Backstage Beauty -Fall 101

I remember my very first formal, I was so “stoked” to wear my super cool bright pink dress and ladylike yet killer heels which I actually had no business even trying to walk in, but of course that is what we do when we want to make a grand entrance. I even remember spending hours in the makeup aisle trying to find the shade of lipstick and shadow that would somehow transform me into a perfect replica of a page from Harpers Bazaar. I say, mournfully not the lipstick nor the amazing vision of pink that encompassed me helped in making me look like any form of a super model. These days having spent countless hours working backstage I can confidently say that not every beauty moment is meant for every beauty. Remember dears, those girls that vamp it up on the ramp are there because they possess certain attributes that the rest of us mere mortals do not.

This season however, there are plenty of backstage lessons that you can translate into your own daily beauty reality.

Copper penny

Miu Miu and Donna Karan gilded their girls with a blend of copper and gold tones mingled with a touch of brown on the eyes. Resulting in a rich, rosy and flirty look that works with the softer side of Fall’s palette. For real life skip going all the way to the brow instead halt at the crease and blend to soften the look.

Bold Pucker

Matte red lips were the siren- like the alter ego of the nude and rocker rude trend showing up at Giorgio Armani and Lanvin. To emulate the look keep eyes to a minimum adding just a touch of mascara and neutral shadow then top off lips with blood red or brick red tones. For daytime, sheer formulas with a hint of gloss work well without the need for constant touch ups.

80’s Supernova

Evening eyes went to the max at Roberto Cavalli and Versace as makeup artists paired smokey black and charcoal palettes with pumped up shades of forest green, purple and turmeric.

Avoid this look at all costs for daytime or you may just find yourself the subject of email office brew-ha. For real life tame down this trend by adding just a hint of color on top of a smokey eye to add dimension and blend well.

Slick and Slide

On the hair front, slicked back hair has returned! Reserve this look for night and on those days when your snooze makes you lose and you need to tidy up a ponytail asap. Yves Saint Laurent and Narciso Rodriguez did the look to perfection. On the runway hair was slicked straight back, but for a more flattering look, start with a deep side part on damp hair and smooth in a weightless gel then comb through ends with a wide toothcomb, secure into a ponytail or bun. Nothing says I overslept more than clumps of dried gel (or mascara for that matter!) so be sure to check your alter view in the mirror.