Black eyeliner — and plenty of it — is trending big time right now. That's thanks, at least in part, to internet-obsession-of-the-moment Julia Fox, who has become known for inky black
eye makeup, which, in effect, "[turns] her eyelids into two charcoal voids," as the New York Times' Jessica Testa recently so aptly put it.
Off the runways, Fox's looks are the handiwork of makeup artist Daniel Kolaric. But this same extreme eye makeup aesthetic has been absolutely dominating the Fall 2022 runways as well.
So far, we've spotted some iteration of over-the-top black smoky eyes on models at Roberto Cavalli, LaQuan Smith (where Fox herself walked), Sportmax and Versace.
Pat McGrath — whose intricate and impactful eye makeup runway creations are the stuff of beauty legend — created a variety of goth-y makeup looks for the latter runway. The standout was undeniably a Fox-like look featuring a thick, dark ring around the eyes (also, of course, worn by Fox herself, who sat in the front row for the show).
A beauty look from Versace Fall 2022.
Photo: Courtesy of Versace
Per McGrath, the makeup looks for the runway were intended to evoke "the new powerful, strong Versace woman," with a goal of "[representing] strength with bold statements while remaining fresh and modern." Black eye makeup is the beauty trend of the moment, to hear McGrath tell it: "As I said during [the couture shows], it's going to be a smoky spring."
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But while the Julia Fox version of this look seems like it could have been the result of lazily scrawling a Sharpie around the eyes or starting with a simple classic cat eye but then "evening" out the two sides until a giant ring around both eyes results, McGrath (of course) has a carefully honed technique for her iteration.
A beauty look from Versace Fall 2022.
Photo: Courtesy of Versace
After prepping and perfecting the skin — a crucial McGrath signature — the makeup artist started by creating a "blocked wing" shape with the Pat McGrath Labs PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil in Xtreme Black and topping it with the Xtreme Black shade from the Pat McGrath Mothership I: Subliminal Palette, then diffusing it at the edges. (Fox's usual signature is typically much harsher and more blunt around the edges than McGrath's runway look.) For extra impact and a bit of shine, McGrath then mixed the same black eye pencil with the balm from the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo, blending it across the lids to "create a translucent wash of color." For added depth, the makeup pro then dusted the same black eye shadow at both the inner and outer corners of the eye, as well as beneath the lower lash line. Finally, McGrath coated models' top and bottom lashes with Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara. A bit more nuanced and technical than the true Foxian eye appears, for sure.
For more black smoky eye inspiration from the Fall 2022 runways, click through the gallery below.
Should you feel the urge to experiment with Julia Fox eyes yourself, we've rounded up 12 products to help you get it in the gallery below.
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