Lynsey Alexander Talks About Prada's "Rethinking Beauty" Makeup Campaign
Sophisticated minimalism, unexpected luxury, a mix of eccentricity and functionality: the characteristics of the brand translate into an avant-garde makeup and skincare line.
A highly anticipated launch with a challenging claim, "Rethinking Beauty," by Prada, which marks the debut in makeup with the Color line, and a return to skincare (after the launch, in 2001, of a line of single-dose products with a medical look so ahead of its time that it was not understood by the public). Prada Skin is made up of four essential products designed to help the skin adapt to environmental changes in real-time, using a technology originating from natural active ingredients, adaptogens, present in around fifteen rare plants that have existed for over 400 million years.
Among the benefits are wonderfully melting textures on the skin and a distinctive scented note of vanilla, heliotrope, and iris signed by Daniela Andrier, Miuccia Prada's olfactory accomplice since the first Infusion. "Prada is a dialogue of contrasts, it is at the same time rupture and conformity, and always, always innovation," says Lynsey Alexander, London makeup artist, former collaborator of MAC, Shiseido, and Clé de Peau, and now global creative makeup artist of Prada.
"During the creation of the products, we constantly asked our laboratories to do more and better. More pigments, an even more intense matte effect, greater luminosity; everything was pushed to the maximum and repeatedly perfected, until obtaining a palette of neutral and timeless shades with an unexpected twist, where each color combination is inspired by the iconic prints of the Prada archive, with over 27 thousand fabrics and patterns," Alexander continues. "Color clashes which represent, in their unconventionality, a challenge for the eye. Like a muddy brown that becomes extremely elegant when paired with the pink of a satin ballet slipper. The whole time I kept asking myself: is this product an extremely functional luxury item, while maintaining the essential Prada element of the unexpected? Would Miuccia and Raf [Simons] bring this color to your catwalks?"
L'OFFICIEL: Prada is the first brand to combine the traditional role of the Global Creative Makeup Artist with the figure of the Global Creative E-Makeup Artist. What was it like working with Ines Alpha?
Lynsey Alexander: Amazing, because our worlds are very different. Everything I work with is tangible, malleable, and mixable, very emotionally engaging because it is about touch, sensations, and human contact. While I explore through pigments, Ines does so through pixels. There is apparently no limit to where it cannot go. The pigments and colors that she created in a three-dimensional world on digital models were very challenging for me and for the laboratories that tried to recreate them.
L'O: Let's start with the foundation, Reveal Skin Optimizing Foundation: what makes it different from those already on the market?
LA: IRL-microfilter™ technology, which combines the flawless effect of the filter with transparent coverage. And the presence of niacinamide and active probiotics in the formula to improve the quality of the skin over time.
L'O: The eyeshadow palettes bring to mind the prints of many collections, they capture the quintessence of the Prada fashion shows of recent years.
LA: My favorite palette is Dimensions 02 Profusion: I love the strength and purity of this combination of silver and black, plus the flash of yellow. It's the most eccentric, but it's the one I always refer to. The pigments we used are so pure and intense that a minimal amount is enough to obtain a high-impact effect. Unlike most eyeshadows on the market, which are made with pressed powders, ours boast a hybrid formula: a unique blend of oils, to offer the superior comfort of a cream, with the lasting power of a powder. The metal particles used are among the brightest I've ever seen, a result I'm particularly proud of. Metals often appear flat and opaque, but ours literally seem to emanate light from within.
L'O: And the lipsticks? So sophisticated, so sumptuously matt…
LA: The predilection for the matte mouth has been a characteristic of the Prada catwalks since the first show in '88. The lipsticks, refillable like the entire line, are available in 26 shades and made with two different matte finishes: the 13 Hyper Matte has a black base to recreate the depth of the color of Saffiano leather, and the Soft Matte recalls the brightness of Re-Nylon. They are formulated with only three pure pigments, while the majority of lipsticks on the market are produced using up to twelve. By reducing the dilution of the pigments, we were able to strengthen and intensify the finish, achieving a decidedly more vibrant result.
L'O: The essentials in your opinion?
LA: Personally I am fascinated by the Monochrome Hyper Matte Lipcolor R28 Fuoco. For a quieter look, I love the Soft Matte Lip color in B1O1 Tiepolo. It's a perfect nude and works wonders for facial contouring too. I also like chocolate brown eyes contrasted with a touch of pink or green, obtainable with Dimensions 04 Poetry.
