2010 Spring Fashion Week How-To

Is there ever a case when a smudgy under eye actually looks OK? If the technique is left in the hands of famed makeup artist and Shiseido’s artistic director, Dick Page, then the answer is yes. At Narcisco Rodriguez's show, the models wore smudged eye makeup with minimal foundation. It was a look reminiscent of the popular smoky eye, but with the emphasis on warm, bronzy tones and a next-day quality. By pairing with a contrasting cool, flat mauve lip, the look was spared from a strung-out effect. To create a slightly glossy finish and a wet base, Page used a fluffy brush to apply makeup remover around the eyes. Next, he blended Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color ($25 each) in Squirrel and Cavern, and applied all along the eyes, into the lash lines. To finish these "dirty looking eyes," he extended the color up into the lids. Most impressive? It's a completely mascara- and liner-free look. I can handle that.

When I first saw the photos from Rodarte's runway show, I couldn't help but be immediately drawn to the swirly, geometric arm tattoos worn by the models on the runway. It was a little bit Xena: Warrior Princess and Kat Von D combined. Fab was on the fence about the clothing, inspired by California condors, but as for that well-thought-out tribalesque arm makeup, I was definitely impressed. MAC Senior Artist Chantel Miller, who designed the look, was influenced by the Māori people, an indigenous group in New Zealand. "The idea for the tattoos stemmed from [designers] Kate and Laura’s desire to celebrate makeup as art not only for the face, but also for the body in a similar way that Indian culture uses henna. They want women to look at makeup as an accessory for an outfit the way you would a bracelet or a necklace," said Miller.

To find out more about the tattoos, just keep reading.

Not only have we spotted minimal makeup this 2010 Spring Fashion Week, we're also seeing lots of pale nails. At Marc Jacobs's show, the theatrical makeup look, which was created by NARS and inspired by dancer Martha Graham, had a gothic, mysterious quality. As for the nails, Jacobs hand-picked four shades of OPI polishes to complement the whimsical, nude-toned clothing we saw on the runway. I'm sensing a trend alert here, as other designers, such as Erin Fetherston, Georges Chakra, and Andy & Debb have all featured pale polishes, too.

To find out what shades Marc picked, read more.

People can't get enough of Chris Benz, and I have to say: his collection this season is dead sexy. I loved the soft, tousled curls he brought down the runway and the perfect peach (the color is everywhere for Spring, so watch out) lip on all his models. I've been dying to know how to get this look, especially the lipstick, and I was able to snag the scoop on the colors from the people over at Lancôme, who created this "refined '60s party girl" effect. It's actually really simple to do, and it's a runway style that definitely translates to everyday wear.

To find out how to re-create the look, just keep reading

You can't get anymore classic than your basic ponytail. It's an easy way to add a little flair to any style; and at Christian Siriano's show at 2010 New York Fashion Week, the designer worked with Aveda's Antoinette Beenders to create a ponytail with a little something extra. When it comes to Christian and hair, would you expect anything less? Beenders version is low and sleek, featuring both rough and smooth textures. "Christian and I worked together to create a hair look that reflects the inspiration behind his collection — waves and the ocean, with shimmering silks, silvers, and blues," she said. Looking for something a little different when it comes to your tried-and-true ponys? Catch the wave, and get the how-to after the gallery images.

To get the look, just keep reading.

It's 2010 Spring Fashion Week, and one of the first designers to show her collection was L.A.M.B.'s Gwen Stefani. For her show, the models wore MAC makeup on their faces, Vaseline's soon-to-be-released Sheer Infusion Body Lotion ($6.25 to $9) on their skin, and a trendy, opaque white shade of nail polish from Dashing Diva called NYC Fleet Week ($8). Lucky for us, Pop caught up with Gwen in NYC and asked her about her popular Harajuku Lovers line, for which Snow Bunnies ($30) just launched.

"Sunshine Cuties is coming out in the Spring," Gwen dished. And by the sound of it, there's something else up Gwen's perfume sleeve. "There's always something in the works. I do really enjoy doing the fragrances," she added. I guess we'll have to wait and see what she's got cooking in the scent department. In the meantime, I'm off to get my white nail polish trend on. How about you?

Photo by Ann Lawlor

Yesterday's Vena Cava show featured neutral-toned clothing, with pops of bold orange thrown in for good measure. But, it was the purple lips that had me mesmerized, and so far, it's been one of my favorite looks at 2010 Spring Fashion Week. The tone remains edgy, but completely wearable, particularly when paired with MAC Coquette Eye Shadow ($14.50), a muted grayish-taupe shade that makeup artist LLoyd Simmonds used to create this look. "The collection is inspired by the graphic wall murals of the Ndebele tribe in South Africa, with a Maude Labowski take on styling, so we created a bold, graphic lip in violet," he said. To mimic the flattering shade, Simmonds blended Pro Lipmix in white, burgundy, red, and blue to create a matte, opaque, violet lip. But, you could get a similar, simplified look by blotting MAC Lipstick in Rebel ($14).