Fall 2010 Trend Preview

It's the perfect summer day. No humidity, not a cloud in the sky. A wonderful day...to write up a preview of the trends that we will be seeing this fall season. Based on the Backstage Beauty Trend Preview in Allure, it looks like there will be a look for everyone this fall, which is something that I felt was lacking with many of the summer collections. This season's collections were not about cookie-cutter beauty, many of the models on the runways were larger than average or older than 25. We have five major trends for this season and each one contains little ways for every female to make it her own.

Subversively Sexy - Makeup artist Pat McGarth described the trend this way: "It's womanly beauty but with a dark twist".

- Strong Brows & Tight Hair - The spiky, darkened eyebrows and slick updos were purposely exaggerated at the Prada show. For dramatic - but less extreme - brows, fill them in with pencil (powder is too soft), then dab clear lip gloss on top for a shiny finish, McGarth says.

- Messy Shadow - At Chanel, black cream eyeliner was stippled on the lids in a crosshatch pattern.

- Glossy Red Lips - It took multiple layers of red - lip liner, lipstick, and gloss - to create the siren mouths at Donna Karan and Gianfranco Ferre.

- Intense Eyes - Black bobbed wigs and heavy charcoal eye shadow looked poerful at the Lanvin show.

Minimalism Returns - Pared-down did not mean casual. Instead, the elements - lined eyes, flawless skin, slick ponytail - were carefully composed.

- Easy Eye Makeup - The eye makeup was eitehr soft, such as the veil of taupe shadow at Calvin Klein, or austere, as in the crisp black eyeliner at Celine. For a precise look, trace a nonsmudgy pencil as close as possible to your upper lash line, then draw it along the inner rim of your lower one.

- Spotless Skin - Foundation, concealer, and powder were meticulously layered to give the skin an immaculate finish. At some shows, McGarth even put it on the models' ears. For a "hyperperfect" finish, McGarth applied Cover Girl Clean Makeup with a brush, then tissued some off.

- Sleek Ponytails - Smooth on the front, straight or curled in back, fall's tight ponytails - at Jil Sander, Calvin Klein, and Louis Vuitton - were highly groomed. "The shine makes this basic style look luxurious," said Guido. For the smoothest, glossiest ponytail, hairstylists flatironed the tail, which seals the hair's cuticle.

Romantic Gestures - The most charming looks at the fall shows: Vibrant but feminine makeup and lush, untamed hair.

- Flirty Shadow - Here, makeup artist Dick Page mixed fushcia shadow with gray so it didn't look too girlie. To help a strong shadow blend evenly on the lids, makeup artist Diane Kendal pats foundation on them first.

- Soft Hair - Even the season's softest hairstyles had an edge. Hairstylists teased curls to the extreme, creating a slightly frizzy finish that formed a halo-like effect around the head. At Michael Kors, hairstylist Orlando Pita teased the hairline to "create wispiness without too much volume."

- Flushed Cheeks - "There's a lot of blush - more than usual," said McGarth at Dolce & Gabbana. For the prettiest glow, makeup artists often customized color to each model's skin tone. Try a bluish pink blush shade for pale skin, or a peach or bronzy color for olive or dark skin.

Grunge Revisited - The grown-up version of the grunge trend had all the cool - disheveled hair, smudgy makeup - without the grittiness.

- Fuzzy Hair & Smoky Shadow - "The idea is that the hair is undone, but not a total mess," said Guido of the difference between this fall's disheveled hair and the original '90s dirty grunge. Smoky eyes were also more refined, with chocolate and burgundy shades replacing heavy black, and a touch of gold brightening the inner corners. To straighten hair in a loose, casual way, hairstylist Sam McKnight suggests blow-drying while pulling the hair with your fingers instead of a brush.

- Berry Lip Stain - When dabbed on with a finger, rich crimson and plum lipsticks look sensual, not goth. A dark lip color works best with polished skin and a little blush. "If the rest of the face is bare, the look becomes raw," said Kendal.

Bright Future - The pros created their own spink on futurism with neon makeup and architectural hair.

- Space-Age Makeup - The clearly not for everyone, the candy-colored brows at Balenciaga and the electric streaks on the eyes at Giorgio Armani and Miu Miu had an otherworldy appeal. At Balenciaga, McGarth bleached the brows, then covered them with greasepaint that echoed the sorbet hues of the clothes and jewelry. At the Giorgio Armani show, makeup artist Linda Cantello swiped red and gray stripes above the lids, then left the rest of the face bare.

- Sculpted Hair - Asked to create something worthy of an android, hairstylist Jimmy Paul molded the hair at Prabal Gurung into a swooping, Mohawk-like style. "It's a linear, futuristic shape," he said.

Bright Future is not for me...or really for anyone. The other four looks really work for me and there is some aspect of each one that I can get behind. I think that my favorite look is the first one since I have been getting into strong eye makeup recently and i have been into red lipstick shades for over a year now. Time to begin the collections...

photo courtesy of Style.com