For the new season there are six simple swaps you need to bring your make-up look bang up-to-date. Here are the autumn winter 2010 rules, tips from the experts who masterminded the catwalk looks and the products youll want to snap up. The new season is nearly upon us, and we cant wait.
Seen at: Vivienne Westwood, Chloe (pictured), Anna Sui
In summer the skin is bronzed and the cheeks lifted with pops of pink and peach. For aw 10 the complexion is more luxe; caramel and toffee tones were used at Chloe and Anna Sui to subtly contour the skin, and hints of sheen were used to expertly highlight at Viktor & Rolf. “If I had to pick out the look I’m drawn to this season, it would be the highlighted, sculpted face, all in cashmere-effect caramel and honey tones” said MAC’s Vice President of Artistry Gordon Espinet. He took contouring to the extreme at Vivienne Westwood Red Label using MAC’s powder blush in taupe to achieve impossibly chiselled cheekbones.
Seen at: Giles, Max Mara, Nathan Jenden, Prada (pictured), RM Roland Mouret
Brows are back again. “It’s a big eyebrow look this season. I’m seeing a lot more strength in the brow” said make-up artist Val Garland. All the big shows were making a feature of them, at RM by Roland Mouret Val even used real hair to build up the brows. But off the catwalk while they can be a feature, they shouldn’t steal the show. Bigger brows are definitely a must for aw 10 but they still need grooming, you shouldn’t let them go wild. Make-up artist Diane Kendal explains you need to “fill your brows very subtly”, try Clinique’s Instant Lift, £12.50 or Paul & Joe’s Eyebrow Powder, £14.25. Keep them groomed by brushing them up and setting them with a clear brow gel like lllamasqua’s Brow and Lash Gel, £11.
Seen at: Antonio Beradi, Charles Anastase, Proenza Schouler (pictured), Sass & Bide
Prada, House of Holland and Topshop Unique all championed the acid-bright lip for summer. For autumn the mood has changed and the statement lip has gone gothic. Blackcurrant, burgundy and raisin lips rule whether they are a simple stain or a precision lip - matte or layered with gloss. The key to the new season statement lip is to ensure your complexion is naturally perfect (work to cover blemishes rather than masking your whole face with foundation) with barely a whisper of blush and a simple slick of brown mascara. “A young girl wearing what would traditionally be an old lady lip shade is what’s interesting to me at the moment” says Terry Barber. You want the lips to do all the talking after all. Try Topshop Lips in Vamp, £8 blotted on for a stained effect or applied with a lip brush for precision; layer with Illamasqua'sIntense Lipgloss in Hermetic for added glamour.
Seen at: Margaret Howell, Matthew Williamson, Todd Lynn, Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana (pictured)
Backstage at the London shows the beauty journalists were getting worried. The message was coming through loud and clear: ‘mascara is out’. In real life it’s unrealistic to expect women to walk out the door sans mascara, so it’s best to adapt the look with a light slick of brown mascara instead. ‘No mascara is less try hard, it goes against glamour.’ Terry Barber, MAC’s Director of Make-up Artistry told ELLEuk.com. The best way to work the look is with a flash of colour. ‘A strong lip can be made to look more edgy without mascara’ added Terry. Opt for a mascara that won’t give too much length and no volume; try MAC’s Fibre Rich Lash Mascara, £12.50. “Brown is back, it’s chic and very 90s. Conservative make-up is being reinvented as cool”. If you feel a bit lost without your ramped-up lashes, look to the Dolce & Gabbana show for inspiration and smudge a little bro
Seen at: Chloe, Emilio Pucci (pictured), Prada, Versace, Balmain
Fashion’s mood for a/w 10 is chic, sophisticated and grown-up with a 1970s twist (see Chloe, Celine and Stella McCartney for inspiration). One of the best ways to translate that into beauty is with a perfect complexion. Charlotte Tilbury said of Chloe “It’s the make-up of a French actress…very expensive and ultra luxe”. Look to foundations with a good coverage to give a healthy, cashmere finish to the skin; we like Lancome’s Teint Miracle, £25 (at Selfridges) and Laura Mercier’s Crème Smooth foundation, £40 (out September). You’ll need to ramp-up your tool kit with foundation and concealer brushes to ensure a professional finish, try MAC or The Body Shop. Finally, ensure you top your complexion off with a finishing powder for staying power; Guerlain’s Le Voilettes Mineral loose powder, £33 (out 7 August), comes in a gold pot complete with a puff, fitting the ladylike theme perfectly.
Seen at: Alexander Wang (pictured), Balmain
Eyes fall into two camps next season. The first is a sultry smoky eye in autumnal hues – look to Chloe and Michael Kors for inspiration. The second camp keeps to the same rustic palette but is more grunge. Cream shadows and powders were blended 360 degrees around the eye, the look is worn in and blended. At Alexander Wang Diane Kendal used MAC Pro’s Cream Colour Base in Mid-tone Sepia and Pro Paint Stick in Deep Brown. Pro Studio Finish Skin Corrector in Terracotta was worked into the creases and lower lash line to give the eye an undone, morning-after-the-night-before look. Finally, Pro Clear Gloss was layered over the eye. The finished look is very 90s and an edgier alternative to the sophisticated 70s vibe. “It’s early 90s Kate Moss…all about fresh skin and a reddish brown, gorgeous eye”.
All MAC Pro products are available from 28 Fouberts Place, London. Enq: 020 7534 9222
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