What’s hot in make-up

Emily Didonato

Terri Dunbar-Curran

MANY women count their lipstick, eye shadow and concealer as must-haves. Whether it’s a hurried five minutes in the car, or a more thorough session in front of the mirror, their morning rituals wouldn’t be complete without a little make-up magic.

When you’ve been applying cosmetics from the moment your parents first allowed, it’s easy to slip into a pattern. But every now and then it’s fun to experiment, mix things up a bit, try a new colour, shade or style.

With trends developing and evolving, there’s no end to the creativity there is to be tapped. If you want a glimpse of the latest fashions and the most daring looks the industry has to offer right now then look no further than Maybelline’s 2012 Limited Edition Calendar.

This isn’t the kind of flip-over version you’ll find on just any bathroom door however, with only the top 40 performing Maybelline countries receiving 10 copies each.

This year’s calendar was shot on location in New York by fashion and beauty photographer Kenneth Willardt and styled by Patricia Field of Sex and the City fame.

Kemp Muhl

The theme this year was classic NYC careers. Models like Emily DiDonato, Julia Stegner, Erin Wasson, Jessica White, Shu-Pei Qin, Lisalla Montenegro and Kemp Muhl showcase the latest neon colours, dramatic eyes, glittered lips and feathered lashes by Charlotte Willer.

We managed to get a look at the calendar so you can see what’s hot in the world of make-up this year and swop that safe natural eye shadow for something a little more daring.

Cape Town based Linda O’Connell is a brand ambassador and gets to attend New York Fashion Week and see the new products before they reach us. As a result she has her finger on the pulse of international trends.

“I think taking risks is always the fun part,” she says. “Since we are always a season behind in SA, I prefer to be influenced by global trends but always try to put a local spin on things making it appealing to local markets, but still fashion forward.”

The calendar showcases a wide variety of styles this year, some avant-garde and some more wearable. The theme allowed for a fun collection of NY careers like a window washer, night club DJ, TV weather girl and China Town delivery girl.

“But the volume on each of these has been turned up and what you see is an explosion of colour, fashion, fantasy and, of course, amazing make-up.” Think dramatic poses and hot pinks, luscious greens and shocking oranges and yellows.

Erin Wasson

O’Connell’s advice to SA women is to try something new.

“Too many women get into a regimental make-up routine. I wish more SA women would adjust their make-up looks along with the change of seasons.”

So can she give us a heads-up on what the latest trends are?

“Make-up is taking a turn around the twenties at the moment, Movies such as Midnight in Paris and The Artist showcase some of the amazing trends from this era,” she says.

“The other big trend on catwalks this season was a salute to the 1960s Twiggy look, Betsey Johnson and LAMB (Gwen Stefani) both showed inspiration of this era. But as always designers will draw from the past and evolve it into their own contemporary version of an era.”

Whether you’re keen to restock your cosmetics bag and try a bold new look, or if you’re happier sticking to your tried and trusted routine, O’Connell is adamant that the most important thing to master is choosing the right foundation.

Shu-Pei Qin

“No other make-up can make the most impact in the most subtle manner. There is no bigger reward than getting a woman’s skin to look it’s best, once this is achieved all the other elements will fall into place, but if it is incorrect (wrong colour, coverage, texture) nothing can look worse.”

Next time you stand in front of the mirror, eye pencil in hand, see your face as a fresh palette and tap into your daring creative side.

O’Connell herself started her career as a graphic designer working at a local fashion magazine.

All the exposure to fashion and changing trends led her to realise that she’d found her niche.

“A fashion editor once told me ‘fashion is contagious’ and he was 100 percent correct. So I quit design and went on to study make-up. And many years later it is still my driving force and almost never feels like work!”

She spends her time doing shoots for magazines, ad campaigns and fashion retailers between trips to New York Fashion Week.

With the wave of new cosmetics trends on the way to our shores there are also some exciting new products South Africans should look out for in the near future.

“I’m always excited to get new products to play with and there is always something new and improved on the horizon. Honestly I don’t know how they do it, but it makes my job all the more fascinating!”

l For information, see the MaybellineSA Facebook page.