1. Easter egg colors are your friend
We’re loving this cheery remix of the smoky eye. Just swap your charcoal shadow for the grown-up pastels makeup artist Dick Page used on models at Michael Kors. He lined their eyes with black pencil, then added gold shimmer in the inner corners. Next, he applied light blue or purple shadow along the lower curve of the eyes and from the lash line to just above the crease, then smudged, smudged, smudged. He finished with black mascara.
2. Pretty eye shadows to try
Wearable pastels Shiseido Makeup Luminizing Satin Eye Color in Bone, Fondant and Provence
3. An allover skin soother
Dashing from show to show and getting makeup done and redone can leave a model’s skin dull and sensitive. The cure: an ultrarich moisturizing balm. Makeup artist Sarah Lucero used one to prep models’ faces behind the scenes at the Lela Rose show. The bonus? “It creates dewiness before you apply makeup,” she told me. Smooth it on and let it sink in. “You can also use it on the lips,” Lucero said.
4. Fab skin and lip savers
A one-minute way to glow? Darphin Aromatic Renewing Balm ($70, darphin .com). For a cheaper moisturizer alternative that’s easy to track down, check your medicine cabinet—a bit of petroleum jelly works too.
5. Orange is the new red (lipstick!)
We saw this again and again backstage and learned the trick to pulling it off: Just pick one spot to play up. Makeup pro Lucia Pica chose the cheeks at the Erin Fetherston show. She rubbed creamy orange blush onto the models’ cheekbones with her fingers—a nice, bright contrast to their smoky brown eyeshadow.
6. A lipstick to love
At Rebecca Taylor, makeup artist Rie Omoto used MAC Lipstick in Lady Danger. Apply it with a lip brush for more control.
7. A cure for tarantula lashes
In between primping models at BCBG, vice president of MAC makeup artistry Gordon Espinet taught me his secret for keeping lashes defined and clump-free: Apply mascara with a fan brush. Just rub it over your mascara wand, then brush it onto your lashes—the stiff bristles are great for separating. How genius is that?
8. Try a textured mani
Think of your nails as a showpiece accessory (they’re jewelry, but cheaper), and apply a polish with sparkle—like chunky glitter or gold flecks—built in. “It’s all about texture,” manicurist Elle told me at the Reem Acra show. Another way to wear the trend: Try a dark, opaque shade, with a sheer, shimmery layer on top.
9. For blingy nails
Try, from left: Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Hidden Treasure and Midnight in New York ($7 each, at drugstores), and Shades by Barielle in Falling Star ($8, barielle.com). One more tip? Finish with a topcoat—glitter polishes are chip-prone.
10. Do an unboring decorated bun
Classic chignons are a runway staple, but the best ones this year got dressed up with fabric. At the Tibi show, hairstylists Kevin Ryan and Frank Rizzieri confessed that they used leftover fabric to frame the models’ updos. And at Jason Wu, hair pro Odile Gilbert used sheer black cloth to add drama to the models’ hair. “It’s fresh and spontaneous,” she said. To DIY, twist your hair into a bun, wrap fabric around it and make big loops with the material, pinning them into place as you go.
11. Vampy lips done right
The super-intense lipstick combo MAC artist Romero Jennings used for the Jason Wu show made me want to take a temporary hiatus from my usual nudes—it’s that gorgeous. First he applied a deep berry matte lipstick with a lip brush to create a base. Then he added a creamy eggplant shade on top, pressing it in with his fingers for a modern, stained effect. You can perfect the line with a cotton swab or a lip brush (no liner needed). As for your eyes, keep them simple like Jennings did. Apply bronzy shadow and brown liner, then curl your lashes. So fresh!
12. Add texture to your ponytail
Why Ted Gibson loves the roughed up look: “You get a really interesting ponytail rather than the same old version you always wear.” At Lela Rose, Gibson spritzed sections of the models’ wet hair with hairspray, then rolled the pieces with his fingers while blow-drying for messiness. Laurent Philippon used a crimper to go punk at Monique Lhuillier. Crimp a big front section and pull your hair back, keeping the sides of the pony slick. Secure with an elastic, then crimp down along the tail.
Shades Professional Makeup
