FASHION Magazine

Somehow when fall rolls through we’re so enamored by the deep-toned lipsticks and warm eyeshadows that we tend to neglect our cheeks. While we wish we could still embrace the bronze-y glow of summer, when winter comes calling nothing looks better than flushed, “just in from the ski slopes” cheeks.

As the colder months tend to dull our complexion, we thank the beauty gods for blush to highlight the cheekbones and brighten up our faces. Wine-stained shades ranging from rosy-pink to deep-plum provide the perfect complement to the berry and jewel tones that we’re also coveting for our clothes . That being said, it can be a challenge to decipher the right product for you—from finding the right colour to choosing between the creamy consistencies of cheek stains, polishes and powders, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to blush. But fear not: We’ve enlisted our Beauty Panel’s wealth of knowledge to help you achieve the perfect fall flush.

Challenge 37: What’s your blush must-have for fall? See the answers now! »

It hasn’t been easy keeping up with eyebrow trends over the years. In the ’90s we fell victim to the tweezer’s evil whisper to pluck just one more hair to achieve sleek, thin arches. But as styles have changed and a bushier, more natural look has come into favour (à la the boyish brows at Isabel Marant Fall 2013) it’s time to appreciate the eyebrows we were born with—and the beauty products that help make them stand out.

While Cara Delevingne’s celebrated brows are certainly worth obsessing over and Lily Collins make us never want to touch a tweezer again, not everyone is blessed with bold arches. However, with the simple swipe of a brow pencil, wax or shadow, even the sparsest brow can make a statement. Whether you’re a blonde, brunette or redhead, our Beauty Panel has tips and tricks for achieving flawless, filled-in eyebrows.

Challenge 36: How do you make your eyebrows stand out? See the answers now! »

If fashion and beauty are all about self-expression, nail polish is certainly the easiest way to experiment with new trends. Sitting at the top of our “must-try” list for this season is texture: from matte polish to bejeweled decals, it’s all about adding a major commotion to our digits and fueling the fires of individualism.

While nail art fanatics have many a DIY way to add texture to a regular manicure, beauty brands are also on board, debuting multi-dimensional collections like Essie’s Encrusted Treasures and innovative formulas OPI’s Liquid Sand. Meaning there’s an endless array of ways to outfit our digits and regardless of creativity or skill level we all can put a creative spin on our paws.

Of course, infinite options make the textured nail trend an ideal challenge for our Beauty Panel. Who better to show off special styles, new colours and textured techniques?

Challenge 35: How are you wearing the textured nail polish trend this season? See the answers now! »

You’ve perused numerous Pinterest boards and clocked countless YouTube hours obsessing over beauty junkies who fearlessly rock vibrant hues all over their eyelids. Isn’t it time you stopped being timid of those lonely and unused bright eyeshadows in your makeup bag and joined in?

While the Chanel Spring 2014 look offered an inventive way to wear just about every colour in the rainbow at once, we’re dialing the trend back and approaching bright eyeshadows from an everyday point of view. From creating an ombré across your eyelid to pairing complementary shades along your bottom and top lashline, this look is all about colour theory. So grab a bold eyeshadow you’ve yet to try (may we suggest one of the brights from the Nars Guy Bourdin collection?) and read on for expert tips from the Beauty Panel.

Challenge 34: What are your tips and tricks for wearing two colourful eyeliners or shadow shades at the same time? See the answers now! »

Is there a better holiday than Halloween? It’s the one day of the year that we have free reign to create—and live the life of!—an alter ego, the more outlandish the better. From sci-fi heroes to spooky spirits, everything is possible on Halloween, especially when you have a makeup bag full of product to help you out. As anyone who recalls a childhood full of pans of primary-coloured face paint, you’ll agree that the best costumes are the ones that come with a crazy makeup requirement.

Plus, when else do you have reason to wear your biggest false lashes, your brightest eyeshadow colours and every glitter you own? Never, that’s when! As such, we turned to the Beauty Panel to share their Halloween makeup looks, and the results range from inventive to fantastical to downright gruesome.

Challenge 33: How are you doing your makeup for Halloween? See the answers now! »

This season lips are getting a high dose of drama. Those simple few swoops of classic brights in the summertime have transitioned into multifaceted, textured looks for fall. From layering sharp colours with other shades to playing with matte and stain finishes, the Fall 2013 runways introduced many new ways to embrace—and apply—lipstick.

We saw textured lips make a big statement on the runway at Lanvin, with a matte berry-toned lip being the perfect pop to an almost bare face. Over at Kenneth Cole, makeup artists layered lipsticks for an on-trend ombré effect. And don’t forget your favourite dark shades: Dolce and Gabbana had models pouting a deep burgundy shade while Holly Fulton took the classic red to another level by lining it with a maroon liner.

Challenge 32: Texture is in for lips this fall with everything from stained smears to two-tone looks trending. How are you reinventing the way you wear lipstick this season? See the answers now! »

If your beauty bag is missing violet hued products, we think you’re in need of a serious update. From eyeshadows to nailpolish to lipstick, deep purples have been creeping into every aspect of fall makeup and today, we’re teaching you how to make the rich hue work for you.

Jason Wu’s Fall 2013 collection reiterated purple’s prowess in flattering all skin types. His final runway piece, a floor grazing indigo dress, set the tone for the season’s runway beauty look. The show’s purple eyeshadow lifted all muted palettes and monochromatic looks while adding drama to the rouge and indigo pieces.

Challenge 31: Purple is a flattering and easy colour to wear for most eye colours and skin tones, but it can also look super dramatic. What are your tips for wearing the shade? See the answers now! »

Eyes are getting some serious kohl treatment, hair is left unkempt and the darker the lipstick, the better. Or at least that’s what happens when fall’s riot girl trend takes over our beauty routines—and we’re totally on board. The minimalist no-makeup look has its time and place, but there’s something so liberating about smudging eyeliner into messy shapes and embracing our rebellious side.

Thanks to this year’s punk-themed MET Gala, our favourite stars gave us a plethora of moody beauty looks to take inspiration from. Wearing the most daring deep shades of lipstick, Rooney Mara and Katy Perry were the epitome of sultry. Taylor Swift was all about the eyes, wearing top and bottom-heavy liner. And Kristen Stewart swapped out her signature charcoal smoky eye for a burgundy look worthy of Gucci. The message is clear: Get ready to reach for all the deep-toned makeup palettes in your arsenal when trying the riot girl trend!

Challenge 30: How do you channel the riot girl trend with your hair and makeup? See the answers now! »

Can we get a what what for eyeliner? With endless formulas and application methods, eyeliner is one of the most versatile products in our makeup bags. While some prefer a subtle smudged line, others dig the high drama that comes with cat-eyes and winged tips. Seeking a pop of colour? Add a quick swipe of bright-blue liner. Want to make your eyes stand out? Smudge a little kohl at your lashline. However you wear eyeliner, there’s no wrong way to do it. But there’s always room for new tips and techniques, which is why we’ve turned to the Beauty Panel.

Challenge 29: What’s your favourite way to wear eyeliner? See the answers now! »

Fall may be upon us, but with the Spring 2014 shows providing never-ending inspiration in the beauty department, we can’t help but get excited for what’s to come next season.

Though it seems like we’ve seen countless stunning beauty looks over the past couple of weeks, New York Fashion Week’s backstage beauty is still freshly instilled in our minds. How could we forget Prabal Gurung’s Ladurée macaron inspired lips and Alexander Wang’s raw-yet-glowing beauty that strutted down the runway? For us beauty junkies, there is no question that we’re ready to try out some of the Spring 2014 looks now. And who better than to share their favourite picks from the runways than the Beauty Panel?

Challenge 28: What was your favourite look for Spring 2014 from New York Fashion Week? See the answers now! »

Spring may have brought back cool blue tones for eyes, but this season the trend is something much more dramatic: red eyeshadow.

Essentially drama meets punk chic (think Kristen Stewart at the 2013 Met gala), red makeup may be one of the hardest colours to master when it comes to the eyes. However, with Gucci’s cranberry-red shimmer and Emporio Armani’s subtle-yet-flirtatious red eyeliner, we can’t help but want to give this look a try. But before we jump to the punch and risk looking too costumey, we asked the Beauty Panel to share some of their tips and tricks on how to make red eyeshadow work.

Challenge 27: How do you wear red eyeshadow? See the answers now! »

TIFF 2013 has begun and there is no denying that we’re getting really excited to see the films, attend the after parties and catch up (yeah, we went there) with our favourite A-listers. We’ll be reporting from the red carpet all weekend long—check out our insider’s guide to TIFF for more intel—but right now it’s time to talk beauty. No red carpet outfit is ever complete without an ultra glam hairstyle and glitzy makeup so what better time to practice your skills than now?

You may not have a team of makeup artists on standby, but you definitely don’t need to look far for tips on how to to do it yourself at home. This week, we asked the Beauty Panel to share their tips and tricks on how to attain the red carpet-worthy look. From voluminous hairstyles to statement lips, you’ll definitely get heads turning as you make your way down the red carpet. Not in Toronto for the film festival? Fear not because these foolproof beauty inspirations will work for any upcoming formal event or party scheduled in your planner.

Challenge 26: What’s your TIFF-worthy red carpet beauty look? See the answers now! »