Remember that infamous scene in Devil Wears Prada when Meryl Streep describes the aftermath of cerulean blue hitting the runway? This year's cerulean may be the matte orange lip. Put away your arsenal of reds, tone down your eye makeup, and work this lip we saw all over runways at New York Fashion Week.
At the Rag & Bone show, the biggest buzz wasn't about the clothes. (Although we are pretty happy to see the 90s are surely but slowly making their way back into our wardrobes.) It was the bold, orange lip strutting down the runway that captured our attention. Why was it such a big deal? This was the first year ever that Rag & Bone chose a non-neutral lip for their signature "just rolled out of bed" aesthetic. "Red was too pretty; pink was too sweet," said makeup artist Gucci Westman. Westman used Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Carnival layered with Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Mischievous (both out in 2014) to create the perfect matte lip.
The orange lip at Creatures of the Wind was all about smooth, satiny texture. "It contrasts the color and finish of the opalescent-textured eye," said NARS Director of Global Artistry, James Boehmer, who served as lead artist backstage. NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil was used in conjunction with Timanfaya Satin Lip Pencil (both new for Spring 2014). If you're dying to get the look now, try NARS Lipstick in Heat Wave with NARS Lip Gloss in Triple X. (But it'll take hours of practice in the mirror to get that cool-girl stare to pair with it.)
Matte everything was key to the beauty looks behind Prabal Gurung's candy-colored spring runway. Charlotte Tilbury for MAC Cosmetics created three eye-popping shades: a violent lilac, a Pepto Bismal pink and this fluorescent sherbert orange. Although Karlie Kloss can pull off a smoky eye and bright orange lips, we suggest a simplified eye for real-life wear. Try a hint of liquid eyeliner flicked out at the corners paired with MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in What a Blast.
Okay, so technically the lips at Marissa Webb were red. Bobbi Brown's Blazing Red to be specific. But this shade of red, with tomato undertones, is closer to orange than the classic shades of red that have ruled the runway. This shade seems to be universally flattering, meaning no more debating over countless shades in the beauty aisle. I'm moving it to the top of my spring wishlist. (Yes, NYFW has made me want to bypass fall already.)