ELLE Wears: The SS12 Make-up Trends

If you’ve picked up a copy of the May issue of ELLE you’ll know we’ve been putting the spring beauty trends to the test. Trying a new beauty look can be a daunting prospect, so we’ve given a few more spring looks a road test. Here’s how we got on...

See ELLE wearing the SS12 hair trends here...

Seen at: Nanette Lepore

Alannah says: Dark hair, pale skin and freckles isn't what you might call the ideal canvas for a palette of powdery pastel hues, but emboldened by the numerate candy-themed beauty looks splashed across the SS12 Catwalks – from Nanette Lepore and Viktor & Rolf to Cacharel and Christopher Kane - I decided to give the look a try. Steering clear of the minty greens and eggshell blues I veered towards lilac as seen at Balmain. 

Get the look: Use MAC eyeshadow in partfait amour, £12 on the eyelids with a light dusting of MAC’s pale pink eyeshadow in Jest, £12. Alannah used By Terry Blush Terrybly Sexy Plum, £51 (at Space NK) but if you want a ramped-up look try Estee Lauder’s new Pure Color Blusher in Electric Pink, £24. Finish with a slick of MAC Lustre Budding Love lipstick, £13.50.

The verdict: Normally I would wear warm tones but I found that the blueish purple eyeshadow coupled with an overall dusting of the pale pink actually brought out the green in my eyes. While the lavender lipstick appeared to plump up my lips a treat. However when experimenting with this hue of lippie, a word of warning – invest in a tooth whitening kit beforehand. Lilac and yellow are complementary colours on the colour wheel so until I’ve booked in that Zoom appointment I won’t be trying that again!

Seen at: Michael Kors

Georgia says: To flatter my skin tone (olive but a little sallow in this wintry weather) I used a variety of different earthy shades, and that's the beauty of it, you can create a completely tonal look without looking too 'done'. Get the look: Use a soft metallic shade on your eyelids, Georgia used a burnt copper from the Estee Lauder palette in Bronze Dunes, £35. Follow with a sweep of bronzer like Nars bronzer in Laguna, £25, on your cheeks for a healthy glow. On the apples try a blush that makes your cheeks pop, like Laura Mercier's Crème Cheek Colour in Innocent Peach, £18-50 (at Liberty). Finish with a sheer peach or bronze gloss. 

The verdict: I love this SS12 look because it's such an easy one to wear every day.

Seen at: Jonathan Saunders