The major trends to emerge out of Fashion Week are centring on picture-perfect skin and eye-catching shadow. Now, for someone who avoids full-lid shadow like the plague (Fab and I remain convinced that our eyelids are too big to cope with it) and opts instead to line my eyes, taking shadow right up to the brow bone à la Valentino A/W 2010 is a little daunting. I'm fine if it's a cream-based highlighter, but brown eyeshadow? I don't think I could do it, could you?
As I said yesterday, statement shadow has been the look of the season at Paris Fashion Week. Miu Miu served up this fun and funky take on the trend earlier this week and I, for one, happen to love it. You'll need a truckload of orange shadow beneath your lower lash line; try MAC Eye Shadow in Orange ($32); and then a violet pencil to line the top of your eye socket. Clarins Waterproof Eye Pencil in Violet ($34) is a good colour match. To keep all the focus on the eyes, hair was slicked back and secured in a high pony. Now I know you might be thinking that the look is more runway than reality, but try breaking it up a bit—do just the orange shadow or the violet liner. Trust me, you'll look hot. Do you love it like me? Or not so much?
Models loved the sexy, loose tousled hair they wore for Chloé Spring 2010 so it was a tough act for head stylist Guido Palau to follow this season. But the “gorgeous, bouncy hair” that he sent down the runways certainly left me coveting. It screamed luxurious, almost-unobtainable glamour, ensuring that it'll top the list of lusted-after FW looks. The don't-touch-what-you-can't-afford hair needed two rounds of blow-drying for that movement, according to WWD. The style needed a “very finished” makeup look, according to head artist Charlotte Tilbury, which consisted of slate-grey eyes and an apricot-hued lip. I love the rich-girl look; what do you think?
I really don't know how Karl Lagerfeld does it. As well as being Creative Director for both Chanel and Fendi, he has his own label and he's a photographer. Not to mention an A-list bestie. Lindsay Lohan, Alexa Chung, Vanessa Paradis and Beth Ditto showed up to his Paris shows. The Karl Lagerfeld collection, which debuted first, featured giant, teased up 'dos, crafted in the style of Brigitte Bardot (again?), pvc-style headbands and Fab's favourite lip shade, MAC Lady Danger, which was given a glossy finish with Clear Lipglass. Chanel A/W '10 also featured high-drama hair, but it was styled into a mushroom shape. Against the glacial backdrop, the models' dark eyes captured your attention. The Chanel smoky eye featured smudged, almost haphazard application of black/grey shadows that were extended up and out towards the brow bone and temple and liner in adjacent angles of the eye. It certainly looked eerily stunning. Which look do you prefer: Karl Lagereld or Chanel?
Hot on the heels of Christian Dior's gorgeous orange and pink eyes, YSL and Givenchy cemented the statement eyeshadow trend that is sweeping Paris Fashion Week. YSL sent models down the runway with pink extended up to the brow bone, while over at Givenchy, makeup extraordinaire Pat McGrath matched the eyes to the red lip. The no-brow brow look was back, leaving all the attention on the coral-red eye. Which means ladies, that it's time to bust out your red, orange and pinks and create a little eye-catching attention of your own, no?
The ebony wigs that graced the A/W '10 Lanvin catwalks reminded me of Selma Blair's hair from back in the day. I guess they're also like Cleopatra-meets-Leigh-Lezark-meets-Mr-Shine. I like them. Which is bad. I'm meant to be embracing my Alexa/Kate Beckinsale hair, not coveting my long-lost fringe. Luckily I don't have nearly as much desire to turn myself into a "mannequin," the term that Pat McGrath used to describe the makeup look. Personally I'd say goth smoky eye summed it up better. Do you like it? How about the wigs? Do tell . . .
Bonjoir! We're back! Well, we never really left. But we did take a quick trip over to Oscarville so your Français side of life is no doubt feeling a tad neglected. Not to worry, we'll get you back up to speed on all things PFW before you can say "un pain au chocolat, s'il vous plait." (That's the only bit of French I can remember. Well the only non-rude bit.) It's one of my favourite looks so far. Orange eyeshadow (and plenty of it) skilfully applied by Pat McGrath and her army of artists, coupled with high-volume curls. It's fun and fresh, what's not to love?
I'm a huge Balmain fan; anything sparkly with big power shoulders and I'm there. (I'm not a child of the '80s for nothing.) So I'm always keen to see what hair and makeup is paired with the clothes, hoping to steal a beauty tip or two for my beauty arsenal. For A/W 2010 it was all very simple stuff: straight hair (not poker), the key was channelling a natural straightness (random flyaways seemed acceptable). I'm waffling, perhaps it'd be best to hand over to Sam McKnight (the creator) who coined it "rock 'n' roll straight." The trick, if you're wondering, is a final spritz of water before you head out the door, to "bring [out] natural movement," the uber-stylist told WWD. And again the no-makeup-makeup look was firmly in place, carefully crafted by Tom Pecheux. What do you think? Me, I like. You . . .
We spoke about his chimney-sweep-style hair and makeup yesterday, but leave it to Gareth Pugh to do quite possibly the wildest mani of Paris Fashion Week. The designer, whose wild aesthetic is favoured by stars like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga (obviously), complemented his steely, strong collection with manicures that dripped with small chains, created by nail technician Marian Newman.
"The silhouette of the collection was angular with the occasional hint of softness, so I translated this onto many of the nails for the girls," she explained. To get the chevron effect, she painted nails with CND Ivory Coast polish before blending strokes of CND Blackjack polish. She then applied small chains — miniature versions of those seen on the clothes — to create a truly tough-girl effect. What do you think of the look? Will you be trying it at home?
Brows have been big news at Fashion Week for the past few seasons. Up until now it's been the fairly standard bleached-out vs. full and filled debate, but things just got a whole lot more interesting. In Milan, we saw the dual-coloured low brow at Armani. Pretty amazing. Not all that wearable, though. Luckily we have Peter Philips on hand to give us a statement brow that we can all pull off. At Dries Van Noten, Philips filled in only the beginning of the eyebrow; the rest was left bare. Way to please us ALL, Peter. Smart. But in the blue corner, we have Pat McGrath, Balenciaga and these pastel brows. Discuss. Which do you like best?
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