Fantasy: SS14 Beauty Trends

Spring is around the corner. It is. I promise… You might not be able to see the wood for the trees yet with this relentless rain and cold weather rendering you in a Winter rut, but soon comes the sun. With this in mind, you will need an update to your beauty regime, not necessarily a whole splurge on a new wardrobe of makeup, but at least to know what’s key and what’s firmly left behind in 2013.

Skin… Super dewy, youthful, showing through the makeup. Lock away those foundations for now ladies. A hint of bronzer on the key contours where the sun (and there will be sun) falls naturally on your face. We’re talking no makeup makeup here. Add your concealer where absolutely necessary, and perhaps mix a tiny bit of serum or oil onto your cheekbones to give that fresh, healthy skin feel. If you must use powder, then the idea is to use according to the oiliest of areas (traditionally the T-zone) and nowhere else. This “face” trend was seen on Balmain, Phillip Lim, Dolce & Gabbana amongst a few.

Eyes… Lots of lashes, full feminine flutters, and yes, I love alliteration. But the lashes are back, and in a womanly way reminding us why mascara was invented. A note though, a lot of the shows used brown, rather than black, to achieve this look. To complement this, the brows were filled in where necessary and brushed through. The statement brow is put to rest for Spring.

Tom Pecheux created some fabulous graphic eyeliner work for Moschino’s 30th anniversary, combinining red and black liner to give off a powerful, sexy result, whilst other graphic happy looks were seen on Stella McCartney, Anthony Vaccarello and Roksanda Ilincic.

There were also varying hints of blue washes over the eyes paired with a nude lip. Seen across Derek Lam, Marc Jacobs and Badgley Mischka, Pam St Clement’s inimitable lives on for this year.

Lips… Matte oranges, corals, and going into the rosebud pinks. These are bright, beautiful and unashamedly bold lip colours. And they make me happy. Feel you can’t wear orange. Just try it and see how empowered you feel! Barbarella by Nars is an all time fave, or if you feel like going for it, then Mac’s Neon Orange is a superbright. These lips were seen on Prabal Gurung, DKNY and Rag and Bone to namedrop.

Nails… Most of the shows either featured matching the nail colour to the lips (Berardi and Just Cavalli) or some form of nail art such as Giles, Sophia Webster and Michael Van Der Ham.

Hair… Thick headbands, reminiscent of my youth in the late 80’s, those stretchy hairbands will be making their way back onto our bonces. Great if you’re growing out a fringe, or in a rush as they do hide a multitude of sins. Vera Wang shows us how to do it for the 2014’s..

Just Cavalli also showcased a “just stepped out the shower” wet hair look, which personally is not going to work for me as my hair is waist-length and well, it’s just not practical. However this is going to look fierce on those pixie cropped, and shorter haired beauties amongst us. You’ll need a good sea-salt spray or a light gel. Perhaps even break out the mousse. Trust me it’s got a certain sex-appeal.

Super straight, super shiny hair, both loose and in the lowest of ponytails is also making it’s way back after a few seasons out of the limelight. Sported everywhere from Victoria Beckham, Donna Karan, you’re aiming for a laminate look and finish.

To counteract this level of sleek and glossy glamazon invasion, there were some equally serious textured up-dos and plaited concoctions on display in part thanks to the genius that is Sam McKnight for Vivienne Westwood Gold Label as well as the delectable Tom Ford and John Rochas shows.

And then, trends aside, there were some Fantasy looks which *may* not translate so well onto the high street but my gosh they set my heart alight. Step forward Chanel, Givenchy, and Dior. Tell me that a makeup artist’s job is easy, and let me show you these creations and ask you to create in less than 30minutes with little more than elbow room, the clock ticking, photogaphers, videographers, bloggers (sometimes aka blaggers), backstage writers, stylists, and the production managers all trying to grab your model and perhaps you’ll understand why really the shows are only every 6 months…

It takes a special kind of person to cope with that kind of stress.

Thanks to the gurus Pat McGrath, Tom Pecheux, Terry Barber, Charlotte Tilbury, Val Garland, James Pecis, Sam McKnight, Eugene Souleiman as well as the rest of the makeup and hair tribes at all of the Fashion Weeks for creating some of these beautiful designs.