Flirty Make-up, Touchable Hair, Daring Nails

The Finishing Touches to Your Fall and Winter Look
By Linnea Sheldon

Face

The make-up looks for Fall/Winter 2006 are all about luxury and glamour ~ with a little throwback to past eras sprinkled in here and there. Your look can go either soft or strong, but always with a touch of romance. And the same rule always holds true no matter what the season ~ choose just one feature to focus on, don’t try to play up lips and cheeks and eyes. Find your best feature and simply enhance it.

The modern face starts out with clear, luminous skin. To get it, be sure to use the right foundation ~ and for keeping a bit of that summer glow alive during the colder seasons, try a tinted moisturizer. Want to really bump up the shimmer? A dusting of light bronzer over the apples of the cheeks helps give a healthy glow without making your face look unnaturally shiny.

For eyes, you definitely have choices, so think about which best suits your personality. Go with either dramatic and striking or under-stated and natural. Mod eyes are making a comeback with heavy eyeliner, nice dark lashes, and a nice soft metallic shadow ~ brown is a good choice for shadow because even when it goes metallic, it’s not too shiny or obvious. The smoky eye is also back, but with a new twist. Rather than the usual black and grays, try using a gray liner with a smoky dark blue for added drama.

Is the softer look more your style? Then try neutral colors that will make your eyes pop, like a light lavender. Soft purple hues work with just about any eye color and really add some unexpected drama. Rich colors like chocolate, espresso, caramel and olive on the lids will have everyone craving more.

The most fun and flirty comeback of the season has to be fake lashes (for all you girls who still love playing dress-up, how great is the return of this trend?!). This lavish look has been seen all over the fall runways, and the lashes have become more dramatic than we’ve seen in a long time. For the full drop-dead-sexy all-eyes-on-you look, have a blast with a good set of full lashes and the right glue. For a more natural look try sticking a small strip of lashes just on the outer edges of your eyes. They won’t be obvious but they’ll definitely call attention to your eyes ~ so feel free to wink and flirt your heart out!

As for lips, try pairing a dramatic look with a neutral eye. Bright reds or berries and darker shades of rose or plum are the season’s best looks. If you plan on playing up your eyes, go with a more neural lip, something more natural like a soft, creamy pink or nude ~ for a little extra depth of color, you can even use a gloss or stain (glosses have come a long way from those thick, gunky gels that some of us had to put up with in the 80s – yuck!).

Cheeks are soft and natural this year, with just a pinch of color. For lighter complexions, try a rosy pink. For a darker complexion, think more pink-brown or peach ~ or simply stick with a little additional bronzer. Always apply whichever color you choose to the apple of the cheeks (smile and aim for the plumpest part of the cheek – don’t try to “create” cheekbones, you’ll wind up looking painted and harsh) and blend thoroughly to keep the look clean and fresh.

Hair

The look for fall hair parallels the looks for make-up: You can choose between soft, luxurious waves and enchanting, more stylized up-dos. Either end of the spectrum is where it’s at, either overdone (and I use that term lovingly!) and dramatic or simple and elegant. Big waves reminiscent of the 60s are huge this season and you’ll even be seeing a touch of the 80s. To achieve this super-full look get out your Velcro rollers and your big barrel curling iron, add a little volumizing spray, and go big, bigger, biggest with your ‘do. Lucky for us, the curls are not tight and perfect, they’re casual and undone, so there’s no need to use gels and sprays to hold every hair in place. It’s that great windswept, just out of bed, devil-may-care, I look this good naturally feel. If you shake your head and your hair doesn’t move…BAD!

Even the up-dos this season are glamorous. Think of your favorite movie stars and get your red carpet style ready for a night out on the town. Even the ponytail has taken a dramatic turn this season ~ it’s sleek, tightly pulled back, and pinned at the crown of the head. The bob is also making a comeback, but this season there are lots of length and shape variations. Go with short and blunt if this is your first bob ~ then if you like the overall feel but want to experiment a little, you can grow it a little longer and get funky.

The headband is THE accessory of the season. No matter what your headband is made out of ~ leather, ribbon, metal ~ it is the simplest way to make a bad hair day into a good one, a casual hair day into a sophisticated hair day. Try one by itself or put your hair up and then add the headband for a retro look.
Last but not least, complete your look with the right hair color, which by itself can modernize a vintage cut. The shades for brunettes are much like the make-up trends. Very dark, rich colors like chocolate and mocha add to the glamour. If you’re looking to keep it simple and natural, give your darker hair some subtle dark blonde streaks ~ very subtle. Bright blonde highlights on a dark background scream chemical and fake ~ but understated highlights enhance and give your hair a pretty, healthy glow. For you redheads, make sure to keep your color vibrant and multi-tonal. For blondes, it’s all about taking it to the next level. The color of the season is platinum, and for those brave blondes out there, add a little tint of the unexpected by giving your hair the slightest hint of pastel ~ pink or violet.

Nails

Always the finishing touch for any look, nails get special attention this season. How about trying a shiny black? It’s kind of the polish equivalent of the little black dress ~ perfect for an evening out! Just remember to keep your nails short and neat (cuticles included) ~ talons are out. Not sure black is for you? Then try a deep, dark shade with a red, purple, or brown undertone. Since plum and other shades of deep purple are going to be seen everywhere this winter, carrying the trend right down to your nails gives your whole look a nice put-together feel.

For a more classic ~ but still sexy! ~ look, dare to go fire engine red on those nails. Top them off with a glossy overcoat, match your lipstick, and your look is complete. Gloves, rings, and bracelets are great additions to these looks of luxury, but get rid of all the cheesy trends like nail jewelry. While you’re at it, say goodbye to the old standby French manicures and fake nails, which are a huge no-no and SO fifteen minutes ago!