beauty addict

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The latest trends, techniques, and insider secrets—revealed.

Hot and Bothered
Dark, smoldering eyes. Rich, steamy lips. This fall’s makeup is so smokin’, you’ll need a fire extinguisher.
By Liz Funk

From the runways to the cosmetics counters, deep, dark makeup is the look du jour. And this fall’s dark hues are anything but dreary—lush jewel tones and opulent metallics are giving eyes a whole new intensity, while blood reds, deep berries, and rich chocolates are leaving lips with a sultry stain. Even eyebrows are getting a high-impact makeover, as arches get stronger and wilder than we’ve seen them for years. Sound intriguing? We thought so too. After months of girlie and neutral colors, the dark side has never looked more seductive. At the same time, though, these trends are hardly foolproof; with such decadent palettes, it’s a dangerously fine line between dazzling and drag queen. That’s why we turned to our team of makeup gurus, who shared their secrets for turning up the heat on your look without getting burned.

Playing With Fire
Even on the catwalk, where anything goes, most makeup artists still heeded makeup’s golden rule: only one bold feature per face. “It’s all about balance—emphasizing one feature while playing down the others,” says celebrity makeup artist Stacy Cox. “If you’re going for a dark, smoky eye, stick with a nude lip and subtle blush.” Taylor Babaian, head makeup artist for the L.A. Fashion Awards, concurs: “A smoky eye with a nude lip is a classic look that most women can pull off, and I also love a clean eye with a dark lip; it always looks so regal.” Which approach is best for you? According to celebrity makeup artist Jessica Liebeskind, it’s as simple as pinpointing your best feature: “You don’t want this makeup to hide your perceived flaws; you want it to play up your attributes. So just choose what you like most, and run with it.”

Smoke Signals
By limiting yourself to one bold feature, you’ll increase the odds of achieving a flattering look. But there are other missteps that can lead to certain disaster. That fake bake you’ve been sporting all summer, for example, will most likely clash with this season’s edgy palette. “Instead, use a little bronzer for contour and a pink blush on the apples of cheeks,” Babaian advises. The experts also agree that with intense eyes or lips, any additional shimmer should be doled in small doses or not at all. One cosmetic you shouldn’t skip, however, is an SPF moisturizer. “If you hydrate your skin beforehand, your makeup will glide on perfectly,” says Liebeskind. And while strong brows are back, don’t toss out your tweezer for good, or you’ll run the risk of looking more Frieda Kahlo than Keira Knightley. The best approach? Allow arches to grow in their natural shape, continue to pluck strays, and use a brow powder to create more volume. Or for a quick strong-brow look, “Brush the hairs slightly upward instead of sweeping them to the side,” Cox suggests.

Scorching Eyes
If you’ve selected your eyes as the focal point, you’ll find that this season's color choices go way beyond the usual grays, browns, and blacks. “Many makeup artists are using midnight blues, deep purples, heavy metals, and jewel tones instead,” Cox asserts. When choosing liners, the best formula will depend on the look you want to achieve: For a smudgy, sooty look, pencils and gels are the gold standard, while liquid liner “is great for retro looks or to cover up lash glue,” Babaian says. To coax a classic smoky eye with any color, follow makeup artist Sally Duvall’s lead: “Line the lower rim of the eye, then blink a few times to transfer color to the top,” she explains. “Run a soft pencil along the upper lash line, then blend it using an eye-shadow brush.” Once the lines are well-blurred, “use a softer shadow on the lid, up to the crease,” Duvall instructs. “At this point, you can keep it as is and just add mascara, or finish with a dusting of light, shimmery shadow all over the eye.” To ensure that your shadow lasts all day, invest in a good eye primer, or use Babaian’s technique: “Apply a little foundation and powder beforehand to even out skin tone and give the shadow a better surface to adhere to.” Once you’ve created the perfect smoldering eye, take a cue from Angelina Jolie (don’t go stealing anyone’s husband—just complete your look with a nude lip).

Sizzling Lips
If intense lips are your trend of choice, the options are equally endless—berries, reds, merlots, chocolates. The only rules? Choose a shade that complements your skin tone (warm, cool, or neutral), and again, “remember to play down the rest of your face,” says makeup artist Troy Surratt. In all cases, bold lip color also calls for some advance planning. To prevent bleeding, makeup artist Deborah Grayson likes to prepare lips and the surrounding area with an alpha-hydroxy product, “which rolls away dead skin and creates a smooth surface.” Then, “you can use a lipliner that’s the same tone or slightly lighter to create a base or to touch up your lipstick afterward.” Once you’ve applied your liner and color, Cox recommends setting it with balm or translucent powder during the day and slicking it up with a sexy gloss after dark. For a neutral eye that complements, but doesn’t compete with, a strong mouth, “use one shade of shadow at the base of the lid only, so it’s visible but minimal,” Babaian advises. And finally, to avoid potentially embarrassing mishaps after you’ve applied your color, place your index finger in your mouth, purse your lips around it, and slowly pull your finger back out—any excess color will come off on your finger, not on your teeth.

Photo credit: Kateryna Govorushchenko

Too Hot to Handle?
Even if you heed the gurus’ advice, the question remains: Is dark makeup for everyone? The answer is a resounding yes—but some makeup mavens will need to exercise more caution than others. Mature women, in particular, should avoid being too heavy-handed, and those with fine lines or wrinkles around their eyes will probably want to skip the smoky eye and instead focus on dark lips. “Everyone can wear at least one part of the look, but they’ll need to customize it for their face,” Babaian explains. In addition, this season’s shades aren’t one size fits all. “If you have red hair, very light blonde hair, fair skin, or freckles, black eye makeup or deep berry lips may not be the best look,” says Cox. Instead, she recommends that those with pale skin or hair forego the inky colors in favor of slightly lighter jewel tones and metallics. And as with all things in life, context is everything: “Exaggerated makeup generally isn’t office appropriate,” Liebeskind says. In other words, keep that gold-flecked midnight-blue shadow in the clubs, not the cubicle.

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