Val Garland: The Use of Freckles

Val Garland is a very well established make-up artist and is MAC's go-to makeup artist for any high profile shows. She has worked with big names such as Kate Moss, Georgia Jagger and Taylor Swift and also names such as Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. She is known as a rebel when it comes to makeup and isn't afraid to break the rules or make mistakes.

Val Garland took inspiration from the makeup look she had created for Mary Katrantzou's AW14 runway show. She exaggerated the 'realness' of the look by adding freckles all over the face. In an interview with Dazed magazine, Garland said she liked 'that heightened sense of nothing and everything'. I love the use of freckles in this look because it stopped the makeup from looking so perfect and made it seem a lot more real and fresh looking. Garland used all MAC cosmetics in this transformation.

Val Garland's transformation.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/22239/1/val-garland-amplified-realness

This isn't the only time Val Garland has incorporated freckles into her makeup designs. Val Garland created Taylor Swift's makeup for the November 2014 Vogue cover, shot by Mario Testino, and freckles were used to give her a different look from her usual perfected porcelain skin. The makeup look is very different from Taylor's signature look in general, but the freckles were the main talking point. In an interview with Vogue, Garland says about the look, 'Taylor has really gorgeous skin and these really sparkly eyes so I thought it would be great to play up her healthy complexion. After a massage and moisturiser, I used very little concealer or foundation, wanting to feel her skin texture'. Garland continued to explain how the freckled look was created, 'Taking five assorted brow pencils I lightly traced freckles across her face where her skin may have caught the sun - this is a great modern trick to look young and sun-kissed. A little hint of blush and highlighter on the cheekbones gave off that radiance that Mario loves for photographs'. I am a great fan of this more sultry look as it it sexy and sultry, but still very young and fresh.

Taylor Swift's November 2014 Vogue cover.http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/2014/10/06/taylor-swift-make-up-and-freckles-on-british-vogue-cover

Val Garland also used freckles again in his makeup design for Preen's SS15 show, by Thornton Bragazzi, to give the model's that "fresh-from-the-gym rosy flush". Garland used pencils of different tones of brown to make them look as natural as possible, including the colour Stone which is a dirty blonde shade. The rest of the face was kept very neutral and minimalist, with a rosy blush brushed over the cheeks and through the eye sockets.

Garland's makeup look for Preen's SS15 show.
http://www.stylist.co.uk/fashion-week/london-fashion-week-ss15...

Sources:
http://www.stylist.co.uk/fashion-week/london-fashion-week-ss15-beauty-make-up-artist-val-garland-reveals-giseles-unusual-make-up-trick-to-looking-young-at-preen

http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/2014/10/06/taylor-swift-make-up-and-freckles-on-british-vogue-cover

http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/22239/1/val-garland-amplified-realness