Every time a stunning new beauty trend hits the internet, my first instinct is to take it out for a spin!
Sometimes, of course, this is easier said than done. It’s one thing to spend a week daubing your eyelids with the latest fashionable shade of eye shadow, and entirely another to dedicate the time and attention to, say, creating mini eye makeup masterpieces like Tal Peleg.
Lots of makeup is DIY-friendly for novices like myself, but plenty of it requires a level of mastery that is leaps and bounds away from my own modest makeup skills! At that point, it’s not just a fun way to dress up for a night out, but it’s truly an art form!
The latest technique proving that makeup artists are the Michelangelos of the beauty world? A strategy called “hand makeup” or “hand art.”
Pioneered and perfected by the talented Italian makeup artist Fiamma Alborghetti, this strategy generally involves practicing makeup techniques intended for the eyes on the back of the hand.
And when it comes to hand makeup, the more lifelike and convincing the eye is, the better!
[H/T: BuzzFeed]
When you think about it, trying out eye makeup designs on your hand first makes perfect sense.
After all, anyone who's ever tried to use liquid eyeliner knows that it doesn't usually come out perfectly the first time. We can see why a trial run might be helpful!
Of course, it quickly became clear that this trend was so much more than a simple test drive for eyeliner and eye shadow techniques.
Without a doubt, these artists do a beautiful job of perfecting their makeup techniques. That said, the trend quickly evolved into an art form dedicated to creating lifelike, photo-realistic renderings of eyes, from the lids to the lashes!
And from there, it was just a quick hop and a step to incorporating other forms of visual art. This beautiful design still features the signature eye, but shakes it up with an adorable pair of kittens!
Meanwhile, this hand design takes the feline theme in a different direction; some artists are now using the medium to superimpose big-cat faces over their own.
In fact, wildlife is cropping up more and more in these designs. Alborghetti took a break from eyes to create this sweet chipmunk, which looks almost three-dimensional.
She also made this miniature panda, which looks almost as lifelike as her other designs — though, the scale is just a little bit off!
Other artists have taken their creativity still further, like this innovator who stuck with the animal kingdom idea, but painted her whole hand, essentially transforming it into this convincing goose!
And to cap it all off? An artist who used hand paint to totally disappear into the landscape! You can barely spot the hand camouflaged in this pretty floral scene!
Would you ever give this unique art form a try? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to SHARE with anyone else who loves whimsical and stylish creativity!
