Stuck in a rut? Revamp your look with the season's biggest beauty hits. Here, no-fail tips from the pros on how to make them work for you.
Step away from the tweezers.
Forget wacky bleach jobs and the wimpy, overplucked brows of seasons
past. Say hello to healthy, heavily filled-in arches as seen at Yves
Saint Laurent, Chloé, and Balenciaga. "It's all about a bold shape with a
slightly square and straight edge for a boyish feel," says makeup
artist Diane Kendal, who sculpted brows using MAC Eye Shadow in Brun
backstage at Alexander Wang. For a softer look, "use a pencil to fill in
gaps, then brush hairs up with a clear gel," says Benefit brow expert
Hilary Foote.
At Prabal Gurung, makeup guru
Tom Pecheux's smoky-eye look gave girls a hard punk edge, while
manicurist Jin Soon Choi masterminded an Asian-calligraphy-inspired
print that she hand-painted on 500 acrylic nails. (It took 48 hours!)
These aggressive details are best served with grungy, bed-head hair, as
seen at Charlotte Ronson. Add a gothic-inspired headband — like the
spiky leather Jennifer Behr numbers worn at Fendi.
Only the brave wear hot pants,
but red lips we can all handle. The oh-so-flashy influences of the '70s
(tomato lips, smoky eyes, swingy locks) claimed the runways at Diane von
Furstenberg and Altuzarra. At Gucci, the theme was decadent luxury Ã
la Anjelica Huston in all her Studio 54 glory, so makeup master Pat
McGrath coated models' upper and lower lashes with CoverGirl NatureLuxe
Mousse Mascara, then layered on the lipstick: A true red was tapped onto
the center of the mouth over a deep wine shade "to add shape and
dimension." And at Jason Wu, manicurist Roxanne Valinoti upped the glam
factor by lacquering nails with a blend of CND's Dark Ruby and
Bloodline, then tipped the ends with Gold Chrome.
Laura Ingalls Wilder as a
fashion icon? Spotted at Rag & Bone, Rodarte, and Mara Hoffman:
loosely fashioned, sporadically placed braids. Backstage at Proenza
Schouler, Fekkai hairstylist Paul Hanlon gave models a deconstructed
braid that was just a little bit mussed up. To keep strands extra-soft,
spritz hairspray through an old-fashioned cloth hairnet, advises Hanlon.
(We like Wave-O-Net All-Purpose Hair Cap, $2.) Makeup artist Kendal
kept skin ultra-dewy and sun-kissed by applying MAC Mineralize Face and
Body Lotion and layering Taupe and Peachy Sculpt Creams on cheeks for a
fresh-from-the-farm glow.
Metalheads are making a serious
comeback in the form of the futuristic, warrior-helmet hairstyle
created by Guido Palau at Alexander McQueen. For a more street-friendly
look, take a cue from the Redken stylist — who clipped 100 Goody
barrettes in each model's hair — and create the same blocked-out pattern
with fewer pins. Graphic lines also extended into mod makeup choices
with uniquely placed eyeliner at Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, and DKNY.
"Eyeliner painted on way above the lashline makes it a little bit rock
chick and totally unusual," says Maybelline New York makeup artist
Charlotte Willer at DKNY.
At Oscar de la Renta and Prada, models were head-to-toe Gossip Girl
with rosy cheeks and amusingly perfect coifs. At Marc Jacobs,
hairstylist Palau revealed that the designer wanted "a look so
controlled, it's almost kinky," while François Nars dusted the lower
cheeks with enough Nars Cream Blush in Lokoum (a rosy coral shade) to
have the girls channel "an 18th-century painting." For extra credit,
those under the age of 30 might want to consider the ultrafeminine
black-ribbon headbands that models sported at Valentino.
