Get the latest beauty buzz from overseas including the hottest new looks and product trends…
Who is the Bh beauty insider? She’s our spy behind the scenes of the beauty business. With an expertly-painted eye on overseas beauty counters and industry news, she’s got the goss on the very latest trends, technologies and buzz buys. This, week, the beauty insider reveals the coming trends you need to know about now…
Lash attack
Full-bodied, voluminous lashes have been a staple beauty look for years, but in the new season it’s the bottom lashes that will take centre stage. By exaggerating the colour and volume of your finer lower lashes, you can create a pretty, doe-eyed look. Best of all, it’s super easy to do. Simply hold your mascara wand vertically and apply mascara back and forth across all of your bottom lashes, allowing the finer strands of the brush to saturate each lash with mascara. If needed, finish off with a lash comb to separate individual lashes. For the best lower lash-lifting results, try a thickening mascara.
From the what-will-they-think-of-next file comes news that Hewlett-Packard is developing a mobile colour-matching system to help us choose the perfect foundation. To use it, all you’ll have to do is use your mobile to take a photo of your face next to a specifically designed colour chart. Then, send the photo to a server, which, while taking possible discrepancies of light and camera type into account, analyses and compares your photo to a database of skin tones taken from almost 200 women. Once the closest match is found, you’ll receive a foundation recommendation via text. Genius!
Blue is the new black
Make-up’s got a severe case of the blues right now, especially when it comes to eyes. Seen all over Europe’s Spring/Summer 08 catwalks, blue has replaced black as the eyeliner of choice. But don’t be scared by visions of the 80s gone wrong; it’s surprisingly easy to incorporate blue into your standard make-up look. Use a deep midnight blue pencil around your eyes for a dramatic, nighttime look or, for a more subdued daytime effect, apply a lighter blue liner on the corners of your eyes. Feeling brave? Go for electric blue liner all along your upper lids and add a flourish of teal mascara.
Customisable products are huge overseas at the moment. There is a lot of buzz about foundations that can be adjusted to suit darker or lighter skin tones and dermabrasion products that can be modified to fit individual skin types and conditions. While these particular products haven’t hit Australian shores just yet (they will be coming to Oz sometime in 2008 – watch this space) you can try your hand at custom blending with the Revlon Soft Eyes Sheer Loose Shadow (on counter from March 2008). This four-shade palette features a ‘mixing well’ where colours can be mixed for a tailor-made result.
If you’re into DIY, get creative by combining products you already have in your make-up bag. At Spring/Summer 08 fashion shows in the US, make-up artists mixed peachy mousse blush with poppy-coloured lipstick for a natural coral cheek and combined Chapstick with bright pink eyeliner for a vibrant-yet-dewy eyeshadow. The possibilities are endless…
It’s all white now
One big look for winter is a snowy complexion worn with a touch of white at your eyes. Wondering how to create this look? Sweep a shimmery white shadow across your lids or team another of the season’s must-have products, white eyeliner, with black mascara to really make your eyes pop.
Full-bodied scents will be the go this winter, so sniff out a strong fragrance that incorporates heady notes of vanilla, musk and woods. It’ll be just the thing to add a bit of warmth to those cold winter days.
Products that hide those bits we hate while treating them at the same time are also big news. Concealers and foundations that not only cover imperfections, but also nourish and care for the skin are proving very popular amongst the most beauty-savvy shoppers. These ‘care and repair’ products are available to treat everything from pimples to fine lines.
Do love coloured liners!
Still is a staple today