I’m always about *this* close to quitting my subscription to Allure, because every time a Kardashian or a Jenner pops on the cover, I’m just like, “I can’t. I can’t do this anymore.” But then, ya know, another issue will arrive, and I’ll start flipping through the pages, and it’s just makeup inspiration up the wazoo, so I keep subscribing.
In the April 2019 issue…AH! — so much color inspo from the beautiful actress Gemma Chan. She’s one of the stars of Crazy Rich Asians and the sci-fi drama Humans, where she plays a preternaturally beautiful robot who gains self-awareness.
There’s a lengthy piece on her with pictures of different looks, and what strikes me the most is all the color. There’s a lot of it, but so much of it is done in a way that looks totally doable and wearable. In fact, I think they could be turned into 10-minute versions, like her cover look… The lip? Oh, I love the red lip. The edges are perfect! I also love the soft flick in the outer corner and how it looks like she’s only wearing one or two eyeshadows on her lids (they don’t look cray complicated).
Also, may I point out her black nail polish?! Love it. 💖 From a practical standpoint, however, I know I’d only get a day or two out of it before seeing chips, but it looks so good in these pics, man. It’s an edgy counterpoint to the classic, timeless makeup.
Could this be the catalyst for me breaking out of my pastel polish phase? Maybe!
I’ve also got mad love for this second look here with the perfectly matching pink lids and the pink lips…
And see her lashes? I love how natural they look. Definitely not OTT. They just look like lashes with mascara on them, and same goes for her brows. They’re full, but yet still look like regular brows.
I’m also getting major inspiration from this Lancôme foundation ad on the back cover. This is my favorite type of makeup to wear — neutral shades with a low-key glam style. I love that all of the looks have one focal point (black kitten liner, a smudgy bronze lower lash line, and that gorgeous plum lip), and everything is “pulled back.”
It just goes to show that neutrals are anything but boring.
I’ve noticed over the last year or so that Allure loves doing graphic liner stories, and there are a few bold styles in this issue I want to eventually try just for fun, even though I probably won’t ever leave the house wearing them.
I only wish the editors showed the entire face of makeup! I want to know what to wear with these eye looks, because if you do one eye with crazy liner, it would be a nightmare to get the other eye to look symmetrical! Do you just have one crazy eye and one relatively normal eye? I REALLY WANNA KNOW.
Oh, and peep this pic with the blue eyeshadow…
My favorite thing about it isn’t how the blue extends up into the brows and looks glossy in some areas (which is SO COOL). It’s the heart painted in the inner corner. It looks organic and natural. Not super sketched out and perfect.
So, so cool! 
What’s inspiring your makeup these days?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Kim says
April 4th, 2019 at 7:50 amThat subscription is definitely worth it if it’s giving you inspiration. It’s so hard to find that!
Sara Beth says
April 4th, 2019 at 9:47 amKendall Jenner on the cover of the March issue made me think about quitting Allure too. I doubt there is much overlap between people who still subscribe to print magazines and people who care about the Kardashian/Jenner family.
Karen says
April 4th, 2019 at 10:05 amThat’s the one where she had blue brows, right? I was agitated, too. I did enjoy a few of the written pieces, like the one on Oribe’s career, and the story on visually impaired women and beauty rituals. I would love it if they did more in-depth stories that related to the beauty world and less Kardashian worship.
Rachel says
April 4th, 2019 at 10:07 amGemma Chan is so beautiful, and I love her makeup in that article. Maybe I need to subscribe!
Eileen says
April 4th, 2019 at 10:51 amGemma Chan is a stunningly beautiful woman and a very intelligent one, too. (Google her educational background) Each and every one of those looks makes the most of her features and calls attention to her beauty without being outré or screaming for attention. The balance of colors and neutrals is true artistry.
As for that trio of gorgeous women in the Lancôme add, it speaks well as to how dramatic neutrals can be. And, what is best of all (for me at least) is that there is not a ridiculous Instagram brow in the whole lot.
Disembodied body parts! LOL I dislike them because they make it difficult to see how something will play in real life. I understand that they are highly editorialized images designed to make a statement about trends, but if we’re to interpret those images and transform them into something suitable for our real life experience, it is helpful to see the whole face.
FeyFrau says
April 4th, 2019 at 12:15 pmThat was a good issue! It is strong evidence that industry MUAs are still rocking the beauty and editorial looks on their clients. Constant images of YouTube/Instagram-level makeup start to distort my perception of beauty what is “normal” makeup application.
Tatiana says
April 4th, 2019 at 12:50 pmI don’t know where it came from because I certainly did not pay for a subscription to Allure, yet it keeps showing up addressed to me every month. Usually I rip off the plastic bag and toss the magazine in recycling, except this month when I saw Gemma on the cover. She is just so dang elegant and beautiful.
To be honest I never thought about trying to copy any of the looks I see in magazines. I feel like that would send me down the rabbit hole of trying to purchase more products to recreate the looks and I’m all about trying really hard to not buy anything.
Erica says
April 4th, 2019 at 3:08 pmThe looks are pretty easy to emulate. You most likely won’t need new makeup. Like for the monochromatic pink look. Find a pink blush. Use for blush and eyeshadow and add a pink lip. Another is more peach toned. Inspiration never means copying product for product. It’s taking the idea and applying it to you w what you have😊
Meta says
April 4th, 2019 at 1:00 pmI am definitely won’t be renewing my Allure subscription. Ever since Linda Wells moved on from head post it has just become another Nylon. I can’t relate to its contents at all. I am just old school I guess.
Michele DiCola says
April 4th, 2019 at 3:47 pmI would never wear any of those eye looks except for Halloween maybe .
But I do spend Sat morning experimenting w different eye looks!
Still searching for the perfect eyeliner .
Suzanne C says
April 4th, 2019 at 4:36 pmI am totally uninspired lately. I can’t seem to do anything other than the same old neutral brown eye, if I wear any makeup at all. (I know, makeup-less. The horror!!) Got to shake off this ‘blah’ feeling.
I’m digging the model with the white dots under her eye. An homage to Lisa Lopes?
Alix says
April 4th, 2019 at 4:48 pmAllure still provides some eye candy, but actual copy has diminished to almost nothing. You used to be able to sit down and really READ it for an hour or two — no more. Oh, how I remember their early issues! And it’s barely clocking in at 100 or so pages now. Sadly, it’s likely to be the next title to go “all digital”, which is just a nice way of sending it off into the sunset.
Miki Nickel says
April 8th, 2019 at 12:01 pmAllure always get me with their makeup stuff too! I can’t stand the Kardashians though, and anything with them otherwise has me running the other way too haha. But alas, people are obsessed with them for some reason and thus they sell. Blech. 🙄
I love the more natural look. To each their own, but I don’t know how people can spend 1-2 hours on their face (and eyes!) LOL. I have been using only two colours on my eyes for a long time now! That’s if you don’t include the pop of highlighter that I put on the inner corners and sometimes on top LOL. But it’s so simple, and it looks great! There is NO NEED TO USE 10 SHADES OMG. Get out of here. Haha, again, to each their own, but it’s so silly to me. 😁
I haven’t done the monochromatic look, I’ve worried it would look silly. But it looks SO lovely on Gemma. That is so well done, especially the pink! I still don’t know if I’d do that on myself (whitey white here haha and bit much for me) but Gemma is nailing it! ❤
Karen says
April 8th, 2019 at 2:37 pmHi Miki,
Monochromatic is so chic! I wear it every once in a while when I don’t want to think too hard. 🙂
Pamela says
April 17th, 2019 at 7:53 pmYou know, Allure keeps me subscribing because they seem committed to featuring a broad range of women from different ages and races. The number of non-white women on their covers has had me pleasantly flabbergasted!! Janelle Monae, Angela Bassett, Fernanda Ly, et cetera.
But let’s talk about Vogue. Justin and Hailey Bieber?????????????