Backstage at Cushnie—designer Carly Cushnie’s first solo show since her co-founder, Michelle Ochs, left earlier this year—inspiration for the beauty look was drawn from the iconic David Montgomery portrait of singer Sade wearing double denim, gold jewellery and vibrant red lipstick. 

The reinterpreted look featured slightly dewy, tawny-looking skin, courtesy of Maybelline Fit Me Foundation and Master Bronze Highlight Kit. “It’s Sade on a Caribbean island,” says lead Maybelline makeup artist Grace Lee, who keyed the show. Lee used Cola Float, an orange-y brown from the Soda Pop palette, to line the eyes (“It’s not an eyeliner look, it’s about getting that definition,” she explains) topped with a swipe of the glossy Baby Lips Lip Balm across the lids. 

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CUSHNIE!!!! Congrats @carlycushnie @cushnie on the most BEAUTIFUL collection! I loved the Sade somewhere on a Caribbean island reference. I was BLoWN away by the casting and it was the most diverse for skin tones and sizes. ????????Plus so many of my fellow ??supers @winnieharlow @gracemahary @heriethpaul and was jumping up and down to see my girl @_jennybird HOOPS on the ears of every girl. ???? Full makeup deets coming soon but all I have to say that we used a NEW @maybelline lipstick coming out that looks Good on EVERY skin tone. As the key, I can promise you I specifically told my team not to alter the colour in any way. And see the results for yourself. ?? Styling @kateyoung Hair @ursulastephen Makeup #graceleebeauty for @maybelline #cushnie #nyfw #mnyfashionweek #redlips #madeforall #ss19

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The star product was a red lipstick from Maybelline’s forthcoming Made For All lipstick collection, launching January 2019. The formulas were designed to remain true to the colour in the tube, no matter the skin tone it is applied to. 

“It will look good on everyone,” Lee tells us. “Sometimes companies formulate with too much yellow or too much white, and it either looks too blue or too pink [when applied]. This one transfers as a true red on every skin tone.” 

See the product in action on the Cushnie runway, below.