Viktor & Rolf Beauty
Pat McGrath transformed models with a touch of pink on the eyes…
Transformer
Karin Bigler creates hair art that inspires us…
Coming Clean
French line Absolis Patyka is saving our rebellious skin…
Ode to Joya
Joya’s idiosyncratic approach to fragrance creates something new…
Review : Color Therapy
Tom Pecheaux’s Pure Color eye shadows restore our faith in eye makeup…
Stage Beauty
Dior’s color rich couture makeup was better than the collection itself…
The Freshmaker
Basketball star turned niche perfume star Ben Gorham’s line Byredo is the stuff of dreams…
FORD FUSION
Bright, attention grabbing shades are what makes Tom Ford’s lipsticks so incredible…
THIN RED LINE
Simplicity and beauty go hand in hand, case in point Linda Cantello’s incredible work for Armani Beauty. ( Armani F/W 2010 Beauty Slideshow ) The show itself may have bordered on overwrought, with all its gilded flourishes but the makeup was perfec
SHRINKING VIOLETS
On the runway there is nothing more beautiful than a deep, dark lip: whether or not this trend is applicable in real life depends on a variety of things but, 9 times out of 10 this look is best left to the pros. Thankfully Tom Pecheux, is a pro and
ZIG a ZIG AH
The zig zag headband is typically considered an unfashionable mainstay, at some point in every woman’s life she has a one. Typically that point is somewhere around the age of 10 or 11 and said headband is accompanied by liberal amounts of candy sc
SCENT of a WOMAN
With every celebrity and design house rushing to get into the fragrance game, the thought of yet another new perfume seems mundane. Does the world really need another indistinguishable flanker or tepid, pink pepper fi
LIP SMACKER
One of the coolest beauty looks (literally and figuratively) to emerge this season is undoubtedly the visually arresting violet lip. There is something simple and yet subversive about sporting a bold color that falls off the friendly spectrum of re
THE STREAKERS
Of all the beauty trends in existence, contouring remains the most optimistic of the bunch. The idea that with a few shades of color and a dream, one can re-sculpt the shape of their face requires a fair bit of faith but the end results are typica
FIT to PRINT
Body art is one of the more interesting and dynamic areas of cosmetic expression. When you take the boundaries of traditional makeup it opens up the opportunity for maximum creativity. There is something exciting a
MISS FRIZZLE
Prada always takes the esoteric path when it comes to the overall look of their shows. Regardless of what is on trend Miuccia’s team puts together a look that is visually exciting and uniquely suited to the collection at hand. This season’s expertl
BETWEEN the LINES
Truly effective cosemtic statements are often as simple as they are beautiful. Some of the most strikingly minimalist makeup on the F/W runways was at Costello Tagliapietra ( Costello Tagliapietra F/W 09 Makeup Slideshow ) where the models wore an
SMELL-O-VISION
Those familiar with decade old periodicals will tell you that there is a certain aroma that surrounds them. Something not altogether unpleasant but certainly nothing worthy of being turned into a perfume. The idea of a magazine having a signature s
HYSTERIC GLAMOUR
While the look of Dior’s F/W collection was almost slavishly focused on Paul Poiret’s interpretation of orientalism, the collection’s hair and makeup references the era without ta
THE PAINTED VEIL
The 1980s were once considered a benchmark in cosmetic atrocity. The cakey foundation, Color Me Beautiful shades and Tammy Faye mascara were unquestionable wrongs never to be repeated let alone embraced. The decade stood out as a massive beauty don
SPREAD YOUR WINGS
Winged eyeliner oscillates in and out of style but remains synonymous with bad girls and good times. Divas from Cleopatra to Callas to Kate Moss have always favored the winged look for its innate drama – there is a certain dangerousness that comes
MESSAGE PERSONNEL
Editions de Parfums, has made a place for itself in the niche perfume market creating scents that encapsulate the personalities of their wearers. Rather than going for the populist satisfaction of creating a crowd-pleaser Frederic Malle and his cote
PINTUCKED
The updo is a time honored tradition – no other hairstyle signifies maturity and elegance in the same manner. From the primped and puffed bouffant styles of the Gibson Girl era to the Elnet coated beehives of 60s there is something wonderfully nost
SMEAR CAMPAIGN
While the primary purpose behind cosmetics is beautification, there are pioneering artists expanding the scope of makeup into the surreal and fantastic. Pep Gay’s talent for subverting our expectations and creating wearable art stands out as unique
SKIN on SKIN
Perfect skin is an illusion or at the very least a fleeting occurrence – even when the goal of perfection is achieved it is only for a nanosecond. Life intercedes on such short lived moments – smoke, smog, hormones and time all lend a hand in tarni
SCENTUAL SEDUCTION
Designer perfumes rarely live up to their hype – millions of dollars worth of ad space and purple prose copywriting can make even the most banal scent seem scintillating but the proof is in the juice. No matter how many celebrities or big name bran
A POISON KISS
Deep dark lipstick is front and center for autumn. The fall shows for brands as diverse as Giles, YSL and Rodarte showed variations on a brooding theme. Shades ran the gamut from bordeaux to blackout depending on who was wielding the lip brush and
BLUE STEEL
Blue eyeshadow is the unrivaled harlot of the cosmetics counter – it has a bad reputation and deservedly so. There is something about a wash of indigo across the eyelids that pushes the boundaries of good taste and subsequently calls to mind either
NATURAL'S NOT in IT
As the look of streetwear has become more relaxed and informal (dare I say we are entering yet another neo-grunge moment in Manhattan) attitudes towards cosmetics have shifted. While the enthusiasm for facepaint remains unwavering – the stripes of
