Flawless spring looks for makeup, hair, nails

South Florida Sun-Sentinel (MCT) - The New York designer runway shows are more than just glamorous garb.

Top hairstylists and makeup artists use the influential catwalk extravaganzas to broadcast beauty trends to the world.

Overall, look for the sheer nude makeup to take off; where skin doesn't look made up, just flawless.

"The nudes are always a safe bet," said Gregory Arlt, director of makeup artistry for M.A.C. "And I think women will really embrace the coral lip trend. I also am betting on the metallics to make a big splash with the everyday woman as soft, shiny eyes will make them look and feel alive and awake."

Look at the new hair, face and nail trends we found during fashion week.

HAIR

Only Cinnabon at the mall has more buns. The simple bun-slash-chignon was overwhelmingly the coif of choice. Sometimes with a French twist (Carolina Herrera); often messy with a few strands flying (Monique Lhuillier); placed high on the crown (Vivienne Tam); or slightly off-kilter (Gottex by Gideon Oberson). The must-'do for next summer is a bun ... hon.

The simple ponytail _ as straight as a horse's mane _ comes in a close second. The idea is to get the hair off the face and neck during the warmer months when these looks are expected to make it from runway to reality.

That is not to say fuller hairstyles of loose down hair curled into cascading tendrils (Nanette Lepore) aren't popular, especially in deep, double-processed reds and brunettes.

"There's a big trend back to the '80s, and hair is following," said hairstylist Mario Russo, whose products are sold online at MarioRusso.com. "That means bigger hair. Some of the edgier cuts are the shorter cuts; bobs with bangs and it's all cut very angular."

For men, Russo sees the return of some rockabilly pompadours and ducktails a la '80s phenom The Stray Cats. Also be on the lookout for precise, neat Mad Men looks with pronounced side parts (Michael Kors).

EYES

Yes, the smoky eye is still rocking the runway, even if _ in reality _ it is firmly in the evening domain in SoFla.

But for spring there are no hard edges to eye makeup, according to McCary, of Temptu airbrush cosmetics. "There is some brightening up of that. You see purple for example, and blue (Miss Sixty). At Joanna Mastroianni's show, we took a little yellow and put it in the corner of the eye. It really makes it pop."

"Icy silvers and metallic blues on the eyes," said Arlt, with M.A.C. "With stains of fuchsia or coral or pink on the cheeks, with a natural lip (Behnaz Sarafpour, Derek Lam, Iodice)."

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For a sexier, more decadent look, the new cosmetic line, Rock & Republic Cosmetics, stayed away from pastels.

"The focus of the dramatic yet feminine look we created is a smoky eye with gradated grays, bringing an airy lightness to a sultry look," said Jeanine Lobell, celebrity makeup artist for the label's runway show. "I was really inspired by working with the new line. The range of colors and the textures made it easy to bring the look together."

Brows are taking a back seat next year (except with local-born Brian Reyes and Ports 1961, which had them bronzed and glossy). In the spotlight are lashes, which will be particularly more pronounced on the bottom lid. The eye-dea . . . er . . . idea is to make it all look naturally emphasized instead of pulling a "Liza."

CHEEKS

Or you can go with an ultra nude face with a warm, healthy glow, said M.A.C.'s Arlt, as seen at Cushnie et Ochs, Twinkle, DKNY, Rosa Cha and Nanette Lepore.

There were a lot of pinks and pinkish reds in the very sheerest of tones, sometimes requiring a double-take to see if it was there at all. Also, the color is quite high on the cheek. Why? The better to connect with your eye color, m'dear.

LIPS

Don't go giving lip. "Typically spring means pinks and corals," said J.P. McCary, vice president of artistry with Temptu airbrush cosmetics. "For (the spring) season, it's such a nude pink that it's more like the model just bit her lip a little."

True, but that's not for every woman. For a more bold look, try bright pink, purple, red, coral and fuchsia lips with pink cheeks and clean eyes, said M.A.C.'s Arlt, as seen at Verrier, Sari Gueron and Proenza Schouler.

NAILS

"The colors are moody and dark, like makeup is with the smoky eye," said Roxanne Valinoti, nail stylist for CND (formerly Creative Nail Design), which worked with designers matching nails to shoe-and-handbag accessories. "And the texture is very distressed, antique and sort of worn, but in an organic way."

Picture gunmetal gray and muddy pastels. Most definitely NOT transparent and NOT luminescent.

"And toenails are very important," Valinoti said. "Especially with so many peep-toes and open-toe shoes. And they are colorful shoes. But the nail color is not about matching the (shoe) color."

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© 2008, Sun Sentinel.