Romance goes goth

TREND: GOTH PRINCESS

As seen at: Dior, Alexander McQueen  

Dubbed “fairy-tale punk”, on this season’s haute couture runways romance takes on a new form as we ditch conventional “cutesy”, angelic femininity in favour of romance mixed with a dark edge. As seen at Alexander McQueen and Dior, the mood was slightly twisted, with models looking whimsical and ethereal, yet a little gothic too. At Dior, makeup artist Peter Phillips took inspiration from ethereal fairy-tale princesses, mystical elves and Alice in Wonderland, but added a gothic touch by way of spiked-up brows to complement Black Swan-esque fanned-out mohawks and a delicate wash of boyfriend blush that sat lower on the face, set against romantic skin. At McQueen, models looked grungy with wet-look strands draped over their faces with pearls, smudged eyes and blurred lips, contrasted by dewy skin that still felt super romantic and fresh. 

5 OF THE BEST: DATE-NIGHT ESSENTIALS 

1. Chanel Joues Contraste Intense in Rouge Franc R1,165  
2. Sol de Janeiro Glowmotions Glow Oil in Copacabana Bronze 75ml R815
3. Stila Convertible Colour Lip & Cheek Cream in Peony R475
4. Kylie Cosmetics Kyliner Gel Eyeliner Pencil in 001 Matte Black R490
5. NARS Explicit Lipstick in Unauthorized R785

OLFACTORY BUZZ: FLORAL FANTASY

Say it with roses (or gardenias) as floral scents with a twist make for the perfect Valentine’s gift this season.

1. Dolce & Gabbana Devotion Eau De Parfum Intense 100ml R3,815

If grand gestures of love are more your style, show your devotion with this luminous scent from Dolce & Gabbana that pays homage to Italian design and craftsmanship with notes of orange blossom, vanilla and hazelnut.

2. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia EDP 100ml R2,800

For the quintessential lover-girl, this scent is a reiteration of a classic that is perfect for the hopeless romantic with its sweet, fruity-floral notes of pear blossom accord, white gardenia, jasmine absolute, red berries, patchouli and brown sugar accord.

3. Acqua Di Parma Luce Di Rosa EDP 100ml R4,300

Definitely not your average rose scent (and neither will the person you gift it to be), Luce Di Rosa is a unique floral woody with a zesty opening and spicy rose softness with notes of bergamot, pink pepper, rose Bulgaria oil geranium, cedarwood, black pepper and guaiacum wood.

4. Tom Ford Rose Prick EDP 50ml R6,900

Prickly and spicy yet feminine, this chypre-floral scent, inspired by Tom Ford’s private rose garden, is perfect for the unconventional romantic with its ode to a thorny rose, thanks to notes of Bulgarian rose, Sichuan pepper, turmeric, May rose, Turkish rose, patchouli and tonka bean.