The smoky eye is like the LBD of the makeup world -- it will never go out of style. But this fall, ditch the standard black and brown colors for fuchsia, orange, and copper. "It's a really fresh way to wear color on the eye, which balances dark fall clothing," says Ukaeje. "It gives the woman that is not prepared to wear a red or orange lip the option to wear color on a different part of her face." You can apply the smoky eye to mimic a smudged winged tip, which was seen at the Vera Wang and Rag & Bone shows.
One of our favorite color options this season is the burnt orange hues seen at Rodarte, which Ukaeje says are flattering on all skin tones. These citrus colors pair well with caramel browns and golden hues. Fuchsia is another fave, but be warned -- it's a bit trickier to apply because it has a blue tint that can bring out blue undertones in fair skin. Ukaeje suggests layering the fuchsia color on top of a taupe to neutralize the blue, or on top of a gold shimmer to warm it up. A shimmer eyeshadow is also much easier to blend and prettier, because it tends to be softer than a graphic matte finish, she says. Our fuchsia favorite is Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Caravaggio, $33. To get a colorful smoky eye:
Step 1: Apply concealer from lashline to brow to even out skin tone. Step 2: Start applying your chosen shadow on the center of your lid, then sweep the color from the inner corner to the outer corner, making sure the color is evenly blended into the crease. Step 3: Apply a taupe or champagne shade in the crease to help take the edge off the color. Step 4: Apply a dark brown eyeliner pencil to the base of the upper lashlines if you want to amp up the drama. Step 5: Curl eyelashes and apply two coats of volumizing mascara.
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Dark blue hues
In addition to burgundy and orange, royal blue is a must-have in your fall makeup collection. "This season we're using a lot of colored liners in addition to the colored smoky shadows," says Ukaeje. For example, "If you're doing a blue smoky eye, you're going to opt for a royal blue liner instead of your standard black." The navy hue is also popping up in nails as the color for fall. Chanel, Nars, and RGB all came out with cerulean polishes for the season. Wear it matte or add a coat of glitter -- you can't go wrong with this color.
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.
