Schön! Switzerland Face Forward 2026

About

In the striking beauty editorial Face Forward for Schön! Switzerland, the boundary between cosmetic artistry and high-resolution photography is pushed to its absolute limit. Through a series of uncompromising close-ups, photographer Mateusz Sitek explores the intricate topography of the human face, inviting viewers to engage with the medium of makeup on a granular level. The project leans into editorial portraiture that rejects airbrushed perfection in favor of raw, authentic skin texture, where every pore, fine hair, and pigment speck is rendered with forensic clarity. Makeup artist Andrew Gallimore orchestrates this visual study, utilizing bold, vibrant color stories—ranging from vivid pinks and pastel blues to high-contrast white pigments—to transform the canvas of the skin. The integration of structural elements, such as a sculpted metallic silver mask, adds a tactile dimension that plays beautifully against the soft, matte, and glossy finishes of the cosmetics themselves. Executed with natural light that accentuates the delicate interplay of shadow and surface, the series utilizes macro photography to elevate everyday beauty applications into pieces of conceptual art. By stripping away the distance between the subject and the lens, Face Forward captures a visceral, detailed narrative where the artistry of pigment and the reality of skin form a sophisticated, cohesive visual language that feels both intimate and strikingly avant-garde.