Beauty Trend
Vivid Lips and How to Pull Them Off
What: A pop of brilliant color on lips serves to brighten summer beauty.
What the experts say: Wow-factor magenta, coral and fuchsia lip hues lit up puckers on the runways, but such flash calls for a careful study in preparation. First, rid lips of any flaking skin, makeup artist Meli Pennington tells Glamour. Her advice:
“Gently brush your mouth with a wet toothbrush.��? Then, contain the color with clear lip liner. Lastly, Pennington suggests taking the edge off of the trend by dialing down the opaqueness. “Brights seem fresher when they’re sheer instead of opaque,��? she says.
What we say: Just like with the dreaded “flock of seagulls��? hairdo of our past, we can’t help but have a knee-jerk gag-reflex when we think about blinding our lips with ultra-bright lip color. But, we’re up for a beauty challenge, and, admittedly, when electric-shades are applied correctly, they seem so refreshingly cool, so uninhibited, so “look-at-me��?—and, are therefore really intimidating. Tackling this trend comes down to confidence, and we’re hyping ourselves up to bowl this one over—big time.
Both MAC and L’Oreal offer up shockingly bright lip color perfect for copying the looks from the runway. MAC’s Mattene Lipstick line is all about delivering hyper-intensity with a matte finish. We’re digging the aptly named Immodest, a fierce magenta that requires you leave all modesty behind. If the $14.50 price tag is too much of a shock to your finances, L’Oreal’s HiP Shine Struck Liquid Lipcolor promises to save you a few bucks plus dole out plenty of long-lasting pigment without a too-matte finish. Despite the lip gloss packaging, this feels and wears more like a lipstick. And if the full-on pigment look is a little too much for you, Ulta’s line of Silky Wear Sheer Lipcolor comes in a range of fun shades that leave only a whisper of sheer color behind.
Bright colors in general are big this summer—check out what we have to say about neon nails.
Photo: Style.com
Golden Eyes: Beauty Trend 2008
What: Deck eyelids out in 24-karat-gold for a sparkling summer look.
What the experts say: Bringing a bit of bling to eyes can certainly awaken the golden goddess in you this summer.
“Metallics allow you to contour eyes without the harshness of black liner,��? Charlize Theron’s makeup artist Shane Paish tells InStyle. He recommends brushing a darker shade along the lower lash line and a lighter shade on the lid. “This three-dimensional effect makes eyes look bigger.��?
Paish also likes to extend the shadow at the outer corners for a soft, feline effect.
What we say: Golden gladiator sandals: check. Golden hobo bag: check. Golden eyelids: double check! Summer’s all about shimmer and shine, and we’ll be gilding our lids with enough bullion to make a gold digger proud. But we’re not simply settling for simple yellow-golds; we want to try out the whole spectrum of this precious metal. We’ll be sweeping Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again Eyeshadow across our lids when we want heaps of sparkle. This rose-gold shimmer contains large flecks of bronze, gold and silver glitter, and isn’t for the faint of heart. At $16, it’s a bit steep, but its multifunctional use as a highlighter for shoulders and cheekbones makes it worth the extra cash. We’re feeling the gold rush of Sephora Copper Harmony Colorful Duo Eyeshadow, which matches a rich golden cream with a shimmering bronze powder that can be used to layer, highlight and contour to intensify our eyes. Originally priced at $16, it’s now on sale for a mere $6—so pick it up while you can! And when we want to truly strike gold, we’ll add mark Gorgeous Eye Trio in Golden Wave to our stash. The trio of burnished brown, russet gold and rose gold warms up our eyelids and face—all for the golden price of $7.
Photo: Allure.com
Neon Nails: Beauty Trend 2008
What the experts say: Have we resorted to the days of Day-Glo and Body Glove? Not to worry, says celebrity manicurist Jenna Hipp, telling us, “Neon has evolved from the ’90s ideal of ‘the more, the better’ to instead using these colors as bold accents. Nails are perfect for this.” If you’re feeling too shy to rock fluorescent lacquers on your fingernails, Hipp suggests indulging in a neon pedi. “It’s much more understated than wearing neon on your fingernails and will look fab with your new gladiator sandals!” Hipp’s only caveat? Neons tend to draw more attention to imperfections, so make sure to have a proper manicure before indulging in this season’s hot pinks and bright greens.
What we say: We ogled Rihanna’s intense tangerine nails when she strutted the Grammy Awards red carpet in February, but we absolutely loved the glowing green lacquer she flaunted last week at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards. We’re wondering, though—can we pull off luminous nails with the same aplomb as Rihanna? Most definitely! We are fashionistas, after all. While diehard beautyphiles are putting their names on the waiting list for the much-anticipated—yet way pricey—Chanel Robertson Boulevard fluorescent hues (available in July), we’ll be snatching up the same shades at lesser price points. Salon faves OPI and Essie have released brilliant neon collections that fit our budgets better: At $7.50 a bottle, OPI Mod About Brights are a more affordable option, and for $15, Essie Neon Shorts Collection pulls together four nifty neons that will look great on our digits. But nothing excites us more than a truly stellar deal: At $2.50, Claire’s Neon Nail Polish gets us glowing and keeps our cash flow, well, flowing.
Sun Protection for Hair: Beauty Trend 2008
What: Fighting the good fight against damaging UV rays also applies to hair.
What the experts say: What’s the use of spending a good deal of cash on a great dye job if the sun is going to rob it of its vibrant hue? Jon Patrick, the “go-to guy”? for color correction for such celebs as Elizabeth Banks and Kristen Chenoweth, laments to us,
“People often forget that they have to protect their hair just like they protect their skin, especially in the summer when overexposure to sun, chlorine and heat is rampant.”
He recommends coating the top layer of hair with sun-protecting conditioners and not rinsing. Then roll hair into a French twist and allow the warmth of the sun to help conditioners penetrate the hair cuticle.
What we say: Slathering our face and chest with SPF-packed creams has become so automatic, we don’t even think twice about doing it. But, we’ll admit: We’ve slacked when it comes to protecting our tresses from UV distress. Thankfully, a crush of haircare and styling products contain UV inhibitors to keep our crimson, chestnut and pearl dye-jobs vibrant, and our strands healthy. We’ll be introducing sun care for hair into our daily beauty line up, and on our radar is new Joico K-Pak Sun Therapy Protective Sun Milk, which staves off current and future UV damage with only a few mists. At $12.99, it’s worth its weight in protection. When we hit the beach, we’ll be tossing KMS California Sol Perfection Survival Creme in our tote and applying it each time we take a dip—it’s that lightweight! Also lightweight—the $10.99 price tag. If you’d like an even better deal, Garnier Fructis Style Shine Spray with UV Filters, Color Shield not only protects our locks from summer’s accosting rays, but also shines up our tresses to rival the sun’s brilliance. Priced at $6.29, it’s a sun saver that keeps on saving…us money!
Barrel Curls: Beauty Trend
What: Big, bold barrel curls are bouncing about.
The Word:Hair stylist David Babaii is quoted in the April issue of In Style magazine as saying that the trend in hair styling is growing, literally: “We’re seeing a lot of volume and larger waves.”
Our Word: This whole sexy, voluptuous hair trend is lots of fun and a true throw back to the seventies. We say, if you got it, flaunt it—stick-straight strands can be so boring anyway. To add some modern-looking fat curls to your locks without looking like Shirley Temple, lightly back-comb your roots before curling them. Use a large round brush or a barrel curling iron like Vidal Sassoon Professional High-Heat Curling Iron 1-1/2”, $18.99, when creating your look. Babaii recommends running your fingers through your hair after it cools for a flirty finish.
Photo: Hairstyle.com
Buy it: Drugstore.com
Braided Beauty: Beauty Trend
What: Big or little, braids will definitely be twisting and shouting their way to dance floors everywhere this prom season.
The Word: According to PromSpot.com, braids will garner more attention than prom dresses this year (well, almost): “From a hippie look to a headband of braids to twisted buns, prom queens love this hot style.”
Our Word: OMG! It’s hard to believe that prom is around the corner. If you’re stressing about what you are going to do with all that hair on your head, try a romantic looking French braid at your hairline. Once you’ve washed and blow-dried your mane, section off the first inch and a half of your crown, from ear to ear. Starting with the side you typically part your hair on to begin your braid. Take small pieces of hair along the way until you end up on the other side of your head. Fasten with a small elastic and tuck the end behind your ear. Try not to make the braid too tight or you could end up with a horrible headache!
Photo: PromSpot.com
Super-long Center Parted Hair: Beauty Trend
What: Middle parts are splitting more hairstyles down the middle.
The Word: This from the 2008 issue of Elle magazine: Guido Palau, who styled the models from Chloe’s spring runway show: “faked inches by adding extensions too those who didn’t have enough length.” Then, he parted their hair straight down the middle and sent them on their way.
Our Word: Honestly, this isn’t the most interesting beauty trend we’ve uncovered from the recent runway shows. But if you have long hair and the right face shape, a center part can actually be very flattering. Center parts are kind of like an arrow pointing right to your face. Make sure your skin is clear and your makeup is flawless before parting any waves. To define your part, Palau recommends dabbing some hair wax along the scalp. Go easy to avoid “greasy roots.”
Photo: Style.com
Colored Highlights: Beauty Trend
What: Highlights with hues not actually found in nature.
The Word: In the March 2008 issue of Elle magazine, hairstylist Odile Gilbert—who bedecked Rodarte spring runway show models with pink and blue extensions in their ponytails took his colorful inspiration from Monet: ” I hid the color in the center of each ponytail so you could see it when the models were talking and their hair would sway.”
Our Word: While you might not want to sport a bright blue ponytail to your Monday morning office meeting, adding some unexpected color to your locks can be a fun and unexpected accessory. We’re talking temporary color, of course—if you have light hair, check out Streekers, $9.95 per color. For the brunette clan, this colored paint might not show up as well as a clipped-in a colored extension would.
Yellow Nail Polish: Beauty Trend
What: From a distance, it looks like someone wore their red nail polish too long and it turned their nails—but if you take a closer look, you’ll see that more and more people are actually painting their nails yellow on purpose.
The Word: In the January 2008 issue of Oprah magazine, Leatrice Eiseman, author of More Alive with Color and Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, was quoted (and yes, we quoted her) as saying that gray nail polish was the “it” shade. When asked what would be the next trendy shade to follow, she said: “Yellow.”
Our Word: Apparently Eiseman (not to mention Rihanna) knows her colors, ‘cause jaundiced fingernails are for real. OPI has Need Sunglasses?, Essie has Hot Pop and China Glaze is just launching Solar Power; all bright yellow polishes guaranteed to stop traffic. It might sound crazy, but yellow nails actually look pretty cool on darker skinned gals, especially when paired with dark gray clothing. For you fair skinned maidens, though, you might want to sit this trend out.
Photo: Bellasugar.com
Coral Lips: Beauty Trend 2008
What: Seems like your Grandma does know a thing or two about makeup. Coral “which was once a lipstick no no” is now a lipstick go-to.
What the experts say: In a recent edition of People magazine, celebrity makeup artist Charlie Green tells readers just how to wear the most typically shunned shade: Once you’ve applied your coral lipstick, ”[your lips] can be gently matted down by a dusting of translucent powder for a modern California girl look. Avoid frost coral or the effect will be “80s news anchor"not good.”
What we say: Just hearing the words coral and lipstick together in the same sentence makes most makeup enthusiasts shudder. And trying to pull this shade off can be tricky. However, if you’ve got the right complexion—olive-skinned complete with dark hair and eyes coral can look downright gorgeous. While coral can make most fair-maidens appear sallow and tarnish their smiles, a transparent, glossy coral matched with a smoky eye is a good alternative (try Maybelline ShinyLicious Lip Gloss in Coral-Punch for $5.99 ) at Drugstore.com.
Glitter: Beauty Trend 2008
What: Glitter is—once again—the trendiest way to dress up your face.
What the experts say: This from the February 2008 issue of Allure magazine: “This glitter doesn’t feel as gaudy as it did in the ‘80s, because we’re applying it so deliberately,” says makeup artist Gucci Westman, “which makes it a little more rebellious. Makeup artist Charlotte Tillbury adds, “Glitter now should look lived in, with a rock-and-roll edge.”
What we say: When worn at night, glitter can make you glisten like nothing else. During the day? Not so much. Though glitter tends to be messy and requires time—not to mention patience—when applying, there are some tricks to achieving perfectly glittery eyes: To protect yourself from glitter abrasion as well as give it something to stick to, dab a bit of petroleum jelly onto your lids beforehand (you can also mix your glitter with a cream eye shadow). To add depth to your eyes, finish by lining with a dark eyeliner.
Loose Undone Buns: Beauty Trend 2008
What: Buns aren’t just for librarians anymore. An unstructured approach to the conservative bun is winding its way into long hair everywhere.
What the experts say: According to the January 2008 issue of Harpers Bazaar, loose twisted buns were donned by models in a recent Dolce & Gabbana runway show: “To ensure that the hair looked natural, not frozen, the only product we used was a bit of hair spray,“says stylist Odile Gilbert.
What we say: What makes this look so great is that you can wear it if you’re running errands or even spending an evening out on the town. It’s chic, pretty without being overly pretentious or “coiffed” and it’s super simple to do. Before creating a bun, it’s important to make sure your hair is fairly straightened.
1. Lightly apply hair spray throughout your locks to give them some staying power.
2. Divide hair into two sections, creating a part along your crown, so you end up with a section in the back and a section in the front.
3. Take the section in the back and pull it taut like you would when making a ponytail. Twist it into a bun and secure to the back of your head with pins.
4. Next, take the left side of your hair from the front section, pull it back and twist it into the bun. Secure with a pin, but let some ends stick out.
5. Do the same thing on the right side. Any hair left on top of you head, you can repeat this step.
6. Finish with a quick spritz of hair spray and you’re ready to go.
Sleek, Straight, Shiny Hair: Beauty Trend 2008
What: Getting one thing perfectly straight—your hair.
What the experts say: Elle Girl’s Beauty and Fashion Director Emily Dougherty says staying on the straight and narrow path is popular once again. “American socialites love the long, straight, sleek hair look. If you look at the runways where the designers are dressing these women, the models have this hair, too.”
What we say: This sounds like a recycled trend, but really, what trend isn’t? Long, sleek straight locks are beautiful, especially when the hair is shiny and bouncy. That stick-straight, stuck to your skull hair look is so 2003. The tresses Dougherty is talking about have lots of motion and shine. Just how can you achieve this look, you ask? First, pick a product that says “smoothing” and “straightening.” They help to smooth the cuticle while blow-drying and create shine. Work the product into your hands thoroughly and then distribute onto your hair, starting along the bottom. Next, section hair with clips to help organize your blow-dry. All your hair must be dried evenly or it won’t have that sleek look. The thicker and curlier your hair, the smaller the section you should straighten at once. Grab your round brush, and using the nozzle of your dryer, direct the heat straight down the hair shaft. Once each section of hair is straightened, quickly blast it with a shot of cool air from the dryer; this will lock the cuticle in place and prevent frizzing and/or curling. If needed, a straightening iron can finish off the look nicely, but remember to be careful—all of these methods can take a toll on the health of your hair. And no matter how straight it is, overworked hair just ain’t pretty.
Beauty Trend: Simply Red Hair
What: Seems like more and more people are seeing red these days (red hair, that is).
What the experts say: This from the 2008 issue of Elle magazine: “Red heads have the best of both worlds.” says Lena Oh, a colorist at Bumble and bumble’s Meatpacking District Salon in NYC. “They have the same eye-catching pop as platinum blond without the ditzy connotation, and the intrigue of a brunette.”
What we say: It’s so easy to become bored with the same hairstyle day after day (hello, Britney!). Since color is an easy and relatively risk-free road toward a mini makeover (especially since there are so many semi-permanent options to choose from), we’re all for trying on a little red. But make sure it’s the right red for you—we don’t want you matching your mane to a fire engine just yet. Your skin tone plays a big role in choosing your crimson color. If you have olive skin, go for a cool red, and if your skin is fair, you’re better off with a red/orange cast. That hair color aisle can be tempting, but for this particular transformation, you’re safer in the hands of your colorist. InStyle.com has a great hair makeover tool that’ll give you an idea (and perhaps a good laugh) of what you’ll actually look like in this ravishing shade beforehand.
Beauty Trend: Matte Gray Nails
What: Nails that looked like they were dipped in concrete are tres chic overseas and soon to become the new silver State-side.
What the experts say: It’s official: In the January 2008 issue of Oprah magazine, there is a big picture of a hand model showing off her gray manicure. “We’re in a time of big changes in the world and basics (like gray) represents stability,” says Leatrice Eiseman, author of More Alive with Color and Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. “You’re making a statement about being a bit offbeat.”
What we say: At first, we thought it was the ugliest thing we ever saw, but after a bit, it kinda grew on us (since we recently reported about the gray eye shadow trend, we thought it makes sense.) It’s definitely a conversation piece and if it’s a light enough shade of gray, it could even pass for a dull lavender. While we came across a million silver polishes on our quest for matte gray, it is still a difficult shade to find. ManGlaze recently debuted their Matte Grey Color at a hardcore punk festival in Japan, which is available for $6.66. You know what they say, though; everything is big in Japan.
Beauty Trend: The Big Bang Theory
What: Super heavy bangs are warming the foreheads of celebs and hair hoppers.
What the experts say: Fringe benefits are apparently back in a big, bold way. Everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Zooey Deschanel and Suri’s mommy, Katie Holmes (not to mention, Suri, herself), is sporting these heavy eyebrow-covering bangs. This from InStyle.com: “Thick fringe softens the angles of your face and makes your eyes the center focus,” says Patrick Melville, owner of NYC’s Patrick Melville Salon.
What we say: There’s a fine line between looking like a chic runway model or a blanket-toting toddler when it comes to this style. While you may be tempted to go the “do it yourself” route and snip a straight line, resist that urge (at least, until we write a post on how to cut your own bangs). Consult with a professional and see if this style du jour really suits your face shape, hair type, etc. Usually, a simple bang cut with a stylist won’t cost you nearly as much as a normal hair cut (only $10-$15) and often times, stylists trim bangs for free.
Advertisement
Featured on TBF
Copyright 2003-2009 TBF Group, LLC.