss in Sun-Day Funday ing was best for her.

by L’Oréal Paris.

“NOW YOU ALL ARE GOING TO SEE ME TAP INTO THAT AWARENESS— THAT I KNOW I’M THE SHIT.”

I L L U S T R AT I O N BY L I A N A FA R M E R

The rejection Normani felt from her peers lingers even now that she’s in her mid 20s. She still has to quell thoughts that tell her she doesn’t belong. To stand out, Normani has given her everything to be the best. “I’ve always felt like the underdog in anything that I’ve ever done,” she tells me.

The stakes are high for Black girls from the day we’re born. We aren’t allotted an infinite number of opportunities to show that we’re talented, and that is coupled with the looming expectation that we be so. There is little margin for our trials and errors. For Normani, who is obviously very gifted, her presence was seen as too strong and, in turn, she has often been disregarded. She has touched success, but the recognition can seem like a farce. Impostor syndrome can override everything that is true and prompt the question: Are the wins real and deserved if you’ve had to work harder than everyone else for the recognition?

The answer is not only in her artist’s résumé, but also in the battles she’s won. At this point in her career, Normani has talked about her negative experiences in Fifth Harmony more times than she should have to.

While part of one of the biggest girl groups of the 2010s, she navigated racist trolls, a problematic group member, and the recommendation that she repress her star power to blend in.

“I didn’t get to really sing in the group. I felt like I was overlooked,” Normani says. “That idea has been projected on me. Like, this is your place.”

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istorically, the term “pop” has come with the notion that the artist and/or product ha s be en c areful ly packaged. There must be something highly sellable, an element of mass appeal, along with the ability to traverse styles. But the tides continue to turn as Black female artists attain mainstream status with authenticity and experimentation. Normani checks all the boxes, but she also wants to create outside of those lines.

“My purpose in this work that I do is for other people that feel like they have Black women figured out. There’s so many layers to us, there’s so many textures, there’s so much that we’re capable of doing,” Normani says. “Yes, I can throw ass. But I can also give you a proper eightcount, and I can do ballet, and I can do contemporary dance. If I want to sing this pop ballad, then you’re going to love it! While you see my Black face!” Period.

Normani’s grateful for the blueprints of the artists who’ve paved the way, but she’s clear about one thing: Her only formula is her work ethic. Normani puts in the hours of an outlier—studying her craft, getting in afterhours rehearsals—and she doesn’t rest until whatever she’s working on is right. “When I show up, I’m ready,” she says. “You can’t point the finger at me.”

Even then, the final outcome doesn’t always feel good enough to Normani, who is unlearning a lifelong habit of overanalyzing anything she creates. I ask whether she considers herself to be a perfectionist. “Yes,” she admits, without hesitation. “It’s slowed my process down and allowed me to get in my own way.” Now though, as Normani works on her album, she’s seeing the positive outcomes of relinquishing some control.

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he next day, Normani is a bit late to our follow-up interview. I wonder if that’s because she stepped out the night before for Doja Cat’s Planet Her album-release party. (Social media timelines circulated a stunning photo of Normani, Saweetie, Chloe Bailey, Ryan Destiny, and Doja posing side by side at the event.) But actually, she was a little late because of a pressing work call.

That call was to discuss the details of Normani’s music video for her first album single, “Wild Side,” featuring Cardi B. It’s a reunion for the two powerhouses, who last linked up on-set for Normani’s dance cameo in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s video for “WAP.” Normani and Cardi B had wanted to collaborate musically for a while and it was their shared stylist Kollin Carter who connected them to get it done. “She’s a real one,” Normani says of Cardi B, who sprawls out over an X-rated verse on “Wild Side.”

“A lot of people aren’t expecting this [song] and that’s why I wanted to put it out first,” Normani says.

It’s a pivot from her previous, more pristine-sounding bops. The track, produced by June Nawakii, unfolds over the throbbing drums from Aaliyah’s hit “One in a Million.” She lights up as she raves about the instrumentation. It’s slinky with dynamic pockets that are perfect for Normani to create another epic dance moment.

Her tone is rich, and in the lyrics, cowritten by Starrah, the singer slides around in her sensuality. “I went to [Starrah] and said, ‘I want something really sexy,’” she explains. “I just felt this sense of me coming into my own. I feel like a woman now.”

Normani exudes an intrinsic, red-hot appeal during her performances. But this song is special because it’s just as much for her as it is for anyone else. “That’s the record I need to also feel like a bad bitch,” she says.

Normani amplifies more of that confidence on the rest of the album, not just behind the mic, but in the agency she has over the LP. She herded a team of colossal hitmakers to work on it, including The-Dream, Rodney Jerkins, Priscilla Renea, Victoria Monét, and Tayla Parx.

Normani is super hands-on. There really isn’t a part of the process where she’s not involved. She sits alongside producers to help build the tracks, asking questions about intricate details and BPMs. For her music videos, she helps scout locations and sits through the editing phases to look at every piece of footage, down to the coloring and special effects. She says with a laugh, “I’m probably so annoying.”

Normani’s debut arrives at a crucial point in her evolution, one where she sees the rewards of letting down some of her emotional guards. “For me, that takes a lot,” she says. “It’s that end of the spectrum. It’s vulnerability.

It’s the things that make me scared. It’s the things that I’m insecure about.”

Instead of lingering behind the walls that she has put up in the past, Normani is stepping out and letting us in.

She’s realized her power. “I’m reinventing myself,” she says. “Now you all are finally going to be able to see me tap into that awareness—that I know I’m the shit.”

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Beachgoer Shortly after moving to New York City in 2004, photographer Wayne Lawrence found himself at Orchard Beach in the Bronx. The borough’s only public beach had often been stigmatized and Lawrence felt compelled to cast its visitors in a new light. He spent six years capturing portraits and subsequently published a book, Orchard Beach: The Bronx Riviera. This summer, Lawrence ventures to the beach once again—this time, Jacob Riis Park beach in Queens, New York, and Point Dume State Beach just outside Los Angeles—to celebrate the beauty of diversity for Allure.

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JOIN US ON A JOURNEY OF APPRECIATION, CELEBRATION, AND EXPLORATION OF THE PIGMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RAINBOW OF SKIN TONES THAT COLOR OUR WORLD. P HOTO GR AP HE D BY WAY N E L AW R EN C E

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melanin.

It’s true. Our unique skin tones aren’t a matter of having melanin or not, but a result of the amount, type, size, and distribution of melanin our bodies are genetically predisposed to produce. Melanin is created by cells called melanocytes, of which we all have a similar amount, says dermatologist Dhaval G. Bhanusali. You’re born with all of your melanocytes, but since they don’t begin to function until the second trimester of development, “newborn skin is not yet fully pigmented and their skin can darken over the first few months,” says dermatologist Naana Boakye, who adds this is most notable in darker skin tones.

According to Bhanusali, the shade that eventually develops is dictated by the ratios of two types of melanin: eumelanin, which manifests as brown and black pigment, and pheomelanin, which appears as red and yellow. “How much [of each type of] melanin is produced accounts for the color variance we see in different ethnicities and people,” says Bhanusali. But not just people: Melanin is also responsible for the beautiful hues of butterflies and bird feathers. Traces of melanin have even been found in dinosaur fossils. A world without melanin wouldn’t look like our world at all.

S P OT CHECK

Consider freckles a perma-reminder to wear sunscreen. They aren’t dangerous and can’t turn into skin cancer, but the presence of freckles does signal your susceptibility to developing it, says dermatologist Ope Ofodile. Though freckles are much more common in those of Caucasian descent with fair skin, no matter your skin tone, you can be genetically predisposed to having freckles, which Ofodile describes as “flat patches [of] pigment.” Freckles can darken (and turn into hyperpigmentation) when melanocytes overproduce melanin following sun exposure.

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Beyond Skin Deep Anywhere there’s pigment on your body, it’s a direct result of melanin...or a lack thereof. The color of your eyes, which is determined by genetics, correlates to the amount and type of melanin found in the front layers of your irises. Eyes that appear brown have the most melanin (green or hazel have some, but less), and blue eyes have none. In fact, blue eyes get their azure color the same way water and sky get theirs: by scattering light so that blue reflects back out.

There are also melanocytes in your hair follicles. The type of melanin that manifests from those melanocytes—and in turn, your hair color—also comes down to genetics. As with skin, it is the ratio of eumelanin produced that results in darker or lighter hair. It’s estimated that worldwide more than 90 percent of people have brown or black hair. (Comparatively, about 2 percent have red hair.)

As we age, hair color, of course, fades to white or gray. Scientists still aren’t sure exactly why that is, but it might also be a matter of melanin: “[There’s] some thought that it may be related to hydrogen peroxide, which is a metabolic byproduct of cells in the hair bulb,” says Bhanusali. “Over time, an enzyme responsible for breaking down [the hydrogen peroxide] declines, which leads to a buildup that can damage or destroy melanocytes.”

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color

Model and activist Thando Hopa sees a world filled with vibrant hues, even though the medical establishment would mark her as “melanin deficient.” She lives her life balancing—and embracing—all her intersectional identities as a Black African woman with albinism.

When I was born, a doctor suggested with professional authority that the fair-skinned little girl my mother had just given birth to would probably never see color. My mother was a young Black filmmaker in pre-liberation South Africa with personal experience being a minority in a disabling sociopolitical context. She politely received the news from the doctor and, with defiance, turned to my father and said privately, “This doctor doesn’t have albinism. I’ll wait for my own child to tell me what she can and cannot see.”

I grew older and, as it turned out, I did see color. I couldn’t make out details from a far distance, but when I moved close enough I could see variants of color blending into the portrait of my world. I saw fragments of melanin, from my light-skinned parents to my dark-skinned grandmother. I could see the pathways of age drawn on my grandmother’s mahogany-toned hands when she pulled me close to her. I would tug on the blue checkered blanket that she wrapped around her shoulders and gently hang my ear on the humming of her voice. She anchored me to her imagination by singing lullabies and telling me stories of the Basotho nation until the colors instantly dimmed when she switched off the lights. Most significantly, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw a person of color staring back at me: my greenish-blue, dancing eyes, the blonde Afro that my mother combed with her fingers, blonde brows and lashes, thick pink lips, and the white complexion of my skin.

Around the age of five, I began consciously and unconsciously learning about the politics of my body through my cultural landscape. I discovered, first through experiences and then language, that I am classified as female, I am Black, I have albinism. And all these identities are loaded with meaning, perceptions, and expectations that would have substantial consequences in my life. But of all the identities housed within my body, there seemed to be disproportionate harassment over the complexion of my skin.

As I grew older, I constantly experienced covert, overt, and borderline obsessive interrogation of my human and biological value, my normality, my general intellectual competence, my racial positioning, and social desirability—all linked to my having albinism.

Albinism is a sociopolitical experience with varying medical aspects that may include eyesight problems and vulnerability to sun damage on the skin. These effects have the potential to be disabling, but this depends on the inclusiveness of one’s social and structural environment.

Albinism is generally framed in the negative, trapped in some form of institutionalized negation or deficit

described as having a “deficiency or absence” of color in skin, hair, and eyes. This narration positions albinism as an inadequacy of being, which leads to cultural and political implications. Furthermore, the pathological focus on albinism, similar to vitiligo, seems strange to be on the appearance of color especially. I take issue with the implication that the color of those with albinism fails to reach some kind of human standard.

The root word for albinism is “albino,” which literally meant “white person.” The term was specifically coined by Europeans in the 17th century to describe Black Africans with white skin. At that time, Europeans seemed to be completely unaware that albinism is a biological event that occurs within their own population too. The personhood of many African ancestors with my complexion was subjected to humiliation, bartering, exploitation, and violation. They were displayed in public exhibitions and “freak” shows in the name of science, entertainment, and profit. This was a time when skin color played a leading role in securing theories of white superiority and Black albinism was a pervasive threat to the credibility and fragility of these ideologies. Whether instinctively or strategically, explorers, naturalists, scholars, and other white men began scripting the occurrence of white skin on Black bodies as a plague or a corruption of normality. The legacy of this history ensured that white skin would always be considered a defect or abnormality when found on “nonwhite” bodies.

Under the Sun

OPPOSITE PAGE, HOPA: ELSA NIEMOLLER. THIS PAGE: COURTESY OF BRAND.

Let’s cut to the chase: Everyone needs sunscreen. Contrary to popular myth, dark-skinned people are subject to sun damage too.

That isn’t to say melanin doesn’t offer protection against UV rays—it does. In fact, tanning occurs when melanin steps up to protect your skin from UV exposure, regardless of skin tone, says dermatologist Uchenna Okereke. “When your skin

is exposed to the sun, it triggers the production of melanin,” she says.

“This melanin is then transferred to the skin cells, acting as an umbrella to protect [their] DNA from the damage caused by UV exposure.”

Continuing the metaphor, those with dark skin have a sturdier umbrella because the eumelanin their cells produce is larger, darker, and more stable than pheomelanin, which presents in light skin.

According to Okereke, the highestpossible level of sun protection darker skin offers naturally is SPF 13—significantly shy of the

Early in my modeling career, there was a running joke about me being a “blue-eyed, blonde-haired” model. That description is true to my appearance, but the wielders of those words were picking at a stereotype that is not about the appreciation of an aesthetic but an acknowledgment of power constructs. I would laugh while brimming with cynicism, knowing that these features have been held up as the archetype of the beauty ideal; but there’s a drastic shift in currency when those same features present themselves on a Black African woman with albinism.

The necessity to change the history of harmful representation, prejudice, and inequity that bruised my Blackness, my African-ness, and my albinism respectively, continues to mold an indescribable amount of tension. My experience in media requires the management of various kinds of racial discrimination—my albinism based on color in addition to being a Black African based on race and nation. There isn’t a word to describe the particular kind of intersectional prejudice faced by Black people with albinism, similar to how misogynoir notes prejudice specifically against Black women. The violence, attacks, myths, name-calling, racist theories, and negative stereotypes that have been promulgated expressly against Black albinism overwhelm one’s sense of optimism. Although this is the reality of being a woman in a highly racialized group, it also gifted me with an expansive intersectional lens that groomed my activism.

When I saw myself on the cover of Vogue Portugal, making history with my Afro-blonde hair, thick lips, golden-blonde brows and lashes, and my broad nose, plus adding my mother’s Zulu earrings in one of the pictures— having worked to gain more control over my representation and story—I took a deep sigh of relief and felt the temporary dying of the constant tension. I realized how much of a struggle it is to allow all of the identities within me to build an alliance, for my gender, my nation, my race, and my albinism—to feel safe, secure, beautiful, complete, and at ease inside the body that holds them.

Albinism has taught me the diverse politics of color and how a person can be hyper-visible, yet their humanness is largely unseen. When I move from magazine covers to policy discussions and global leadership platforms, I try to remember the essence of what my mother gave me on the day of my birth: She granted me independence, sovereignty, and agency over my experience; the authority to see the world for myself. If the good doctor only knew that I do see color, and even though the world can be dim, we find allies, tribes, solidarity, and collaborations that help us reinscribe narratives that refill the life force of our bodies with rainbows until we burst with variants of color.

SPF 30 dermatologists recommend to patients.

The misconceptions about the amount of natural sun protection present in melanated skin can have dire consequences: While melanoma is rare in deeper skin tones, Black patients are more than three times as likely to be diagnosed at a late stage than nonHispanic white patients, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

“Unfortunately, because folks with darker skin types are not looking for [melanomas], the time to diagnosis and treat is much later, resulting in worse outcomes,” says Okereke.

In addition to yearly full-body skin checks with a dermatologist, keep a close eye on your palms, the soles of your feet, and nail beds in particular. When melanomas do occur in skin of color, it’s most often on areas that get little sun exposure.

S L AT H E R I T O N

A slew of smart sunscreens can brighten discoloration while they help prevent UV-induced dark spots from forming in the first place.

SUPERGOOP! DAILY DOSE VITAMIN C + SPF 40 SERUM. This silky formula also has 2 percent niacinamide— a.k.a. vitamin B3— to help even tone and reduce the appearance of pores.

SKINCEUTICALS DAILY BRIGHTENING UV DEFENSE SUNSCREEN SPF 30.

Here, the blend of brighteners includes tranexamic acid, which is considered less irritating than other dark-spot diminishers like hydroquinone.

BLACK GIRL SUNSCREEN SPF 30.

Made by and for people of color, this basically invisible formula has a shot of carrot juice that naturally contains brightening vitamin C. STRIVECTIN SUPER-C SPF 30 VITAMIN C MOISTURIZER. The creamy texture leaves skin instantly refreshed while vitamin C improves dullness over time.

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Routine Maintenance

Four dermatologists. Four different ways of treating the dark spots and discoloration—also known as hyperpigmentation— that happen when sun exposure, skin injury, or hormonal changes kick your melanocytes into overdrive.

HOPE MITCHELL

TIFFANY CLAY

“Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) has become more of an issue for me in my later adult years. I have had those pesky, dark spots on every part of my face. What has been most beneficial is incorporating products and procedures that keep my skin cells turning over consistently. Dead skin cells shed and are typically replaced with new cells about every 28 days, but by the time you are in your 50s, like myself, that process can take as long as 60 days. I use retinoids every night to promote cellular turnover and enzyme masks at least once a week to loosen dead skin for easier exfoliation.”

“Pre-pregnancy, I used a prescription retinoid, but that’s not recommended if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. So I ditched that and made some safe changes.

I’m using lots of glycolic acid products.

Pregnancy hormones actually increase how much melanin your skin makes, so areas where you’re acne-prone or have trauma to the skin are definitely going to get darker. Prevention is key—and sunscreen is number one. Since I’m still nursing, I stick to mineral formulas—zinc oxides or titanium dioxide—that are not going to be absorbed into the skin.”

MELISSA K. LEVIN

KAVITA MARIWALLA

“I grew up in very sunny places like Los Angeles and Thailand, so I’ve gotten a lot of sun over the years. I mainly deal with freckles, PIH, and dermatosis papulosa nigras, benign growths that look like little moles or skin tags. The most important thing I use is, obviously, sunscreen. I also use an antioxidant serum for brightening and products with azelaic and glycolic acids. I’ve also tried a good amount of lasers—my favorite is LaseMD Ultra, a resurfacing laser that’s focused specifically on pigmentation.”

“I’m really prone to freckling and dark marks—there’s one on my chin that comes back every time I’m in the sun, [although] I always use sunscreen. I use a PicoSure laser to target those dark marks and eliminate them. But how aggressive you can be with lasers really depends on your underlying skin tone. Not all brown spots can be lifted the same way, even if they are caused by the same thing: It’s really hard to lift brown from brown versus trying to lift brown from light skin.”

A MOMENT FOR MELASMA

Making It You’ve probably seen the results of clinical studies (“97 percent of users said skin looked brighter after two weeks”) plastered all over packaging. But the racial composition of those “users” rarely reflects that of the world around us.

When seeking clinical tests to determine the efficacy of their debut product, a dark-spot serum formulated specifically for melanin-rich skin, Eadem founders Alice Lin Glover and Marie Kouadio Amouzame (pictured at right) had to personally vet testers when labs failed to present them with a diverse range of subjects.

“That experience has highlighted the importance of our brand and products being centered around women of color,” says Lin Glover. Brands like 4.5.6 and Melē are also prioritizing the needs of melanin-rich skin (for example, using nonbleaching lighteners to target dark spots) from start to finish.

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HEADSHOT COURTESY OF EADEM. GROOMING: LISA CHAMBERLAIN AT REX. PRODUCTION: ALEJANDRO CABEZUT FOR ARTWORLD. TALENT, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARLEY B AT FREEDOM. STEPHANIE SILVA

Melasma, a type of hyperpigmentation, is often brought on by hormonal changes (like pregnancy or starting birth control), which is why it’s more common in women. The condition is characterized by dark splotches—typically on the forehead, cheeks, or upper lip—often in symmetrical patterns. Unfortunately, there’s no one-and-done solution for melasma, but it can be lessened with lasers, chemical peels, and, you guessed it, regular sunscreen use. Finding your right combination is best undertaken with the help of a board-certified dermatologist.

For example, intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments can help fade darkness on light skin, but can leave permanent scarring on those with deeper tones, says Mariwalla.

AND SALANYA INMAUNG AT PHOTOGENICS. TNSAYE DEMAS. YAH ZARAN. ANGELINA BORDEAUX AT NTA. SHEA SMITH. OPENING SPREAD TALENT: NIA CRAIG. TERES RODNEY AND DAUGHTER ADDISON BINNS. PAGE RUTH AT LA MODELS.

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As long as there’s been life on Earth, there’s been melanin. Yet scientists are just beginning to scratch the surface of exploring the breadth of its capabilities. Rein V. Ulijn, director of the Nanoscience Initiative at the Advanced Science Research Center at the City University of New York, has helped create a synthetic melanin mimic that he believes could serve as a colorant

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for cosmetics. And the Mediated Matter group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is intrigued by the protective qualities of melanin: Researchers are looking

into how coating building facades with melanin could help shield the people inside from environmental damage. The power of our pigment knows no bounds.

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Adrenaline Rush (18-1553) Plainly: Red pumps us up. “Any person who’s ever bought a red tie, red socks, red whatever, they know that it’s going to attract attention,” says Pantone’s Leatrice Eiseman. And it might just give you a competitive advantage: Analyzing data from four combat sports during the 2004 Summer Olympics, researchers at Durham University in England found that the athletes who wore red uniforms won more competitions in every sport (such as wrestling and tae kwon do) than those who wore blue. The red of this moment, according to Eiseman, skews bluer than candy apple but punchier than wine.

Exotic Orange (16-1453) When fiery red and sunshine yellow collide, they somehow amount to something more boisterous than the sum of their parts—which is perhaps why, as Eiseman explains, the color has historically been less popular than its brothers and sisters in the BIV family. But lately, Pantone research has observed that orange is more favored than ever, hence Exotic Orange: a balanced yellow red that evokes daisy petals and cosmos.

Kenzo coat. Jennifer Fisher bangle. Panconesi earrings.

To create a similar look: Illusion D’Ombre in Convoitise, Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick in No.21, and Rouge Coco Bloom in Blossom

by Chanel.

Illuminating (13-0647) Eiseman and her team chose Illuminating alongside Ultimate Gray to represent the palette for 2021; one color somber and solid, the other bursting with joy and hope. As the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out, the two shades happen to comprise the color scheme of Washington, DC’s Black Lives Matter Plaza, created the previous year.

On Jordan Alexander: Philosophy di Lorenzo blazer.

Sid Neigum top. Jennifer Fisher earrings. To create a similar look: Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in Golden Girl, Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush in Pink Scorch, and Super Stay Ink Crayon in On the Grind

by Maybelline New York.

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pril showers bring May flowers. And then summer arrives, its radiant light is diffused through the humid air, and that’s why June is full of rainbows.

When a sunbeam crosses paths with a raindrop, it explodes into a brilliant series of varying wavelengths that the eye distinguishes as different colors, from red (the longest wavelength, crest to trough) to yellow to blue to violet (the shortest). The phenomenon happens often enough to warrant almost no media coverage, except for once in 2010, when a video of two parallel rainbows arching over Yosemite National Park went viral. Not because double rainbows are rare—they aren’t—but because the man recording the video was so moved by the experience that he could not help but speak to the sky. In the book of Genesis, God explained to Noah that the rainbow was something of a calling card—a sublime gesture to let his future congregants know that he’s there, he’s God, and he won’t flood the Earth again. And, you know, after the storm, the sun comes out.

The rainbow itself came out in the late ‘70s. Harvey Milk became California’s first openly gay politician and, partly to commemorate and celebrate the moment, the artist and drag queen Gilbert Baker designed a symbol for the nascent LGBTQ+ rights movement. Baker went with an eight-stripe rainbow flag, with each color representing a salient element of the gay experience, beginning with hot pink (the carnal), moving through yellow and green (sunlight and nature), and ending at violet (the spirit). Eventually, the hot pink was dropped and turquoise and indigo coalesced into a single blue.

Today rainbow flags are flown outside of gay bars and stickered on bumpers. And they are all over preschool classrooms. “Is there a person alive who can’t say that when they were a child, they drew pictures of rainbows?” asks Leatrice Eiseman, who is officially the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and unofficially the most prominent color expert in the Western hemisphere. From the cinnamon-tinted sands of Tucson, she advises the rest of the human world on the art, science, and business of color. Pantone’s library of shades includes over 3,000 unique colors spanning the visual spectrum—but that’s only about three ten-thousandths of a percent of the colors the human eye can perceive (up to 10 million). Yet they reverberate throughout our lives. What is McDonalds without blazing 485 C (the juicy red of Happy Meal boxes) and golden 123 C (“French fry yellow”)? In The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep tries to impart the meticulousness of color in fashion by eviscerating Anne Hathaway after she conflates two shades of turquoise. Hathaway’s sweater, Streep points out, is cerulean, a variant of cobalt that she says was adopted by the fashion industry in 2002—two years after the real-life Eiseman and Pantone announced cerulean as the color of the millennium and the company’s first Color of the Year. Hathaway’s character, tragically unfashionable, wears cerulean in 2006.

At the end of 2020, Eiseman revealed that 2021 would have two Colors of the Year: Ultimate Gray, a matte silver, and Illuminating, the closest thing Pantone has to the color of sunshine. “It does carry with it the spirit of enlightenment,” Eiseman tells me. “I think that’s what this year has brought about, you know, enlightening us to examine more of our feelings.” This, Eiseman hopes, will also be expressed in dazzling violets and pinks, in ochres and prunes, in Exotic Orange and Mykonos Blue. Allure asked Eiseman to compose a contemporary rainbow of seven representative colors, which then arched from Tucson to New York and landed on actors Jordan Alexander and Whitney Peak of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot. In Irish folklore, those who travel the rainbow are rewarded with treasure, but that is the stuff of legend. Seeing one is golden enough.

Leprechaun (18-6022) Eiseman’s pick for green is a departure from her vibrant streak, tending toward a darker, more natural shade— closer to those you find on a forest floor than on sun-dappled treetops.

Green “is so entrenched in people’s minds,” she says. “The preservation of things that are natural and wanting to hold onto them; the sincerity of anything that’s natural.”

Right: Givenchy blazer. To create a similar look: Rouge à Lèvres Gothique Metallic Lipstick in 25* Goldie Red and 709 Princess Olga Green by Gucci. High Voltage Vinyl nail polish by Essie.

Mykonos Blue (18-4434) “It’s one of those most-popular places.

When you ask people where they would go, they say, ‘Oh, my God, I want to cruise in the Greek islands,’” says Eiseman.

This marine shade recalls the Aegean as well as the cobalt-domed churches that pepper the cliff sides. “Blue was always symbolic of the heavens, and in many cultures that’s what it means,” she explains. “So it has deep religious significance as well. The Greeks very much embrace that idea.”

Christian Siriano gown. Phillip Lim top. Bottega Veneta and Grace Lee rings. To create a similar look: Hypnôse 5-Color Eyeshadow Palette in Bleu Hypnôtique and Blush Subtil in Blushing Tresor by Lancôme. Award For Best Nails Goes To, Mali Blue Shore, and Abstract After Dark by OPI.

Spring Lake (18-4221) For those familiar with indigo dye, a deeper, blue-black shade may come to mind. But when the brightness is brought way up, indigo reads as neutral, as likely to be found in the dusk reflecting off the surface of a cloud as in a pair of faded jeans.

Studio 189 coat. Phlemuns jacket. Chanel earring. To create a similar look: Artist Color Shadow D-926 Blueberry and Ultra HD Lip Booster in 01 Cinema by Make Up For Ever.

Gloxinia (19-3022) The petals of gloxinia, a relative of the African violet, unfold in an exquisite gradient, but the Pantone shade refers to a very specific, warmed-up-but-stilla-bit-cool purple. The sort of violet found in nature comes from natural pigments called anthocyanins, which absorb green but reflect shades of red, blue, and purple. Something about the tension of red and blue in purple makes the color strangely compatible with any member of its color family.

Eiseman notes that in design multiple shades of purple will harmonize with one another, instead of clashing or blending together.

Kenzo jacket. Prada jumpsuit. Jennifer Fisher rings. To create a similar look: Colorfix 24-Hour Metallic Color in Journey, Colorfix 24-Hour Matte Color in Phoenix, and Vision Flush in Bread-N-Butter by Danessa Myricks Beauty.

F U L L

PROP STYLIST: JOJO LI

S P E C T R U M

Clockwise from top left: Nyx Professional Makeup Shine Loud Vegan High Shine Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Disrupter, Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in Fuego Flush, Nars Single Eyeshadow in Douro, MAC Lipmix in Yellow, Essie Expressie Quick Dry Nail Color in Air Dry, E.L.F. Bite Size Eyeshadow in Acai You, Nars Blush in Exhibit A, Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Pirate, Bite Power Move Creamy Matte Lip Crayon in Damson, Glossier Cloud Paint in Eve, Kjaer Weis Cream Eye Shadow in Sublime, Haus Laboratories Eye-Dentify Gel Pencil Eyeliner in Grime, Gucci Beauty Rouge à Lèvres Mat Lipstick in Valentine Verdante, Nudestix Nudies Blush in Picante.

Photographed by Joe Lingeman

R E C O M M E N D S A L L U R E

Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Game Berry

sweet

In 2002, Lancôme released Juicy Tubes, a fruity assortment of flavored lip glosses. By 2003, they were teen classics: Amanda Bynes, Hilary Duff, and Kyla Pratt all listed them among their favorite lip glosses. The concept of flavored lip color was, in human years, beyond adolescent—Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker is from 1975—but these Lancôme glosses were a happy accident: “To keep shiny gloss on lips, you use a sticky polymer that’s a little tacky. Then we stopped thinking about that as a negative. Honey and fruit marmalade are sticky but delicious, so what if we added food-quality fruit flavoring?” Sylvie Guichard told Allure when she was Lancôme’s global research communications director.

“If you put it on with your finger, the stickiness is obvious, so we [used] a tube. It wound up being as beloved as the gloss.”

There are 20 new colors today and Juicy Tubes continue to be enjoyed by teen queens, the French, the pas du tout French, and other people who have taste but seek flavor.

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On our 2021 back page, we’re celebrating Allure’s 30th birthday by commemorating the beauty innovations we’ve loved over the years and still use and cherish today.

90 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2021

photographed by joe lingeman

PROP STYLIST: JOJO LI

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