The beauty corner of Instagram never fails to blow my mind. Whether it’s birthing the latest viral make-up trend (feather brows, anyone?) or showcasing the most intricate, OTT looks created by make-up artists worldwide, Instagram beauty divides opinions but is spectacular, nevertheless.
One beauty brand that’s always stood out is MAC. Sure, they’ve got a killer lipstick range and are constantly on every girl’s wishlist, but their global Instagram account is really something else. Showcasing captivating and insane lip, face and eye looks from their team of MAC artists around the world, the feed is every beauty lover’s absolute dream.
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InStyle’s beauty team love a challenge (our beauty editor wore blue lipstick and unicorn make-up for an entire week), so I just had to try and re-create some of the most awe-inspiring looks from @maccosmetics. We stole one of MAC’s very own artists, the amazing Cher Webb (follow her on Instagram; her beauty tutorial videos are bite-sized and all kinds of amazing), to do her magic. Here’s the InStyle twist on three of our favourite looks…
Look 1: Silver Lining
We went mad over this edgy as f*uck, graphic lip - the slick black lines, the pop of turquoise, the juicy clear gloss... perfection. Cher recreated it using a slinky silver and left the cupid's bow space empty to keep the focus on the shimmery lines.
How we did it: First, Cher prepped my lips with the Prep + Prime Lip (£12, johnlewis.com) to have a moisturised base that would last. Next, she mixed the powder Pigment in the shade 'Silver' (£14; johnlewis.com) with clear Lipglass (£15; maccosmetics.co.uk), and applied it around my lip line using a very fine liner brush. After the three center stripes and some more Lipglass in the empty spaces, the look was complete - other make-up was kept minimal to keep all the focus on the lips.
Look 2: Gilded Plum
Can we take a moment to truly appreciate how crazily gorgeous this look is? We added an autumnal twist by making the inner colour a deeper purple, but this look would be amazing with just about any shade that contrasts with the gold.
How we did it: After prepping the lips, Cher painted on the Versicolour Lip Stain in Perpetual Holiday (what a name) on the innermost part of my lips, dragging the colour out slightly with a short square brush. After mixing some Pigment in 'Gold' (£14; johnlewis.com) with clear Lipglass again, she lined my lips with it before turning the brush to stamp short, vertical lines down to meet the purple.
Look 3: Glitterbomb
Glitter makes anyone giddy, so we had to be able to throw a load on for at least one of these looks. The sleek, vinyl-like black lip paired with the splash of golden glitter is just too much, in the best way possible.
How we did it: Lips were prepped, then Cher went in with the Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in Caviar (£17.50; selfridges.com). After allowing it to dry, she layered some clear Lipglass on top to give a major hit of high-shine, before pressing some Glitter in 'Gold' (£16.50; maccosmetics.co.uk) in the center of each lip.
Caution: eating, drinking, and even smiling or talking is not recommended whilst rocking this look - unless you don't mind having sparkly black smears all over your teeth. Charming...
