" that helped choose outfits? Imagine that if that merged with Style.com and Facebook. A Beautiful Year in Review - 2009
Reflections and Trends by Makeup Artist Andrew Sotomayor
As I think about the year behind us and wonder what’s ahead in terms of fashion and beauty, one evening comes to mind. The Met Ball kicked off the Costume Institute’s exhibit paying tribute to The Model as Muse this past summer. Every year, I do makeup for one or two clients going to the event and then stay up late to see the pictures as soon as they’re posted on Style.com. The red carpet is saturated by who’s who of fashion and entertainment draped in cascading fabrics, shimmering jewels, show stopping eye makeup, and sculptural hairstyles aspiring to a hint of the genius behind the masterpieces displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibit covered a century’s worth of fashion’s most alluring women in a theme that highlighted what would make 2009 special.
This year, trends loosened up and women took the opportunity to be unique. The rule of playing up one feature, “either eyes or lips,” was shattered and once monotonous days gave way to an era of smoky eyes and brightly colored lips. Mascaras took another step into the future, while harsh hairstyles softened. The dark allure of an unhealthy glow dimmed a bit as senators proposed taxes on tanning beds, and the explosion of vampires in pop culture (True Blood
, Twilight
, Vampire Diaries) indicated that porcelain skin is definitely in. All in all, this year was about having fun with your look, trying something new, and letting your personality shine just a bit brighter.Sassy as their lyrics, Katy Perry, Adele and Lily Allen ushered in a new era of quirky chic.
As far as hairstyles, “In 2009, the style was attainable, flexible, and touchable. Also, tousled showing more independence,” said Devin Toth of the Ted Gibson Salon. “A combination of both flirtatious and architectural cuts. They were flirtatious in their layers and waves, but the cuts were more medium to long in length…The girls wear them either down, up in a loose top knot, or in a low asymmetrical chignon.” He should know! Though already a celeb stylist in his own rite, Devin works closely with Ted who was busy this year working his magic on TLC’s What Not to Wear. “As Ted would say, beauty is individual.” Indeed.
In terms of mixing it up, think Francois Nars and Lady Gaga. The renowned artist created 65 different looks for Marc Jacobs Autumn/Winter ‘09 show while Gaga’s over the top eye makeup often was the show. Fashion is reflective of our culture and though the girl on the street won’t take makeup to such outlandish lengths, her style is confident, ever changing, and it takes a lot of makeup for an artist to keep up!
For years I worked without carrying lipsticks, opting instead for the no-nonsense combination of long wearing pencils and gloss. However, style evolved and it recently seemed as if these little tubes of color were attempting to revive the debunked lipstick index.
As 2009 comes to an end, my brand new suitcase from MUJI holds a precious cargo of decadent lipsticks, stains, tinted balms, lacquers and of course glosses in colors and textures ranging from patriotic matte red to sparkling black to bitten lip pinks reminiscent of teenage summer romances.
Lashes have had lots of love as the mascara wars of ‘08 continued another four seasons. Volumizing mascara was key when paying tribute to Twiggy and her spiky 60’s lashes at shows like Chris Benz Spring / Summer ‘10 led by makeup artist Daniel Martin.
, renewed pride in a porcelain complexion can also be attributed to women being more responsible about wearing sunscreen, concerns about the safety of tanning beds, and a steady trend created for the runways by artists like James Kaliardos for Rodarte.
Finally, in beauty and beyond, this year was all about seeing the bigger picture. When starting this piece, I could have taken a cue from my first initial meeting with Kerry Washington who said, “First things first, are you related?” referring to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Sadly no, but I’m thrilled that finally people (including Barack Obama, thank you very much) are pronouncing my name right.
Latina magazine honored Sotomayor with the title “Woman of The Decade” noting her service, honor and self-made success. This noble woman has had a career of public service and is a living example of the American dream come true; so why mention her in an article about fashion and beauty?
The respectful black robe she wears to work draws more esteem than a frock in any color, but her passion, thoughtfulness, and dedication overshadow obsessive rules on appearance, relegating fashion and beauty to their more proper roles as accessories to the more lighthearted side of our personalities.
This year, women embraced their ability to transform themselves on the surface and within.
My younger sister, who could once be seen sporting pink overalls and a white turtleneck as she rode around in her matching pink and white Power Wheels Barbie Jeep, has become a leggy art major in stiletto boots and cigarette jeans at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles with chipped black nail polish, carrying a red Marc Jacobs wallet, and (in case of emergency) a take no prisoners attitude (just ask the hockey player, from our high school days, whos black eye alluded to a sucker punch from my baby sister after one too many racial slurs).
Whether sparkling and dramatic, understated and demure, or colorfully precocious, this year was all about confidently letting your personality show on the outside. Whether you dream of vintage days gone by, or live for spur-of-the moment trends, we begin the second decade of the millennium with the freedom to live colorfully.
Andrew Sotomayor is a celebrity makeup artist in New York. He has worked with Juliette Binoche, Kerry Washington, and Rose Byrne and appeared on Access Hollywood. He is a My Fashion Plate Trendsetter. See his work at DramaFreeMakeup.com.
