The minute we saw this trend at the Carolina Herrera show, we were hooked. Not convinced you can pull it off? Everyone can wear this rich color -- no matter her skin pigment -- as long as you choose the right hue, says Ukaeje. It's a great alternative to the red lip, she says, as it's a fresh twist but still bold. To make this look more wearable, makeup artist Edward Cruz recommends avoiding an opaque color. Instead, opt for a more sheer finish for an "effortless look." He recommends MAC Lipstick in Sheer Plum, $15, which is a "winner for anyone looking for a quick burgundy fix."
To make sure you choose the right hue for you:
For very fair or light skin tones: A purple wine hue with pink/red undertones. For medium skin tones: Any hue, whether warm or cool, will be flattering. For dark skin tones: A burgundy/plum hue with blue undertones.
Once you've picked your color, here's how to apply it.
Step 1: Prep lips with a balm, then completely blot it out, so that the color doesn't slip. Step 2: Apply lipstick, then blot on a tissue. Step 3: Apply a clear gloss to make the color more sheer.
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Fresh face
Keeping the face natural and dewy was a runway fave seen at Michael Kors and Marc by Marc Jacobs. While spring and summer were all about colorful blushes, this season "it's more about the complexion and less about the blush," says Ukaeje. The key to nailing the fresh face look is to use a highlighter to provide dimension. Here's how:
Step 1: Apply primer to create a smooth base for foundation. Step 2: Use a sheer foundation, such as Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, $42, and place it in areas where you need spot coverage. Ukaeje says to take a little foundation and warm it up in the palm of your hand, then use your fingers to apply. This will help it go on smooth and even. Step 3: Apply a cream blush, which goes on more sheer than regular blush and looks more like a natural flush, says Ukaeje. Step 4: Apply a highlighting blush for extra radiance. You can mix a pale pink or pale gold shimmer highlighter like Nars Illuminator in Copacabana, $29, with your cream blush to tone down the color. Step 5: Finish with a pressed or loose powder, and make sure you put it on with a powder brush.
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Edgy eyeliner that curves down
This season, eye makeup is getting an overhaul thanks to the way makeup artists are applying eyeliner. While we typically see the line of the eyeliner lift up at the outer corners of the eyes, it's now following the curvature of the eye shape -- resulting in a line that points down, which was seen at the Marc Jacobs show. "This helps eyes look bigger by defining and elongating them," says Ukaeje. She says the look is less 60's inspired and more modern. To get it:
Step 1: Prep the lid with an eyeshadow primer to minimize smudging. Step 2: Apply concealer from lashline to brow to even out skin tone. Step 3: Sweep a matte skin-toned color from lashline to brow with an eyeshadow brush. Step 4: With a smudge-proof eyeliner like Nars Larger Than Life in Via Veneto, $23, line your top lashline, thickening it as you reach your outer corner. Extend the line about half an inch past the outer corner of your eye, following your eye shape downward. Step 5: Curl eyelashes and apply two coats of volumizing mascara.
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Bold brows
They're still here from the summer fashion shows: bold brows. Thick brows help frame your face and help give you a bold look without a lot of makeup. You can get the look (seen at the Alexander Wang show) by investing in a good brow brush, brow powder, and castor oil (which helps your hair grow faster!). The key to achieving this look without looking unkempt is to make sure your brows "are groomed, have a bit of an arch, and are then lined to perfection with a shadow brush," says Ukaeje. Here's how to do define your brows like a pro:
Step 1: Use a pencil to fill in any gaps in your brows. Cruz recommends Chanel Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil, $25. Step 2: Define the arch and the tail of the brow by adding more width to the arch and length to the tail. Step 3: Go back with an eyebrow brush and a little bit of shadow to fill in and soften the pencil marks. Step 4: Spray hairspray on the eyebrow brush and lightly brush over your brow to set it in place. Cruz recommends Oribe Superfine Hair Spray, $34.
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Upside down cat eye
Another summer favorite -- the cat eye -- is getting an upgrade. Instead of drawing the cat eye along your lashline, draw it about 1/2-inch above it, where your crease is or should be. Then wing it out to achieve a lifted cat eye effect. "This look is very artistic -- some people can interpret it and do it right and for others, I'm scared," says Ukaeje. To make this edgy look wearable, she recommends replacing the pencil liner for shadow, so that the line is less harsh, and following these steps:
Step 1: Apply concealer from lashline to brow to even out skin tone. Step 2: Sweep a matte skin-toned color from lashline to brow with an eyeshadow brush. Step 3: Apply a dark brown shadow to the middle of your lid with a contoured brush and clearly define your crease. You can sweep the outer corner up and out to create a cat eye angle. It'll look softer than the runway look because it's a powder instead of a liner. Step 4: Line the upper and lower lashlines with an eyeliner pencil in the same color. Step 5: Curl eyelashes and apply two coats of volumizing mascara, like Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara, $19.
The signs of the new season are here. Leaves crunch beneath your gray wool booties and Starbucks is offering their seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte again. But you're not here to chitchat about the romantic elements of the season, are you? We didn't think so. So let's get to the stuff that we really care about right now -- like the burnt orange and electric blue colors that are popping up in eyeshadow palettes, the wine-stained lips we're seeing in fashion mags, and the revved-up cat eye that has us purring for the how-to's already.
These trends are hot off of the fall 2011 New York Fashion Week runways. And we know what you're thinking: "High fashion" often looks too gaudy for everyday wear and not appropriate for non-models. That's why we talked to Uzo Ukaeje, Nars International Lead Makeup Artist, who understands the difference between the runway and real life. We got her to spill all her secrets about how to turn these fall makeup trends into looks you can wear anywhere, from the office to a girls' night out.
We're not saying that the earth's relative location to the sun should dictate how you wear makeup all the time -- and of course there are endless ways to experiment with colors. But we think you'll find that the best fall trends are just new spins on classic looks -- and these how-tos will inspire you to spice up your same-old morning routine. So, grab that pumpkin latte and start taking notes -- you don't want to miss these.
