‘Cosplaying as a mysteriously rich ex-wife has never been more fun’, wrote Lizzo in a recent Instagram post. The accompanying video sees the About Damn Time singer and former ELLE cover star mesmerising followers in a sheer black Yitty robe complete with tassels, waist-grazing mermaid hair topped with a lacy headpiece and smouldering navy smoky eyes. It’s giving Morticia Addams on Valentine’s Day, and frankly, we’re here for it.
As February rolls around, so does the influx of Valentine’s Day beauty content serving up all manner of ‘date night make-up ideas’. Think classic red lipstick, varying degrees of siren eyes and a whole lot of flushed 'just been kissed' blush. So much blush. The vibe is all kinds of pretty; it’s a Jane Austen romance in make-up form.
If that's what you're channelling this season, then you do you and screw the haters (just last week, writer Izzie Deibe wrote about the backlash many women receive for wearing a full face of glam, highlighting that a ‘US study found that 63% of men think women mainly wear make-up to trick people into thinking they're attractive, hinting at an issue of mistrust’).
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Or, if a more cynical approach to the annual celebration of love is your bag, then SS23 has just what you need.
This year, we’re taking our beauty cues from Charles Dickens’ jilted wealthy spinster, Miss Havisham (who's making a triumphant return to our screens this year in the form of Olivia Colman). She might have been the villain in Great Expectations, but there’s something rebellious and formidable about a woman who insists on wearing her wedding gown for all of eternity after being left at the altar. Romantically tragic, non?
Wedding dress aside, 'Havisham Glam' works for your chosen beauty look too. 'We’re really having a moment of gothic revival, especially after the huge success of Netflix's Wednesday. Miss Havisham feels like a grown up version of the goth girl that we used to know and she's mysteriously beautiful,' says Givenchy's national make-up artist, Claire Mulleady. 'In a sea of pink and red Valentine's make-up looks that often verge on cutesy, this takes us down another road entirely.'
Make-up artist and Chanel UK Beauty Ambassador, Zoë Taylor, agrees, telling ELLE, 'Make-up is such a good way to show how you feel and sometimes it is the best therapy to try out something new, just for you.'
Havisham Glam hit the SS23 runways, setting a moody ex-wife tone that served up sombre-but-make-it-fabulous throughout fashion month. At Versace’s gothic extravaganza Bella Hadid embraced her inner Havisham in a high slit, floor-grazing purple gown with matching net veil falling across her graphic violet eyeshadow.
Elsewhere, Off-White gave models XXL steely feline flicks and a lace face covering, whilst Richard Quinn opened his show with model Hannah Shakespeare dressed in an all-black lace and brocade ensemble complete with beaded veil obscuring her face. Miss H would have been thrilled.
Despite the drama, creating the look is refreshingly easy since focus is kept mainly around the eyes. It's all about applying fine veils of base product (Miss Havisham wasn't one for contouring) to create a 'haunting' finish, explains Mulleady. Skin prep is key; Taylor suggests layering a tiny amount of face oil under your moisturiser before going in with a buildable coverage concealer only where needed.
For eyes, reach for 'cool tone eyeshadows, draped across the eyelids and blended low underneath the eye for a softly hollowed smoky eye,' says Mulleady. Finely-milled powders and cream formulas will make blending a breeze. Reach for a mix of gunmetal grey, rich sapphires and silvers.
ELLE Edit: Havisham Glam Make-Up
Taylor is also a fan of adding a slick of eyeliner on the waterline using a waterproof pencil so it stays put before tying the look together with a swipe of tinted balm to avoid a deathly pallor. Prep with Taylor's own Tinker Taylor Lip Kit for that plush, expensive-looking finish.
Lean into the look with a statement-making veiled headband, keeping the rest of your hair low-key. Go classic with a low bun on the nape of your neck or simply enhance your natural texture for a modern Havisham-esque update.
ELLE Edit: Havisham Glam Hair Products
Now go forth and show Valentine's Day who's boss.
Medina Azaldin is the beauty editor of ELLE and Harper's Bazaar UK, working across print and digital features. She has more than seven years journalism experience and has previously written for Red and Good Hoousekeeping. When she's not demystifying the latest skincare ingredient, sniffing out the next big perfume trend or uncovering the science behind wellness practices, you'll most likely find her in Hatchards Piccadilly or watching a crime series with her cats. Oh, and she's a competitive cheerleader, too.
