La Dolce Vita

“Makeup is crucial in completing a woman’s look,” says Domenico Dolce, one half of the sensational designing duo, Dolce & Gabbana. “It’s considered a female rite,” Stefano Gabbana, his partner of over two decades, chimes in. And, so, the Milan-based fashionistos created Dolce & Gabbana The Make Up, an extensive collection that includes all the trappings of a smoldering Italian screen siren: Vespa-red lip gloss, inky black eyeliner, smoky shadow quads, and 24-karat bronzing powder. “We wanted to give women the elements that make applying makeup magical, almost theatric,” Gabbana says. “It’s that moment she’s in front of the mirror getting made up, leaving us spellbound watching.”
A true labor of love, the line took years to formulate. “As with everything we do, we sought perfection,” Dolce says. “There was an extreme attention to detail, from quality to packaging.” Sizzling, femme fatale touches—think sleek, gilded compacts and lipstick bullets that click shut—conjure images of Sophia Loren-like goddesses sauntering across the room in sky-high stilettos. Little wonder, then, that the pair selected modern-day bombshell Scarlett Johansson to be the face of the collection. “The quintessential Dolce & Gabbana girl is strong and beautiful,” says makeup artist Pat McGrath, who collaborated with the designers on The Make Up. Taking her cue from this elusive but powerful muse, as well as the vibrant colors of the Mediterranean coast, McGrath whipped up rich, sultry shades like Stomboli (“It’s named after the island, where volcanic minerals give the soil a sparkling depth,” she says), and Dahlia, a heavily pigmented crimson. “The Dolce look is simple yet super sexy,” McGrath says. “It’s natural glamour with a little something… a black wing liner or red mouth.” Va-va-voom curves not included.