Phoenix
Renata, founder of Phoenix Cosmetics, has produced a brilliantly-crafted
collection of makeup under the name Dollface Baby. Immediately evident is a
cinematic spirit of Art Deco – encounters with movie star posters, the first
use of neon lighting, and porcelain figures on heavy alabaster bases.
In
this photo, Renata’s notions of the ‘face-as-canvas’ and ‘makeup is fun’ are
carried through with a verve any Deco practitioner would have appreciated.
Colour graduations are smoothly magical. The eye work is crisp and balanced –
the little butterflies which have alighted are cut paper. And the lipstick,
called Berry, is a long-finish, substantial work of architectural colour.
The
Deco era has always fascinated Renata. Covering the entire mood scale from
delicious fun through to the sombre of black and white movies, Deco also relies
on exacting lines and technical precision to produce masterful works. This
range from Phoenix has all the material available for such mastery.
Terence
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