Call it an early sign of the consumer diet. Despite the steady stream of new cosmetics pouring into the fall shopping basket, beauty experts are preaching the gospel of simplicity.
“Women are looking for one quick and easy thing they can do to recharge their look without having to spend a lot of time on it,” says Patricia Tortolani, senior beauty editor for In Style Magazine.
Even the season's closet is about paring down. This fall, designers favoured structured shapes with a minimalist tendency. Statements are no longer loud, but subtle and self-assured.
“The clothes aren't super-feminine; they are more structured and serious,” says Gerald Belanger, national makeup artist for Chanel. “So the makeup has to be really strong to complement that. People want to have more fun with makeup, to be more feminine and dramatic. It's like an accessory.”
Simple doesn't mean played down. The approach is to pick one feature and go all out. Be dramatic: deep, smoky eyes, where traditional greys and blacks are switched for blues; dark burgundy lips that look like you've been sipping merlot all night; strong eyebrows that demand you go light with the tweezers.
Keep the rest of your face clean. Use foundation only where you need it; remember that showing some skin is sexy.
And it's not just a matter of maturity: Regardless of what your age is, you can tweak these looks to flatter. It's about attitude, too.
“If I see a woman with a dark lip, sunglasses and heels, I think, ‘That's a powerful woman,'” Belanger says. “The lips describe a woman a bit more. This is for a woman who is sure of herself.”
The smoky eye is a classic; this season, the difference is in the colour.
“The smoky eye has been around forever,” Tortolani notes. “But the new incarnations involve a shot of colour. Its not just the grey and black. Blue is important for fall.”
And while you're borrowing your boyfriend's blazer this season, why not borrow his eyebrows as well? The strong brow is a statement in and of itself.
“The eyebrow is a huge element in framing the eye and face,” MAC senior artist Jane McKay says. “And a fuller brow flatters the face. If you have a strong brow, you need less makeup.”
And what could be simpler than that?
