Face palm took on a whole new meaning for me this week when I discovered that the secret to putting your best face forward isn’t so much what you see in the mirror – it’s also hidden in the palm of your hands.
“See the pink and yellow tones? That means you have a warm undertone,” explains Clarins’ training manager Lebogang Ngwenya as I hold out my hands.
While our complexion determines our skin shade, it seems we all have one of three undertones - warm, neutral or cool which can be identified in different ways, including palm reading.
This influences how long we can stay in the sun without burning, which colours suit us best and crucially, which foundation shade is the perfect match.
It’s a balmy Tuesday evening when I meet Lebo in the foyer of the French beauty house’s Rosebank, Johannesburg, headquarters which has been transformed into an elegant salon where the country’s most glam, their faces flawlessly made up, have gathered for a sneak peek of a radiant new foundation designed with science to suit a diverse range of different complexions.
Although the new Skin Illusion Full Coverage Foundation only officially launches this Friday, I was among the select guests invited to try it out before it hits the shelves.
Glamazons like Miss SA 2016 Ntandoyenkosi Kunene who leads a schools initiative for the Allan & Gill Gray Foundation, vivacious businesswoman Amanda Dambuza, and model Ashleigh Ogle, the multi-tattooed model who is the ex of former Springbok badboy, Elton Jantjies.
Singer-songwriter Thabsie breezes past as I stand next to one of the prettiest girls in Joburg – entrepreneur and model Margo Fargo – as we are welcomed by Isabel Martins, the company’s CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Along with Margo, the accompanying campaign features faces including body-positive influencer Boitumelo Rametsi, who developed vitiligo as a teenager, 60+ model Deborah Chambers, and even a couple of blokes, including hunky doctor and ex-Top Billing presenter Fezile Mkhize.
The bubbles and espresso martinis flow as guests nibble on tataki beef fillet skewers, bobotie spring rolls served with fig and five spice dipping sauce, mini parmesan and cheddar tarts (which didn’t need the candied nuts they were topped with), crispy coconut prawns and creamy butternut, goats’ cheese and caramelised onion parcels.
In between, guests could fill up their goodie bags with samples from giant bowls dotted around the room and get professionally shade matched by Clarins makeup whizzes.
Armed with my new knowledge that I have a warm undertone, I ask Jabu, one of the makeup artists, to find my match in the off chance I join Dr Fez on the face beat side (these dark circles do need to go). Turns out I’m shade 114 if you were wondering.
While the French may be known for luxury beauty, the origins of makeup date back to ancient Egypt, around 6000 BCE, where both men and women used kohl eyeliner to protect their eyes from the harsh desert glare. And when it comes to adornment, South Africa has a deep tradition of beaded jewellery, especially within Ndebele and Zulu cultures.
My eye was drawn the luminous beaded lace necklace worn by artist Khanya Mthethwa, her homage to Umhlwehlwe, at the university of Joburg’s FADA Gallery on Thursday night.
Featured in a photographic work titled Impande yokuphile (Zulu) (2024), the piece reflects Khanya’s exploration of heritage through jewellery and cloth in the exhibition, Abantu: The Threads That Bind Us, which opened that night as part of the university’s 20th anniversary program.
“Through my travels, I have noticed that African art jewellery is underrepresented, especially abroad. This work is about celebrating our craft and traditions,” explained the UJ Jewellery Design alumna.
The exhibition was opened by the gallery’s curator, Farieda Nazier, followed by a speech from UJ Fashion dept head, associate professor Khaya Mchunu.
While the prof veered a little too deeply into academia at the start of his speech, he did manage to liven up the crowd when he finished off by quoting the lyrics of Riky Rick’s Sidlukotini (directly translated as “We are eating cotton”, the song refers to the late rapper’s fondness for fashion) as a fitting nod to fashion and cultural expression.
The exhibition runs until March 28.
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