Chloe Magno wears a dress by Michael Cinco. Photography by Sharif Hamza
Chloe Magno wears a dress by Michael Cinco. Photography by Sharif Hamza
Chloe Magno’s makeup look is a minimalist’s dream.
Flawless, raw, and untouched are all adjectives used to describe the islands of the Philippines and Vogue Philippines‘ cover star Chloe Magno’s beauty look, done by makeup artist to the stars Robbie Piñera. In the debut issue’s cover shoot, Piñera depicts Magno as the Pearl of the Orient, reeling in a new and unique perspective of Filipino beauty.
As to what inspired the shoot’s beauty look, Piñera says it was a harmonious blend of three things: Magno, the eccentric surroundings, and a new take on the idea of conventional beauty. “I took inspiration from it all—the surroundings, the environment, the people, the team, the colors, and the shapes that were present,” Piñera shares. He was also taken by Magno’s personality, describing how she would light up the entire room; her energy whirring with positivity. This easygoing nature was translated into the model’s makeup look by capitalizing on Chloe’s distinguishing features—her eyes, freckles, and full lips.
“When you look at Chloe, you can see that she’s a mix of everything. It’s a unity of all Asian looks,” Piñera opines. He emphasizes that Chloe’s beauty resonates with a multitude of Filipinos and that she reflects many facets of the Filipino identity. Not only does she bring forth her own identity to the international stage, she also represents a collective identity. “Many Filipina girls in different parts of the world will look at Chloe and will finally see someone that looks like them on Vogue,” says the esteemed makeup artist.
By venturing to Luzon, Mindanao, and Visayas, Piñera brought the raw allure of the remote locations into the makeup look. From the natural stone formations of Biri to the soft brown soil in Tanay, Piñera’s color palette took form in the deep, earthy shades reflected on Magno’s complexion. Piñera used luminous tones throughout the beauty process, keeping the skin radiant yet translucent—another ode to the pearl. For her eyes, Piñera used gun metal and stone tones to further accentuate a soft, smoky winged effect, while the lips were kept plump and simple with a lip balm.
Throughout the cover shoot, what kept the beauty look cohesive was its reference to the environment. With rounded shapes, sculptural silhouettes, and sea-inspired textures, Piñera made the look be comparable to the pristine environment that surrounded them at the time. Although the main concept was that of the pearl, what made the cover shoot more captivating was the focus on an innovative perspective of Filipino beauty.
“We were engaging in a dialogue between all Filipinos—those within the Philippines and those outside the Philippines. There was a balance with how we came up with the beauty look for this shoot. I hope this mix—this unique look will be accepted in the global arena,” says Piñera. This global representation of Filipino beauty and identity underlined the entire beauty look. The conventional concept of the pearl was about its luminosity and its roundness. However, the Pearl of the Orient theme that informed the beauty look moved beyond this—it was a meeting of cultures, a forward-thinking perspective, and an understanding of the true essence of Philippine identity.
“I really hope that what people take away [from this cover shoot] is a more global representation of Filipino beauty,” reflects Piñera.
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