5 SPRING BEAUTY TRENDS

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but behold the new trends in beauty for Spring 2010. From lips to eyes and skin, we've got you covered. Gone are the days of dark, moody as we welcome the days of color explosion and glowing skin.

1. PAINT ME PASTEL. Understated hues that are eye-popping in shades- lavender, turquoise, pink, and sage green- in matte to shimmer are capturing the lids this season.

How to achieve this look: Start slow, one color at a time. Limit your shade below the crease of your lids. Fresh and clean is the name of the game. Have no fear, pastels work on all skin shades, from porcelain white to olive, these universal hues make the whites of your eyes brighter. Stick to a lil eyeliner to create the drama and a nude lipgloss to complete the look. (Our favorites: Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Bambou, Lancome Color Design Eye Shadow in Personal Style, Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow in Frost Blossom.)

2. ORANGE you RED-Y for SPRING. Vibrant red adds a jolt of color and panache to your lips. Jump into Spring full throttle and embrace this fabulous hue. Toss out the dark purples from the past, this is RED HOT!

How to achieve this look: Start with a lip liner that matches the color of your natural lip. Mix a red-orange lipstick with a lil lip balm and apply with a brush. Make sure to keep the rest of your face fairly neutral and then kick it up a notch in the evening with a lil liner on the upper lids. Remember this color transitions from day to night! (Our favorites: Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Fire, Tarina Tarantino Conditioning Lip Balm in Paramour, and Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick  in A Go-Go.)

3. TOUSLE ME TENDER. Slightly effortless and a whole lot of sexy, tousled, romantic curls are in. Get a modern, yet edgy look that looks like you just rolled out of bed.

How to achieve this look: Blow dry your hair with your hands and not your typical round brush. Once dry, add a texture spray (we love Shu Uemura Art of Hair, Liquid Fabric Mineral Texture Spray). Then section hair into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces and curl with a 1.25" barrel. After your whole head is curled, gently run your fingers it to give movement.

4. NATURAL BEAUTY. Go for glow. Luminous skin is IN. Gone are the days of the matte skin, radiant complexions are all the rage!

How to achieve this look: Remember that you should illuminate or accentuate your cheekbones, brow bones, and the bridge of your nose. Select a color of foundation that has a luminizer in it to make your life easier. Apply with a foundation brush and blend into your own skin. Dust with a translucent powder to seal the look. (Our favorites: Nars Orgasm Illuminator liquid luminizer, Laura Mercier Radiant Creme Colour, and Dior Poudrier Dentelle Illuminating Lace Effect Powder in Rose Dentelle.)

5. LIKE PUTTY "ON" YOUR HANDS. Nail polish is one of the best accessories to top off an outfit, so with that said, say goodbye to the blacks and navy blues, but definitely try Putty, which is a brown/grey tone.

How to achieve this look: A lighter color can replace a french manicure lovers typical fare, where as, olive skin and darker tones can definitely make a statement with this subtle taupe color. (Our favorites: RGB in Toast, OPI in You Don't Know Jacques, and Deborah Lippmann in Waking Up in Vegas)

SCAR JO'S MANGO MADNESS

Mango's Spring 2010 ad campaign features Scarlett Johansson in two of our favorite spring trends—the trench dress and floral prints! The actress looks as sexy in Mango’s curve-enhancing khaki wrap as she does sweet in their strapless liberty-print dress. This is Johansson's second season modeling for the label.  
Her last campaign received a mixed response, but that hasn't deterred Scarlett Johansson from reprising her role as the face of Mango's Spring/Summer 2010 collection. With her hair a little longer and in a sultry shade of chestnut red, the actress models the Spanish retail's latest feminine floaty designs.


"I love working with Mango," gushed ScarJo in November. "This is the third campaign I have done with them. The photographer, Mario Sorrenti, makes me feel very comfortable: the sessions are great fun. I see Mango as a casual firm, with lots of combinations of garments, fresh and youthful".

SPRING INTO TOP 10 TRENDS (MEN & WOMEN)

1. TRESSE SWIMSUITS

When we saw the tresse bikinis, monokinis, and one-piece swimsuits Alexandre Herchcovitch sent down the runway at Rosa Cha, all we could think about was how cool they would look with a pair of shorts or flared maxi skirt.



2. SEXY BACKS

Whether it was cut-outs on the backs of dresses at Max Axria, "vertebrae" running up the backs of dresses at Chado Ralph Rucci, or naked zippers at Thuy, the back was big this fashion week as designers did all they could to make editors, buyers, and ultimately customers, take a second look.



3. SLOUCHY T-SHIRT DRESSES

It's your coolest t-shirt, longer! Max and Lubov Azria designed a few variations for their BCBGMaxAzria Spring 2010 line.

4. PRINTED DENIM

The resurgence of the '80s brought studded jeans, boyfriend jeans, and acid wash jeans back, and with their spring '10, G-Star hopes to make printed denim a trend. Love this print on print suit.




5. SEXY CAFTANS

Muumuus usually conjure up frumpy images of Three's Company's, Mrs. Roper but Tiffany Amber, who showed her spring '10 collection as part of the Arise Promise of Africa Group Show (see left), and Brasilian designer Carlos Miele updated this classic style by showing skin.



6. SQUARE FRAME SUNGLASSES

For spring/summer '09, round sunglasses broke through as a hot sunglass trend, but the cool, oversized square frame shades Cynthia Rowley accessorized her spring '10 line with may flip that trend.



7. HIGH CUT SHORTS

Brian Reyes showed several different shorts in full and high-cuts, in cotton, jersey, seersucker, denim, sequins, and t-shirt material. LOVED the high-cuts in particular because paired with wedge heels, your legs'll look model long.

8. PAINTERLY PRINTS

From Jackson Pollock-reminiscent splatter prints to dresses pieced together with multhued fabrics, we were loving the graphic prints that looked brushed on in several spring '10 collections including Chado Ralph Rucci (right), Ohne Titel, and Toni Maticevski (left).



9. PASTEL SUMMER SUITS FOR MEN

The spring '10 men's shows featured tons of color in men's suiting. Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier, C.P. Company, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Moschino, and Paul Smith presented a spectrum of suits as did Michael Kors (pictured here) while Louis Vuitton paired dark suits with colorful shoes. I think the color adds a sharpness to the suit mainly because it takes a certain kind of swagger for a man to rock a pastel suit.



10. QUILTED LEATHER ANYTHING!

Ever since Rihanna rocked a quilted leather blazer on the season premiere of Jay Leno's new primetime show, I've been keeping a close eye out for a quilted leather jacket, but now Alexander Wang has me drooling over quilted leather shorts. Perhaps it's the Chanel association, but quilted leather anything just screams high-fashion luxe.

(Source: BlueFly, NYFashion Week)

ARMANI HINTS RETIREMENT

Giorgio Armani journeyed to Moscow this week despite feeling weak after a bout with hepatitis. The Russian capital's fashion industry has been crippled by the economic crisis for about a year now, and Armani went to lend his moral support. While talking to reporters over there, the 75-year-old designer hinted at retirement. "I'm already organizing staff who will continue my work," he said. He also admitted — despite being known as "King Giorgio" in Italy — that he is, in fact, human. "Of course I am not eternal, there comes a time when you must hand it over." But as he's done with investors in the past — one day he wants a bourse listing, the next he wants to sell his entire empire — he's giving mixed messages. Last month he made some management changes to ease his workload, yet in Russia he wanted everyone to come and see how good he looks.

Dressed in a sleek black suit, Armani joked with reporters about his appearance: "You see how I am, I don't look bad yet, do I?" he remarked to a roaring round of applause.

Armani's deputy general manager John Hooks thinks that, though Armani will lose money this year, the economy has bottomed out for the Armani empire and the fashion industry as a whole. Maybe Giorgio is waiting to leave on a high note. Being beautiful isn't a bad way to bow out, but being beautiful and making bank is so much better.

(Source: NYmag)

NAUTICA RAISES ITS BLACK SAIL

Nautica’s Black Sail, the brand’s higher-priced capsule collection for men, is just about to hit stores here and internationally, and the brand already is planning its expansion through at least one licensing partner. Come holiday, Black Sail will have a full battery of tailored clothing created by licensee Smart Apparel. A representative at the company, a division of the Youngor Group, which also makes Nautica’s main label suits and sport coats, confirmed plans for the collection, which will include more elevated styles and fabrics.