The hottest makeup looks for 2011

Loud mouth

The trend: The runways were bright with boldly painted lips in shades that mimicked an ice cream truck’s menu board (think orange sherbet and cherise popsicles). At DVF, the matte fuchsia mouths were inspired by Andy Warhol’s silkscreen print of the fashion designer’s very own pout. While at Marc Jacobs and Marni, makeup artists Dick Page and Tom Pecheux were agents of orange, with Page mixing his very own tangerine pigment on the spot.

Runway to everyday: Choose a lip stain instead of lipstick, for a punch of colour without the hassle of reapplication. 

Bright future

The trend: Lips were not the only source of inspiration on spring/summer runways. Eyes also took centre stage. Pat McGrath filled in lids with lime green and other tropical shades at Dior, while Gucci Westman made Oscar De La Renta’s young debutante-inspired models look modern by rimming the eyes with a strong turquoise shadow. If they couldn’t find the right shade of eyeliner, makeup artists improvised by dragging lip pencils around eyes to create bright streaks of colour.

Runway to everyday: Using a colourful liner along your upper lash line is the easiest way to capture the trend. Stick with blues and greens, or even purple to add a cool pop of colour. 

Metal winner

The trend: Makeup was a gilt-y pleasure at shows like Rodarte, where the label’s California gold rush-inspired collection seemed to call for matching pewter lips and eyelashes. While at Prada, Pat McGrath surrounded eyes with a silver shadow for a futuristic feel.

Runway to everyday: Metallic eye shadows are flattering on almost everyone, with golds and bronzes being the easiest to pull off. You can also find eye shadows in a range of colours with a metallic finish. To punch up your look up for a night out, try layering one over your go-to neutral eye shadow. 

Red alert

The trend: If you love wearing the dark berry lip from September until spring, we have good news: the Twilight-inspired shade—normally reserved for cooler weather and chunky knits—is sticking around. The proof? YSL, Louis Vuitton and Givenchy showed off models with blackened cherry or raisin-stained lips.

Runway to everyday: To make it wearable for warm weather, go with a rich berry gloss rather than a lipstick with a heavy matte finish.

Tip: Make sure to exfoliate and moisturize lips before applying a highly-pigmented hue like this. 

Nailed it

The trend: This season, at Vena Cava, the moon manicure made its debut (nails were done in a pale shade while the moon of the nail was painted black) and at several shows, manicurists mixed polishes to get a textured effect (at Phillip Lim, they layered CND’s Copper Shimmer Effect over Asphalt for a oil slick-like finish) or to achieve the perfect shade of grey.

Runway to everyday: No more French manicures, friends! It’s time to branch out and try something new. The beauty of nail polish is that there is no commitment so we suggest this is where you take your risks if the trends above seem a little daunting. Test drive a moon mani (bring pictures to show your manicurist if she hasn’t heard of it) or layer two of your favourite polishes to make your own new shade. Bottom line: have fun with it!