Thanks to its creative and image director Peter Philips, Dior Makeup is one of the few brands that have turned the products its pros use backstage at fashion shows into a full-fledged line aptly dubbed Dior Backstage and introduced in 2018. It means that Philips often starts off with the same routine for each presentation: first a layer of the all-in-one Backstage Face & Body Primer that promises to hydrate, blur imperfections, mattify, boost radiance and lend a plumping effect; followed by the Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation that’s known to instantly cover up flaws.

His next must-have is a concealer – in the case of Dior’s Fall/Winter 2020 show, he opted for a touch of the Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer. Launched in stores last month, it’s a creamy yet weightless fluid formula said to immediately hide undereye circles and blemishes without settling into lines. The resulting look: a clean, natural and flawless complexion.

To complement a ready-to-wear collection big on attitude, he then focused on the eyes, combining the flexible, felt tip Diorshow On Stage Liner in #091 Matte Black and intense Diorshow Khol pencil in #099 Black Khol to heavily rim peepers and evoke power women of the past.

Silk-blend jacket and cotton shirt, Dior

A favourite collaborator of some of the world’s most playful and independent-minded fashion labels, Nars Cosmetics upped the fantasy for party wear specialist Rixo, which teamed up with Christian Lacroix for Fall/Winter 2020, but first, the prep. Nars global makeup artist Vincent Ford likes to rely on a mix of Nars’ Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-Free Moisturizer that not only hydrates but also has a Light Reflecting Complex that imparts a youthful luminosity and the brand’s Tinted Glow Booster, which has a soft-focus effect and helps makeup stay on for up to 16 hours.

Drawing inspiration from the flamboyant Lacroix’s shows in the early 2000s, he then put a dramatic, doll-like spin on smoky eyes with – get this – Nars’ cult Blush. His choice of shades: the shimmery red-brown Savage and satiny deep brown Aroused, two of the 10 new hues recently added to this range of intensely pigmented yet lightweight and blendable cheek colour. Here, we went for a prettier alternative, playing with pinks such as Mata Hari and Amour with a flush to match.

4 Moncler Simone Rocha nylon and tulle coat, Moncler