Can runway makeup work in real life?

Runway beauty looks are often described as “fantastical”, “creative,” and “bat-shit crazy”. You know what I mean. When we spy a runway model in a magazine with orange paint all over her face, purple false eyelashes and Marge Simpson hair, we never think, “Oh, lovely, I’ll copy that look for when I catch up with the in-laws”.

You may instead ponder: who would wear that makeup in public? Who, indeed! For your entertainment, and for the sake of Very Important Beauty Research, I decided to take three of the craziest makeup trends from the recent international fashion weeks and put them to test in my daily life.

Related: 5 beauty looks that men hate. (But women love.) 

 Runway look 1: Face tattoos

Hand-drawn, temporary face tattoos were a big trend at the international Fashion Weeks. My favourite take was at the Giambi show during Milan Fashion Week, where whimsical, witchy stars framed the models’ eyes (see top photo).

My experience: One Saturday morning, I sat in the car park of my local Westfield, and used Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner to draw stars and hearts around my eyes. After that, I sat in my car for fifteen minutes and replied to all two of my texts, because I was too embarrassed to get out.

In the end, I was worried about nothing, because people were either supportive, polite or too busy to care. I even stared into people’s faces as they walked past, and they looked back at me, and nothing was said. No-one even smirked. The best part was when I was shopping in Sportsgirl, and a lovely sales assistant named Sam approached me.

“Are those…tattoos?” she asked. I explained that it was liquid eyeliner, and she proceeded to tell me that I looked amazing. She even asked if I had been inspired by the Tommy Hilfiger catwalk show. I took this all as a huge compliment, especially as Sam’s makeup was perfect.

Related: Tested: 5 foolproof hacks for the perfect winged liner. 

 Runway look 2: Huge, matted, textured hair

A recurring hair theme at New York Fashion Week was matted texture, height, a generally scruffy look. I loved seeing Gigi Hadid rock this look at Anna Sui.

My experience: My hair is usually flat and shiny, so I had to throw every technique and product at this look. I loaded up my hair with John Frieda Luxurious Volume Mousse for volume and hold, and then plaited it into 7 tiny plaits. I clamped each plait with my ghd, and then I went to bed. The next morning, I unraveled the plaits, and added in more kinks and curls using my ghd. Finally, I sprinkled Schwarzkopf Extra Care Instant Volume Powder into my roots for ridiculous volume.

My hair was so huge, it was the width of an extra head. I took my hair (and my kid!) to our local playgroup, and again, no-one noticed. All of the parents were busy running after their toddlers. The only comment I received was from my friend, and she said that my hair looked good. Win.

Related: How to style a short bob: 4 fast hairstyles. 

 Runway look 3: Purple lipstick

I thought the MAC and Lorde lipstick collaboration in 2014 was a nice conclusion to the purple lipstick trend, but it turns out it’s a look that just keeps on giving. Purple lips were seen at multiple catwalk shows, including Marc Jacobs. And anything that Marc does, the beauty world notices.

My experience: My purple lipstick of choice was Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Shameless, and I wore it to my daughter’s swimming lessons. As she’s only a year and a half old, I need to go in the water with her. Wearing lipstick in the pool is an unusual choice, as most of the mums go barefaced.

My daughter loved the purple colour on my lips, and kept trying to touch it. Everyone was very friendly and normal towards me, which was a surprise, because I felt like I stood out and looked very strange. I also discovered that the lip colour stayed on in the water. Hurrah!

For more purple lipstick and beauty trends, check out our Oscars 2015 gallery. (Post continues below.)

The results

I was shocked at the results. Honestly, I expected people to laugh, point, shout abuse, or at least whisper behind my back. But, instead, everyone was too busy to notice, or care. If anyone did say anything, it was always positive.

So, if you have ever left the house feeling self-conscious about your makeup, rest assured, you look amazing. If I can walk around my local Westfield with freaking stars drawn all over my face, then you, too, can take that mini beauty risk you’ve been planning. What are you waiting for? Life’s too short to be boring.