Toni Francesc Fall 2011

Hair and makeup are undeniably important at Fashion Week, and while not forgotten, they can still take a bit of a backseat to the many fabulous clothing trends that debut during the fashion frenzy. If you’re a cosmetics junkie, you probably devour the makeup looks just as hard or harder as the fancy frocks on the catwalk. Here are five Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011 makeup trends that we spotted!

1.) Paler, Matte-r Skin: As seen in this pic from MAC Cosmetics (and in several other places), skin for F/W 2011 is trending towards dropping the bronzer in favor of more natural, almond-y tones for fairer skin types. A bronzed glow is a bit of a perennial, but it was interesting to see the more alabaster types get their day- well, not in the sun, apparently. MAC’s Studio Fix is a very favored product for a perfected matte visage.

2.) Gunmetal and black: Lots of shows featured an Old Hollywood vibe, and gunmetal has a modern edge but undeniable silent film-era feel as well. (Seen on eyes in Badgley Mischka’s Fall/Winter 2011 collection.) Dior’s 1-Colour Ultra-Smoothing High Impact Eyeshadow in Argentic 056 or Flash Back 086 provides a finely-milled shimmery gray wash of color.

3.) Undone Updos: Are you one of those people who can get days out of a good blowout? Looks for Fall and Winter 2011 will put far less of a strain on your hot tools, as bed-head inspired updos totally rocked the runway this Fashion Week- as seen below at Vivienne Tam. A dab of Bumble & Bumble’s Brilliantine is a standby for this fashionably disheveled look.

4.) Neutral lips: A twist on the Hollywood siren look was a neutral lip in lieu of the old glam standard red. Make Up Forever did the look at Mara Hoffman below, and Rouge Artist Intense in Matte Caramel is a good neutral choice for an understated lip.

5.) Intense, winged liner: We hinted at this trend in our post about Mehron for Toni Francesc, but this is a look that popped up in several F/W 2011 collections and is seen below at Monique Lhuillier. NARS has a felt tip precision liquid eyeliner that would make this look a snap, even without pre-existing liquid liner skills.

Which makeup and hair trends for Fall/Winter 2011 are you excited about?

[Pics: BeautyPress]

As Mercedes Benz Fashion Week sashays on, it’s always fun to see how the trends we read about are translated to the catwalk from written press releases and trend reports. One consistent theme is the emergence of steel or ash gray as an extremely pervasive and fresh looking neutral, with pops of fiery color for tops, accessories and face.

We’ve got some exclusive snaps from Mehron‘s makeup looks backstage at Toni Francesc‘s Fall 2011 collection. A press release described the collection as inspired by the mythical phoenix:

“The Phoenix has long been presented as symbol of rebirth, immortality, and renewal… The collection provides an insight into each phase ranging from the fire to the ashes… Garments are composed of luscious silks and wools. Generous, straight forms are combined with volumes that nip in at the waist and hug the body in clean lines that trace the female figure.”

The luxe wool and silky textures were balanced by casually disheveled updos and what can best be described as very stylish bed-head. Clean, matte skin was accented with strong, decidedly avian liner. A fringe of thick, assertive lashes crowned eye looks, and a pouty, mid-gloss pink or orange-y red lip finished the look. Witness:

Winged liner and gorgeous lash fringe!

Vibrant lip palette featuring a range of pinks, plums and reds for fall pouts.

More intense liner, dramatic lashes, fire and gray palette, and beautiful reddish-pink lip.

On-trend ochre, updo and plummy red lip.

Darkest pink lip, slate gray slacks and amazing bed hair.

The interplay of finished (liner) and unfinished (hair), neutral (gray wool) and intense (fire orange silk), luxe and distressed is really standing out with the Fall 2011 collections I’ve seen thus far. Which Fall 2011 trends have caught your eye?

[Images courtesy of Richard Esposito]

Fashion Week Beauty: Five Hair and Makeup Trends From the Runway

Fashion Week Makeup: Mehron at Toni Francesc F/W 2011