SICKA THAN AVERAGE

FALL 2009 AS SEEN BY PAINTER RICHARD PHILLIPS

Applying makeup is an exercise in artistry. You need to have a solid grasp of color, a dexterity with brushes and tools, an understanding of textures and finishes, and a desire to use the face as a living, breathing canvas. But applying makeup isn’t the only form of artistry — those creating new products in unexpected hues and delicious textures are maestros themselves.

So it makes perfect sense that MAC Cosmetics, a brand known for its constant innovation and support of artistry, would launch a collection that celebrates the art of creating makeup. For Fall 2009, MAC enlisted three artists (photographer Marilyn Minter, painter Richard Phillips, and illustrator Maira Kalman) to create portraits in their respective genres, with each work of art replicating the look and feel of the selection of beauty products assigned to them.

Since each collection is pretty extensive, I’ll be posting these in installments throughout the day. To kick things off, I’m sharing photos of the Fall ’09 collection as seen by painter Richard Phillips, who is well-known for the portraits he makes based on magazine photos. For this collaboration with MAC, Phillips took an existing painting and, working with photo retoucher Pascal Dangin, applied the makeup hues onto the painting using digital means.

The range of colors has a vamp but demure feel. Check it out for yourself!

EYE SHADOW x 4

Eye Shadow x 4: Notoriety, $36. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Eye Shadow x 4: In the Gallery, $36. Visit MACcosmetics.com

** Check out the swatches below. The colors pictured below, from top to bottom, are: Lightfall, a pale pink; Look at the Eyes, a silvery, frosty violet; In the Gallery, a matte, plum-purple hue; and Private Viewing, a matte plum with brown undertones.

Eye Shadow x 4 Photo Realism, $36. Visit MACcosmetics.com

LIPSTICK

“Front Lit” Lipstick, $14.Available at MACcosmetics.com

**Here’s what Front Lit looks like on the skin. As you can see, it’s practically white but has yellow undertones — it makes you think of a set’s bright lights.

“High Strung” Lipstick, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

“Lovin’ It” Lipstick, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

“Full Body” Lipstick, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

** Here’s a swatch of the Full Body lipstick. The deep red plum color embodies the dark, slightly goth, vampire chic pouts we expect to see throughout the fall.