All Ages, All Sexes, All Races Editorial Research and Ideas

I wanted this editorial shoot to be separate from my editorial spread images because I wanted to design an editorial that I thought would represent Mac's mission statement of All Ages, All Sexes, All Races. I want my other editorial shoots to be more avant-garde and less wearable to represent the very expressive and creative side to Mac; however I want this editorial to portray a message. I wanted to include a lot of the colour black, for example a black background, because Mac's logo is a crisp and professional black and white, so I wanted to continue the block colour theme. 

Mac's Mineralize Collection

I was inspired by Mac's Mineralize adverts, show casing different looks using different products within the range. I was aware that I wasn't creating an advert; however I was inspired by the sleek feel of the adverts. I was attracted to them because of the very harsh, black shadows surrounding the model which made sure all focus was on the makeup. All the adverts in this collection are head shots of the same model, focusing on different parts of the face to showcase different products. The top advert is advertising the Skinfinishes in the range so the skin is the main feature, with the eyes and lips being kept fairly neutral. The second image is showcasing the eye shadows in the range so the eyes look very dramatic and the lips have been kept nude. The third image is showcasing the lip products in the range so the eyes have been kept natural and the lips are very bold and the focus of the image. I love how simple these images are and how there are no distractions from the makeup looks. The model used in this collection is Irina Kulikova. She has very defined cheek bones, full eye brows and big eyes, but she isn't the typical doll-like model Mac used in the collection adverts I researched; instead the model looks more high fashion, with a stronger facial structure and thinner lips. The model still looks very slim from her collar bones and defined facial features; however it is not as important to use a slim model in this advert as they are only head shots.

Mineralize Skinfinish
FASHION GONE ROGUE, 2014. Irina Kulikova Gets Glossy In MAC Cosmetics' Mineralize Ads [viewed 21st March 2016]. 
Available from: http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/irina-kulikova-gets-glossy-mac-cosmetics-mineralize-ads/

My favourite advert for the Mineralize collection would be the one below, showcasing the beautiful purple shades available. I love how dramatic the eye shadow is, with the blended out wing and deep, rich colours, because it shows a more create way to use the eye shadows and ensures that all the attention is on the eyes. I like that they used a white/nude in the waterline because is gives the model a more doll-like effect, which is a very popular look by Mac. The skin has been kept very dewy and natural looking and the lips are a glossy peachy nude. I like that the shadows created around her head accentuate the cheekbones as there is a shadow falling underneath the cheekbone but not on top. I also like that she has her shoulder in front of her face as it makes her look slightly mysterious, almost like she is hiding herself from the camera. I found that this also elongates the face which is flattering and acts as a leading line towards her face. Her skin hasn't been overly edited which I like, as I found the collection adverts I previously research had almost plastic look skin. You can still see some faint freckles around the nose and the pores in her skin which makes her look a lot more natural, but still flawless. I was inspired by the dramatic use of colour in this image against the neutral face and black background as it really makes the eye stand out. I will definitely experiment with using a black background in my editorial images and simple, but dramatic makeup looks.

Mineralize Eye Shadow

FASHION GONE ROGUE, 2014. Irina Kulikova Gets Glossy In MAC Cosmetics' Mineralize Ads [viewed 21st March 2016]. 

Available from: http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/irina-kulikova-gets-glossy-mac-cosmetics-mineralize-ads/

Mineralize Glass, Mineralize Rich Lipstick

FASHION GONE ROGUE, 2014. Irina Kulikova Gets Glossy In MAC Cosmetics' Mineralize Ads [viewed 21st March 2016]. 

Available from: http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/irina-kulikova-gets-glossy-mac-cosmetics-mineralize-ads/

Mac's Colour Culture Campaign
This campaign was created to celebrate Mac's mission statement of All Ages, All Races, All Sexes. There doesn't seem to be much information about the campaign online; however I was really drawn in to the image. I love how it isn't perfectly clear which part of the face belongs to which person, or even how many people have been used because it entices the viewer to look deeper into the image. I really like the variety of faces used in the collage, asian, white and black, because it emphasises the mission statement of All Races. I think it would have been more appropriate for them to have used different ages and sexes as well as just different races to showcase their mission statement even more; however I can see that they may have kept the diversity minimal to create beautiful, flawless image, where all the images connect up perfectly. I am intrigued to experiment with the different combinations of faces I could combine in this collage so that it shows a wider range of faces that Mac cater towards. I like that the background is black because it gives a very clean and sophisticated look and it means all the focus is on the makeup with no distractions. All the makeup looks in this advert are simple, but different which I like because it puts the focus on the features instead of dramatic makeup; however I think it would work if the same eye shadow colours or same shade of lipstick was used as then you could see how different people could wear it with different ethnicities, ages etc.

CHANG, C., 2012. M.A.C MAC Cosmetic brand Rebrand [viewed 21st March 2016]. 
Available from: https://www.behance.net/gallery/6423273/MAC-MAC-Cosmetic-brand-Rebrand

Collage Inspiration

After deciding I wanted to create a collage of faces of different ethnicities, ages and sexes, I wanted to look into different collages that I could do to make my Colour Culture image unique. I wanted to include at least three different faces so that I could incorporate the different races, ages and sexes; however I was open to using more than this to create the effect I wanted. I came across this collage below of many different faces.

I like the collage below because the images have been positioned together to make a realistic looking face shape, with the eyes, nose and mouth all in the correct positions. The image above from the Mac Colour Culture campaign has not been put together to create a realistic looking face; however the image below has been closely matched up, with the jawline connecting and the facial features being in the same place, so it looks like the shape of a person's face, but just with different colourings. I like that the two images on each side are from the same person because it frames the collaged face and it gives the face a realistic silhouette. I like that each section has been put into straight, even;y distributed lines because it looks very crisp and organised; however I want my collage to look more abstract and unorganised looking, so the viewer has to work out who's face belongs to who, like a puzzle. 

PIXHDER. Faces Collage Diversity [viewed 21st March 2016]. 
Available from: http://pixhder.com/faces+collage+diversity

I like how the edges of the face are all uneven in the collage below as it gives it an edgy look. I like that some of the models' hair has been included, along with a model's neck and hand, because it gives a clear image of the diversity of the people used in the image and it gives each person more character. I like that this image above only included the girls' faces because the makeup was the main focus, with no distractions; however I like how the image below looks quite unorganised and random, with more of each model showing because it gives the image more character. I also like how the saturation and exposure in each image are different because it adds to the edgy look and gives the image a slight vintage feel, as if they haven't  been edited or taken with a particularly high tech camera. Even if I decide to make the composition of the editorial slightly unorganised looking, I will still aim to execute the makeup perfectly as I am still representing Mac as a brand even though I'm not advertising a particular product; I think it would be a fun contrast with the messy, unorganised composition. I am not completely sure how many models were used in this image; however it is definitely over three! I therefore want to use about four models in my collage so that there are many looks to combine together and contrast with. This is my favourite collage I've looked into and so it is the one I will take more inspiration from with regards to layout. 

EVERFEMME, 2013. [viewed 21st March 2016]. 
Available from: http://everfemme.tumblr.com/post/45594526615

I want all the models in my collage to look very different, with different races, sexes and ages to reflect Mac's mission statement. I want to all my models to be wearing different makeup looks to suit them; however I want all the makeup to be within the same colour scheme so it doesn't look too messy. I will be including many different faces within my collage so I want to keep the colour scheme small to keep it looking clean and professional to contrast with the more chaotic composition. I now need to decide on my models and what makeup look each of them will be wearing!

Resources:

FASHION GONE ROGUE, 2014. Irina Kulikova Gets Glossy In MAC Cosmetics' Mineralize Ads [viewed 21st March 2016]. 

Available from: http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/irina-kulikova-gets-glossy-mac-cosmetics-mineralize-ads/