FASHION Magazine

See our suggestions for how to get Taylor Swift’s red carpet look »

Confession: We adore Taylor Swift too much to mind that she’s fond of repeating the same hair and makeup at every red carpet event. Hey, we get it—if something works, why change it? At last night’s 2011 BMI Country Awards, however, Swift did slightly switch up her typical winged-eye-and-bright-lips look, by adding a warmer shimmer to her eye makeup and skipping the red lips for a muted pink-plum shade instead. (Don’t the colours complement her purple sequin Emilio Pucci mini-dress perfectly?) Swift’s curls are also more relaxed than we’ve seen before, but still styled in her classic one-sided wave. This is definitely a look worth copying for upcoming holiday parties.

Halloween might be over, but there’s still good reason to do something special with your beauty routine this morning: November 2 is Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead—the Mexican holiday that celebrates the departed. Bright flowers, sugar skulls, and colourful costumed skeletons are all iconic symbols of this holiday, and are gaining traction across mainstream culture. Both Elettra Wiedemann and Debra Messing showed up at the Hulaween Benefit Gala this weekend dressed like a skeleton à la Day of the Dead. Of course, not every office will appreciate a full painted-skull get up on your face, so here’s a few subtle ways to adjust your look.

Let’s get dead! »

Trick-or-treating aside, one of our favourite Halloween rituals has to be attending a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. For those of you virgins (we’re not really calling you virgins) who have never been to a show, we implore you to try it for yourself this year. There are generally midnight showings for many days leading up to and on Halloween night, and it’s a great excuse to dress up, bring some rice to a theatre, and let your freak flag fly.

But, what to wear? The Rocky Horror look can get a little trashy at times, so we present our ultimate guide to haute-ifying it. Yes, some of these price tags are a wee bit of a splurge for one night only, but we predict that you’ll want to wash and repeat for many years to come.

Let’s get started! »
Go straight to Columbia »
Go straight to Dr Frankenfurter »
Go straight to Janet »
Go straight to Magenta »

Makeup artist James Kaliardos was given strict orders by the Mulleavy sisters backstage at Rodarte, with Vincent Van Gogh’s painting  Starry Night as the point of inspiration. “The girls really wanted this dark, dark intense eye,” he said. Beginning with Nars’ Dark Rite Soft Touch Shadow Pencil (launching in the spring) and creating a circular shape, he then layered it with eyeshadow in “Night Flight,” a dense midnight blue with a sheen, and for additional sparkle, shadow in “Tropic” on top. “A smoky edge is important,” he said. “It makes [the look] softer and not so hard and theatrical.” To keep the eyes looking big, Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in “Rue Bonaparte” was drawn on the waterlines. Cream Blush in “Penny Lane” enhanced cheeks as well as lips, which also received a helping of lipgloss in “Nana,” a purple-y pink hue. Working with the same reference, manicurist Deborah Lippmann used “Lady Sings the Blues,” a glittery navy, on short, rounded nails. “But they wanted it to feel really like a starry night so we’ve added tons of extra large particles of glitter,” she revealed.

There was a distinct cloud of dust hovering in the air backstage at Thakoon. Some models were coughing, a drop cloth had been laid on the floor, and there was a film of particles covering my iPhone. The culprit? Clay powders of varying shades that hair stylist Odile Gilbert had Fed Ex’d from Europe where they’re sold in pharmacies and health food stores. Applying it to the girls—either mixed with water or in its innate, powdery texture—was a nod to Holi, the annual festival of colour in India where the civilians throw coloured powder and water at each other. To give the illusion of bobs—albeit ones with tons of texture—hair was braided up into two different styles. (And yes, they were washing everything out post-show.) As an extension of the Indian influence, nails were painted with Nars nail polish in “Versailles,” a pale gold.

What’s the best way to wear barely-there lipstick without looking washed out? Think pink instead of taking the word “nude” too literally, as lips are flushed not flesh tone (whatever that colour may be) when they have nothing on them. Avoid shades with brown or beige undertones, and choose a pinky taupe or copper instead. […]

The post Afternoon beauty fix: How to wear barely-there shades without looking washed out appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

By Lauren Chan and Poonam Kaur Billing

Gone are the days of the one-lipstick woman. This fall, red lips are trending, and now you don’t have to pick just one hue. From bold red to deep purple, it’s all about confidence in carrying a shade. Sure, you might have a preference, but there’s no need to feel limited. Switch from poppy to pomegranate from day to night—no one’s stopping you.

Go red! »

Help FASHION celebrate our 10^th annual Reader’s Choice Beauty Awards by telling us which products are your ultimate must-haves. Vote at fashionmagazine.com/beautyawards for a chance to WIN a beauty pack with your top picks!

This week, we’re exploring the Yves Saint Laurent tote belonging to Caitlin Agnew, assistant editor/research. Her assortment of unusual yet completely essential goodies from as far away as Paris (plaid-covered lint remover, anyone?) denote an attention to detail that she puts to the test in her sleuth-like job here at FASHION.

Let’s explore! »

Wearing contact lenses in my dry-as-a-desert office makes my eyes look fiery red and irritated by the end of the day. It there a makeup trick to detract from this hideousness? I recommend taking a scientific approach to your beauty regime and look to the colour wheel for inspiration. Tints that are completely opposite on […]

The post Afternoon beauty fix: Conceal irritated, red eyes by opposing them on the colour wheel! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Who says makeup videos have to have much to do with actual makeup. In the just-released Fabien Baron-directed concept video for Nars‘ new line of Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliners, two mechanical arms gets up close and personal with model Emily Baker‘s flawless face as she lies patiently on a rather clinical looking bed. And […]

The post Is it strange that a creepy video is making us want Nars’ new eyeliners? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

I would wear lipstick, but I loathe the idea of reapplying it throughout the day. Can you suggest any long-lasters? It sounds to me like you’ve heard an ancient beauty myth—it’s not impossible to achieve stay-all-day lips. First, choose a lipstick that’s more matte than glossy, then follow these steps: Buff lips with a toothbrush […]

The post Afternoon beauty fix: Quick tips on how to make lipstick last all day long appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

This week, we take you into the sophisticated looking Balenciaga Papier tote that belongs to our online editor, Randi Bergman. Inside, you’ll find a mixed bag (literally) of odd trinkets like a harmonica, a ridiculously oversized ring, and a super-bright lipstick she swears was made just for her.

Let’s explore! »