If you were a 1990s or early 2000s kid, chances are you spent a whole chunk of your childhood dedicated to the cause of stickering everything in sight. If it couldn't be embellished with a Lisa Frank sticker or image made up of tiny diamantes, we didn't want to know. Nails? Blinged out. Ears? Bedecked in as many of those 3D gem stickers as we could possibly fit.
If the runway is the religion by which you live your live, it might be time to dust off those crystal decal sheets once again, because when it came to the beauty looks at AW22, there was one look that shone brighter than all the rest, and low key it is not. Enter: face crystals.
Euphoria resuscitated the nostalgic Nineties face gem trend with Donni Davy's sparkling manifestations of the show's characters, mixing avant-garde eyeshadows and experimental eyeliner with rhinestone detailing to create otherworldly make-up looks. 'The looks are inspired by the emotional state the characters are in; to me rhinestones help portray the tension between childhood and adolescence and depending on their placement they can even be reminiscent of tears,' says Davy.
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'They have a very cinematic quality to them as they dip in and out of shadows and light on camera.' After seeing such a positive reaction to her work on the show, Davy was inspired to create her brand, Half Magic, which launched in May this year and marries the ethereal looks from the show with practical tools and application.
This season saw the embrace of face crystals evolve even further, with the AW22 runways taking face decals to a whole new level of lustre. Audaciously adorned eyes at Simone Rocha were one of the stand-out looks from fashion week, with models clad in a thick armour of crystals reminiscent of Venetian masks.
At Koche, ornamental gems were brought onto the lips, while at Givenchy they took on the aesthetic of dystopian dermal piercings, appearing as if they had melded with the models' skin. At shows the mood had perceptibly shifted from Nineties nostalgia to a new-age glamour, where the crystals seemed to exist in a subculture of their own.
'I think the key to this trend's popularity is really simple. Crystals are decorative and they sparkle, and when you put them on your face you tend to feel a little magical and extraordinary,' explains Davy. 'In the past rhinestones were more associated with people who perform on stage and wear extravagant costumes, but normalising the rhinestone also normalises unapologetic self-celebration.'
Whether you decide to stick or twist your make-up routine this summer, read on for the pro tips to adorning your face with this seasons's most ostentatious beauty accessory.
How to apply face crystals
'Rhinestones work best when the surface they are being applied to is not oily or greasy, so if you know you’ll be wearing them make sure your skin care routine for the day steers clear of oil-heavy serums or moisturisers (just choose oil free products instead),' says Davy.
'If I’m applying rhinestones on top of colour, I’d recommend a long wear liquid eyeshadow like Half Magic’s CHROMADDICTION eye paints. In my quest to make rhinestones super easy and accessible for all, I created my own, which are self-adhesive “stick on” made with medical grade adhesive.'
ELLE Edit: Face Crystals
For heavier crystals, MAC National Artist, Carly Utting recommends 'simply dabbing a cotton bud or brush into Duo Eyelash glue and spot on the glue on the face where you want your crystal to go. Then using either tweezers or your finger tips, press the crystal into place.'
How to wear face crystals
'Just like any make-up product, there is an infinite way that face gems can be worn, from ultra-minimal to completely extravagant,' says Davy. 'My personal favourite way to wear them is by applying a few tiny rhinestones spaced out along my lower lash line; this looks really pretty and perfectly understated.
'If you want to try a bolder rhinestone look but keep it glam and chic, use a few different sizes of rhinestones. The different sized gems will reflect different sized twinkles, which makes the look feel fancier and multidimensional. Tiny rhinestones can be used to create more defined and delicate corners, angles, and tapered moments.'
'A pretty technique is to create a “liner” with the crystals on the upper lash line, which defines the eye with sparkle and looks super effective, especially with dark burgundy or purple gems,' says Utting.
Every High Fashion Make-Up Look From Backstage At Fashion Week AW22
