New York Fashion Week is over and we’re left to make sense of it all. What’s here to stay and what’s a has-been? Are we doing matte lips again? Is the winged cat eye so over? Well Beauty Expert Trae Bodge, co founder of Three Custom Color Specialists, returns to ThisThatBeauty to offer our bi-annual New York Fashion Week Beauty Trend Report. Why painstakingly cull through show after show when we can break it down for you plain and simple. Take it away, Trae!

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Spring/Summer 2012 Trends from the Runway

Hello again – I’m SO thrilled to be back with another beauty trend report for ThisThatBeauty!  I’m sitting here on a crisp, Fall day trying to fast forward in my mind to the light and flirty days of Spring and Summer 2012.  All it takes is another tour of the runways (thank you, www.style.com!) and I’m in a Springy, Summery state of mind.

What struck me first about this season were the colorful lips. I always feel a bit sad when there is a strong return to nude or neutral lips, so I was excited to see a real commitment to bold, defined lips this go ‘round.

The two lip trends that were the most memorable for me were the Peach Lip and the Red Lip.

Peach Lip

Several of the peach lips were paired with soft, demure eyes, like at Nicholas K, Candela and Porter Grey.  This is a very fresh, wearable “every day” look.  Most of us can make this look work because peach is extremely wearable.  Because it is the perfect balance between warm (red) and cool (pink), peach suits most skin tones.

The peach lip look that I really like was at Jill Stuart (pictured).  The peach lip was pronounced and matte and the eyes were rimmed with dramatic black.  It was the perfect play against her powerful, color blocked styles.  Because of the dramatic eye, this is a tougher look for the every day woman to pull off, but hey – isn’t runway supposed to be larger than life any way?

Red Lip

Red lips often make an appearance on the runway, but this season’s reds were notably bright and commanding.  These lips were most often paired with peach cheeks, soft eyes and a defined brow.  My favorite examples of this were at Jason Wu, Jen Kao and Joy Cioci (pictured).

Now, in terms of being wearable, a red lip is not for the faint of heart.  Of course, Felicia of TTB ROCKS a fabulous red lip, but she’s got the personality to match!  If you’re feeling bold, go for it, but if you’re more on the shy side, try a red gloss (or red lipstick mixed with lip balm), for a softer look.

The WOW Factor

Now, I don’t know if the super dramatic black-rimmed eyes I saw at Marc Jacobs, Monique L’Hullier and L.A.M.B. (pictured) will end up being a trend, but I thought the look was so fabulous that I felt compelled to write about it.  I question the trendiness of this look, simply because it would take so much work to make it happen!  Eyes were literally scrawled with black, and often winged out in a dramatic, almost Japanese-inspired style.  Lashes were heavy and fake and brows were very defined as well, particularly at L.A.M.B.   Fabulous!

One of my favorite runway looks this season, by far, was the look created by DeShawn Hatcher for Becca Cosmetics at VENEXIANA. The 20′s/ 30′s retro vibe set to a modern 2012 landscape captured my heart right from the start. Ms. Hatcher shares the beauty deets on her catwalk creation:

For complexion:

First we used Becca Resurfacing primer in the t zone, then Becca’s concealer only where needed. To finish off the look I used Becca mineral powder foundation dry.

For Eyes:

The technique was a Semi Smokey Eye using Becca’s Lost Weekend/Prairie Moon palette (the darkest colors in both palettes–more to the outside corners of the eyes, instead of all over the lid, paired with top and bottom, spikey lashes, eyes lined (top and bottom inner rims and top bottom lids) in Becca’s Intense Black automatic pencil.

For Face:

A wash of blush in Estella concentrating on the apples of the cheeks–a beautiful coral color.

For Lips:

Lips were unlined and concentrating only in the center of the lip. I used Becca’s Lip and Cheek creme in Petal, and a beautiful Glossy Tint in Frappe–this is also a beautiful coral lip color to coordinate with the blush.

This post is written by ThisThatBeauty Contributor, Christene Carr (@cnicholac)

Toni Francesc’s Fall 2011 line was inspired by the Pheonix. The lined featured burnt orange, yellows, and rich browns along with more muted colors like grey, beige and the all important black.  With this in mind Mehron’s Jackie Mgido  wanted a face that wouldn’t detract from the warm colors in the line but also wanted to add bit of life in the face for balance.  For a flawless matte finish on the face Mgido used Mehron’s Celebre PRO-HD Foundation with the ProColorRing Concealer. The cheeks were contoured using Mojave and Wine Berry CHEEK Powder and finished with Barrier Spray to set it for the runway..

The eyes were made uber dramatic my adding a mix of Mehron’s Black Onyx E.Y.E Powder and Slate Grey E.Y.E Cream. This represented the ashes and Mehron’s Feather E.Y.E Lashes were used to represent the wings. The eyes were further emphasized by Mehron’s Black Detailz.

The only noticeable color on the face was a custom blood red lip that was a combination of Mehron’s Velvet Rose and Raspberry L.I.P Color from the night palette. Lips were then topped with Clear Glosstone for a pop of sheen.

Mehron’s Key Products used on the Toni Francesc Runway:

• Celebre Pro HD Foundation
• ProColorRing Concealer
• Black Onyx E.Y.E Powder
• Slate Grey E.Y.E Cream
• Black Detailz
• Feather E.Y.E Lashes
• Velvet Rose & Raspberry L.I.P Cream
• Clear Glosstone

#NYFW

Post and images by ThisThatBeauty Contributor, Nicole Marie Melton @NicoleMMelton

The hair created for the Elene Casis Fall 2011 collection was a balance of sleek and simple mixed with a touch of drama.  The loose bun created by lead hairstylist Amit Abraham was a direct reflection of the designer’s contrasting clothing. “When I looked at Elene’s collection, what I really liked was all the texture mixed with the softness of the fabrics that she used,” said Amit. “The details of the clothing are what inspired the back of the hair.

To recreate this look, Amit gave us his step-by-step tips.

1. First prep the hair using L’Oreal Professionnel Infinium 2 spray.

2. Make a middle part and pull the hair into a low ponytail at the very nape of the neck.

3. Use a curling iron if necessary to create a little fluidity and wave to the hair.

4. Using small section, twist and pin into the bun piece by piece.

5. Finish with L’Oreal Professionnel Infinium 4 for a light control

Makeup for the Elene Cassis show mimicked the soft and natural rosy flush created by cold weather temperatures.  Under eye concealer brightened and evened out the skin and was topped with Bobbi Brown liquid foundation to give a flawless and dewy finish. The Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick was used to create a nude lip and topped with crystal clear lip gloss. There is no color on the eye, only a base color to match the skin tone.  A little lip gloss was placed on the eyelids to give a really illuminating look.  Lash Glamour mascara was used for a long, dramatic lash paired with strong black eyeliner.

#NYFW

Each season, as New York Fashion Week rolls around, I look forward to viewing the collections and critiquing the beauty/makeup. Another New York Fashion Week event that I have come to look forward to is Cocktails & Couture – the premiere networking event for online media, hosted by Veteran Blogger and Beauty Guru – Lianne Farbes. This twice a year fete is a swanky mash-up of the “Who’s Who” of the digital space. Brands and Bloggers connect and have one heck of a good time.

This year’s event was held at Aveda Advanced Salon…and here’s what I wore: Sine Retro Know Dress in Peacock — Here is the dress, as featured in InStyle

Here’s the dress on a dress form

Here’s the dress on moi at Cocktails & Couture media event

The dress was a huge hit. I particularly love the retro feel and forgiving ruching at the waist. I tried to “downtown” the dress a bit by pairing it with dark tights and a slouchy bulky suede boot (Tahari). I also added ginormous shoulder pads to push the dress from cutesy cocktail situation to a slightly edgier rocker feel…sort of.

Here I am with SINE designer, the lovely Micaela

Here I am with Uber Blogger Extraordinaire, @alywalasky

And here I am hamming it up on the red carpet. I believe Beyonce “Single Ladies” was playing in the background. Now who doesn’t love dancing to that song?!

I am incredibly thankful to the lovely ladies at Sine for saving the day and graciously offering to outfit Ms ThisThatBeauty for New York Fashion Week. The Retro Knot Dress is affordably priced at $132.50 and worth every penny. The silk is of high quality and does not wrinkle easily. I loved that the dress is fully lined, thus eliminating the need for a slip – while providing a nice smoothing effect between the body and the dress. I strongly encourage you to visit Sine and check out their beautiful finds. If you’re interested in purchasing the Retro Knot Dress, I recommend possibly sizing down. I am generally a size 4 but the size 2 fits beautifully. Perhaps I’ve dropped a few pounds?…hmmm, not sure….but just thought I would share this observation to help you with your online shopping.

Well, I better get back to Lincoln Center. Fashion Week waits for no (wo)man. Bye-bye for now!

xoxo

#NYFW

If you’re dying for a rebirth of 70′s style with a 20′s flair, this backstage beauty report is for you. The look is URBAN DECAY for WILDFOX COUTURE:

#NYFW

Holy Baroque, Batman! I love everything these nails are doing. Is this a trend you see yourself  embracing?

THE LOOK:

Jason Wu’s majestic, baroque nails were out in full force – Roxanne Valinoti for CND created gilded burgundy manicures using Dark Ruby layered with Bloodline, and gilded with Gold Chrome smile lines. These manicures matched slicked back ponytails with a flash of gold leaf. Even Versailles could not contain this beauty look!

#NYFW

Now this is how you kick off Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. I’ll tell the story later, but for now…here I am with the #LEGEND herself, Ms Joan Rivers. Can we talk?!

#NYFW

This post is written by ThisThatBeauty Contributor Nicole Marie Melton. @NMeltonMedia

Backstage at Organic by John Patrick — The looks created by the Aveda were all about keeping it natural and textured.  The Fall collection by Patrick included cozy knit sweaters and wooly plaids in deep earth tones of browns and grays. Minimal hair and makeup created a perfect balance.  I caught up with head makeup artist Janell Geason who gave me the scoop on the inspiration behind the makeup.   Geason summed the look up by saying “It was really about beautiful, hydrated, luminous skin. Less is more is definitely in this approach”.

Models were prepped with Aveda Inner-Light Tinted Moisturizer.  For eyes, Aveda Petal Essence Eye Color Trio in Gobi Sands was brushed lightly onto the lids.  Aveda Nourish-Mint Sheer Mineral Lip Color in Sheer Filaree was used on the lip, along with a dab of Aveda Lip Glaze in Morning Rose in the center of the pout to add fullness and a touch of shine.  Geason said that recreating this look is perfect for fall because “it has a little more hydration at a time when your skin tends to be a little drier.”

The beautifully bare makeup look was paired with loose, messy hair  — which continues the natural essence of the show.  Head hairstylist Antoinette Beenders assembled the undone look by prepping the hair with the Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion and finishing it off with the Air Control Hair Spray, which gave a really nice roughness to the hair.  No blow driers, curling irons, or flat irons were used to create the look, which makes it easy to recreate, and perfect for heading out of the door in a flash.

#NYFW

Here’s your chance to flex your fashion muscle and make it to the tents for Fashion Week!

Dress Linda Fargo for Fashion Week by Bergdorf Goodman on Polyvore.com

Bergdorf Goodman is giving YOU the opportunity to dress Fashion Director Linda Fargo for Fashion Week. If your ensemble is the winning look, you will get to attend a Fashion Week show with Linda while she wears a look inspired by your picks! In addition, the winner will receive a $2,500 Bergdorf Goodman gift card, personal shopping appointment, hair appointment at John Barrett and a makeup appointment with Bergdorf’s experts at Trish McEvoy.

Here are my top tips for winning the whole kit and caboodle: