NYFW Spring 2012 Trend Report

Every season, we at Three Custom Color Specialists show you our favorite beauty trends from the runways of New York Fashion Week, their inspirations, and the products to get these looks now!

What was the biggest influence on the catwalks this season? HAIR! HAIR! HAIR! Designers went wild on the catwalks, showcasing models in big 80’s hair, or streaks of blue and green and even sopping wet hair! As a result, the makeup across the board remained polished, versatile and pretty, to balance out the statement ‘dos. These fresh, simple makeup looks are perfect for spring – no matter if your look is girly and soft, or tailored, structural and slick.

Here’s a rundown of our favorite beauty trends and tips on how to put these together now!

POLISHED WITH POP
Clean makeup look on the face anchored with bold, almost neon pops of pink or coral on the lips, and coordinating washes of color on the cheeks and eyes.

As seen on the runways at: Alice + Olivia, Karen Walker, Anna Sui

Get the look: We loved the flirty look at Anna Sui. This modern pinup girl was reminiscent of Rita Hayworth with a touch of 70’s Lauren Hutton thrown in! Try: Warm Peony as a wash of color on the eyelids, White Shimmer near the tear ducts, Pink Hyacinth Watercolours for Cheeks, and Bora Bora lipstick for that fabulous deep pink lip!
As an alternative, also try: Copacabana Lipstick (a cheery coral) or our Light Brights Lipsticks for a sheer pop of color!



ARCHITECTURAL
Edgier and more masculine ensembles, paired with pulled-back hair, coordinate best with contoured faces and sexy, sculpted cheekbones.

As seen on the runways at: Badgley Mishka, Prabal Gurung, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Herve Leger, and Donna Karan

Get the look: The models at Donna Karan pulled off the look of gorgeous gladiators. Try: Three Custom Color Specialists Brow Powders to define the brows and emphasize the eyes with Cool Nutmeg as a soft, powder eyeliner. Apply Bronze or Orange Creme to Powder Blush to define the cheekbones, as well as Face Powder #5 to sculpt. Recreate this deep, rich lip look with Cool Red Lip Pencil, Warm Burgundy Lipstick or Virtual Lipstick (from our Century in Red Lip Palette)


SUNSET SKIN
This look ruled the runways for Spring 2012. You can’t go wrong with luminous skin, enhanced with a touch of gold and pink, and a hint of shimmer on the cheekbones and the eyes!
As seen on: Proenza Schouler, Yigal Azrouel, Vera Wang, Tracey Reese, Carolina Herrera (and many, many more!)

Get the look: The models were natural and glowing at Carolina Herrera. Groom the eyebrows with Three Custom Color Specialists Clear Brow Gel, and apply Gilded Eye Shadow on the eyelids and Champagne near the tear ducts. Use our Pointed Eyeliner Brush to apply a thin line of Aurora Crème Eye Definer on the upper lash line for definition. Apply Afterglow Shimmer Crème on the cheeks and, on the lips, try either Whisper Sheer Lipstick or Petal Pink Lip Gloss.

NYFW FALL 2011 Trend Report

This fall, designers played up the drama with magnificent tailoring (we loved the fall collections of Michael Kors, Dianne Von Furstenburg, Jason Wu) and billowy, opulent gowns (see: Rodarte, Derek Lam). Though we were impressed by the clothes, these dramatic looks were often paired with makeup that may have been kept too simple or just too garish. Here’s a rundown of the trends we saw on the catwalks and tips on how to make these work in real life!

BERRY LIPS - Pretty, romantic and instantly polished.
As seen on the runways at: Luca Luca, Rebecca Taylor, Peter Som, Carolina Herrara, Cynthia Steffe, and Lela Rose
For bold berry red lips inspired by the models seen here at Luca Luca (Photo: Racked.Com) - Line the lips with Burgundy Lip Liner and apply Rosie the Riveter Lipstick (a rich, blue- red).
This look is probably the most wearable on it's own. However, for a softer take, try Mauve Lip Liner with Santorini Lipstick. Remember, the focus here is on the lips, so keep the eyes soft.

CAT EYES - Perhaps an homage to the makeup seen in Black Swan, these dramatic eyes are tough to pull off the runway into real life (we don’t recommend bleaching out your eyebrows either!)
As seen on the runways at: DKNY, Derek Lam, Vivienne Tam, and Jason Wu.
For the look inspired by this model at Jason Wu (Photo: Getty Images) -- Layer Cool Aubergine applied with a damp eye shadow brush on the upper and lower lash lines and along the crease, tapering out to a triangle shape. Fill in the triangle with Gold Eye Shadow. Use Wallflower Lip & Cheek Stain to softly contour the cheeks and apply Whisper Sheer Lipstick for shimmering nude lips.

For a real-life version of this look, try Cool Black and gold instead of aubergine (the combination of purple and yellow on the skin can look like a bruise!) Also, if you have deep set eyes, stay away from this look. Since dark colors recede, dark shadows will make deep set eyes seem even more sunken.

STRONG BROWS - The 90’s came back in a big way, with a strong, masculine brow.
As seen on the runways of: Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Monique Lullhier, LAMB, Naeem Khan, Marc by Marc Jacobs.
To re-create the look seen here at Proenza Schouler (Photo: GoRunway.com) -- Match your hair color with a Brow Powder (Brow Powder #5) and fill in the brows with our Brow Brush.

We love a well-groomed brow, it anchors the eye, though we’d prefer to see more polished and defined eyes rather than this heroin-chic look.
For a real-life version of this look: fill in sparse areas of the brows with a coordinating brow powder and apply Clear Brow Gel to lift and shape the eye. Define the lash line with Opaline Creme Eye Definer, and avoid this reddish-brown shade that makes the eyes look tired (try Warm Brown Sugar, instead).


NUDE LIPS - The nude lip is a staple regardless of season. Versatile nude lips were showcased in a variety of finishes; from matte, to pearly, to glossy, and some with a touch of coral. As seen on the runways at: AnnaSui, Carlos Miele, Tommy Hilfiger, Erin Fetherston, Charlotte Ronson

For the look scene here at Nicole Miller (Photo: Andrew Burton, AP) -- Apply Cool Brown Sugar Eye Shadow with a damp brush to line the lower lash line and create a precise rectangular shape on the upper eye lid. Highlight under the brow bone with Cool White Eye Shadow. Apply Light Clarifier on the lower inner rim of the eye. Use a sheer layer of our Creme Concealer/Foundation as lip color and apply Translucent Powder all over the face for a finished, doll-like complexion.

For a real-life version of this look: Blend the eye shadow for a softer contour of the eyes and avoid looking washed out with a layer of Nude Attitude on the lips, our new coral-based nude.

Giveaway Alert: Enter to win our new Whisper Lip Gloss!

Check out this great review of Whisper by our friends at The Makeup Divas and enter to win your very own Whisper Lip Gloss! http://www.themakeupdivas.com/2009/03/three-custom-color-specialists-whisper.html Enter now! The contest closes March 24th at 8PM EST.

Who else is loving Whisper? Click the links below to read what the blogosphere is saying about our newest shade.

ShinyMedia – Whisper for Lips was mentioned in a round up of new Spring launches

Teen Vogue Beauty Blog – Beauty Director Eva Chen recommended layering Whisper over other lip shades.

BeautySchool – Whisper Sheer Lipstick earned an A+ rating, and was recommended for its buildable, moisturizing coverage, as well as the universality of the shade.

This That Beauty – Felicia looks great in Whisper, check out her photos!

GlossyKiss – This blog announced the launch of Whisper for Lips.

Lipgloss Break – Whisper was recommended as the perfect compliment to smokey eyes and bronzed cheeks.

WHISPER The Look for Spring ‘09 is Bronzed, Soft, and Sultry

Every season, Three Custom Color Specialists chooses their favorite runway beauty trend. For Spring ’09, they were particularly intrigued by the seductively bronzed cheeks, smoldering eyes and moist, kissable lips at Donna Karan, Milly, Juan Carlos Obando and Carlos Miele. Inspired by this sexy look, the Specialists created Whisper, a creamy shimmering nude with fine flecks of gold and bronze, which is available in both their award- winning sheer lipstick formula and makeup artist favorite creamy lip gloss. Whisper works with the natural pink in your lips to create a soft look that is universally flattering.

Whisper Sheer Lipstick --- The perfect
balance of lipstick and gloss, their award-winning sheer lipstick formula combines the best of both worlds. Whisper Sheer Lipstick is highly moisturizing with soft, buildable coverage.

Whisper Lip Gloss -- If you love shine, Three Custom Color Specialists brings you Whisper in their signature smooth, non-sticky lip gloss formula. Gorgeous alone or over your favorite lip shade!

Whisper Sheer Lipstick and Whisper Lip Gloss ($21.50 ea.) will be available in March at www.threecustom.com, toll-free at 888.262.7714 and at select boutiques worldwide.