Top Fall 2015 Beauty Trends

Makeup artists and hairstylists put their own amped-up spins on go-to classics this season, creating fresh new looks that can be customized for every style. Here’s how to help your clients bring five fall runway trends to reality.

WALK THE LINE

(Backstage beauty photography, throughout: Matt Lever)

SEEN AT: Rodarte, Céline, Fendi, Chanel, Rochas

THE TREND: A modern take on punk rock inspired this season’s heavily enhanced eyes, with swipes of black at Chanel and Fendi, bright blue shadow at Céline and appliquéd lines of Swarovski crystals at Rodarte. Unlike the ’70s incarnation, the trend of the moment is deliberate, not haphazard. Liner was also drawn on in unusual places, like the crease of the eye—not exactly an everyday look.

THE TECHNIQUE: Instead of replicating the trend in a literal way, what Melissa Gibson, senior artist at M.A.C, takes away is the overall precision. “It’s really coming back to a strong, graphic line and definitely not smudged out,” she says. For wearability, Veronica Chu, CoverGirl spokesperson, suggests borrowing colours, textures and finishes from the runway, but toning them down to the wearer’s level of comfort with placement. “Use the liner in a simpler form, either along the lashline or the waterline,” explains Chu. On runways, the eye statement was paired with pristine, luminous skin, “which makes it look very expensive and contemporary,” says Gibson.

Clinique Skinny Stick in Slimming Black, $20, at clinique.ca

CoverGirl Ink It! by Perfect Point Plus Liner in Silver Ink, $10, at drugstores

Annabelle Stay Sharp Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Ocean, $10, at drugstores

NOUVEAU ROUGE

SEEN AT: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Marc Jacobs, Giles, Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent

THE TREND: When they weren’t nearly naked, lips landed on the dark end of the colour spectrum, ranging from rusty terracotta at 3.1 Phillip Lim all the way to blackened burgundy at Giles. “It’s the evolution of a really dark cherry lip,” says Gibson.

THE TECHNIQUE: Lipstick application was imprecise, often blurred at the border—with liner missing in action. To achieve a softened effect, stamp the bullet onto the lip and “then push in the colour with your fingertip before taking a tissue and blotting some off,” explains Chu. Option two: “I like to take my concealer brush and fan it around the edge of the lip to blend it into the foundation,” says Gibson.

M.A.C Lipstick in Chili, $20, at maccosmetics.ca

Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in Spicy Cinnamon, $27, at department stores

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstick in Amazing Auburn, $12, at drugstores

PONY UP

SEEN AT: Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Stella McCartney, Prada, Christian Dior

THE TREND: Long and stick straight, loose and messy, or high and embellished, the humble ponytail continues to be reinvented as anything but basic. “Depending on where you place it, the looks can be drastically different,” says Sean Godard, international performing artist at Redken. Finish also plays a factor in changing up a pony, whether it’s sleek as at Dior, or textured à la Michael Kors.

THE TECHNIQUE: Prep the hair based on the desired result: for a smooth ponytail, Godard first saturates strands with a heat-activated texturizer before adding a workable hairspray. “I like to spray it on the surface of the hair while brushing, to get control and smooth any flyaways,” he says. For a more relaxed vibe, Godard recommends using a soft piece of fabric like an old T-shirt to gently brush over the hair, like shining a shoe. “This will loosen the surface and add an undone editorial texture.”

Aveda Smooth Infusion Nourishing Styling Creme, $34, at aveda.ca

Pantene Pro-V Smooth Anti-Humidity Hairspray, $6, at drugstores

Redken Fabricate 03 Heat-Active Texturizer, $23, at salons

ROYAL FLUSH

SEEN AT: Donna Karan, DSquared, Giorgio Armani, Chloé

THE TREND: Models’ rosy cheeks hinted at a healthy adrenaline rush, a perfect example of fall’s lived-in beauty mood. “Blush is the one way to add colour to the face but still keep it undone,” says Chu. Backstage, makeup artists opted for cool shades with a touch of brightness, like soft pinks and lavenders, to give that flush-from-within look, including a coming-from-the-cold ruddiness at Canadian label DSquared.

THE TECHNIQUE: To mimic true-to-life blushing, “keep more [product] on the apples of the cheeks and faintly fade off into the upper sides of the face,” says Chu. Gibson recommends using a fan brush to apply a neutral colour a shade or two darker than the skin tone, deepening the lower cheek area in a soft way, before applying a blush with a cool undertone to the apples of the cheeks. “You get this blend going a little bit deeper, but with a pop of colour,” she says.

Marcelle Blush in Pink Mademoiselle, $16, at drugstores

Hakuho-do + Sephora Pro Fan Cheek Brush Ougi, $50, at sephora.ca

M.A.C Powder Blush in Dolly Mix, $26, at maccosmetics.ca

MAKING WAVES

SEEN AT: Anna Sui, Burberry Prorsum, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Elie Saab

THE TREND: While waves came in endless variations for fall, from glam at Elie Saab to somewhat frizzy at Anna Sui, the common thread was the absence of over-styling. “Everything is a lot more undone and natural than what we have seen before,” says Godard. “The more texture the better.”

THE TECHNIQUE: According to Godard, the key to achieving a modern shape is adding mousse to damp hair and creating volume with a round-brush blow-dry. To keep waves from looking too perfect and uniform, wrap random sections around a curling iron, pulling away from the face and leaving the ends free. “When you pull the iron out, gently tug on the curl to make it relax and look more natural,” says Godard, who likes to coat his hands in an argan oil–based product before loosening curls.