THE BEST MAKEUP LOOKS FROM SPRING 2013 FASHION WEEK

When it come to beauty looks, bare is always beautiful - but so is a bit of colour on the face. Fortunately the spring shows offered us both options this season. Makeup artists swept brilliant shade of blue and green on the eyes at Stella McCartney and Versus, slicked vivid crimson hues on lips at Jason Wu and Burberry, then emphasized neutral lips and glowing skin at shows like Dolce & Gabbana. There were moments of major lashes and brows but all of that was balanced by softly smudge-in eyeliner backstage. To emphasize this mix of strong versus subtle, play up the features you want to draw attention to with colour - or a touch of sparkle (see Chanel, Gucci) - while keeping the rest of your look simple and glowing. 

Red Signals

At first, it seemed like spring would be a season of pale lips. Then red colours hit with a bang, most noticeably at Burberry where models wore a creamy scarlet hue that generated major buzz. At Prada, makeup queen Pat McGrath went for a matte crimson, outlining the outermost part of lips in red pencil that accentuated the shape of the mouth (tip: this makes the lips look bigger and fuller). All told, the season's rouges ranged from pinky-red at Missoni and Oscar de la Renta to the classic power red at Jean Paul Gaultier to the dark and dramatic black cherry at Jonathan Saunders, proving the enduring appeal of being in the red. 

Featured: Dolce & Gabbana

Eyeliner In Full Effect

Ever since that cat-eye trend hit last year, eyeliner has become a newfound essential. While there were examples of the retro flicked-up effect at Thierry Mugler and Miu Miu, the modern rim - a tight outline, softly smudged - dominated at shows like BCBG, Roberto Cavalli and Lavin. It's a downtown look that went a bit uptown at Chanel where makeup artist Peter Philips created striking contrast with his jet black liner by swiping on a platinum shadow over the lids, giving us inspiration for how to dress up a few simple strokes for day to night. 

Featured: Lanvin

LUSH LASHES

From the inky, Twiggy-like fringe seen at Gaultier to the curled and combed up look at Gucci, it's time to have fun with your lashes this season. For the beauty adventurous, look to the chic-clumpy variety at Véronique Leroy, and our favourite, the heavy lashes offset with white liner - and nails to match - at Moschino. 

Featured: Jean Paul Gaultier

THE BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL BROWS

Strong brows proved their staying power again. At Etro, makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury went for a "fresh, clean" nineties-inspired look, which she created by filling in with M.A.C's Eye Brow pencils in Fling and Lingering. Meanwhile, Estée Lauder Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheaux enhanced the arches of stunners like Arizona Muse at Anthony Vaccarello with the Estée Lauder's Automatic Brow Pencil Duo in Soft Brown. A handy pro tip: brush brow hairs down to find your natural shape, then fill in sparse areas with a pencil, using short, feathery strokes to shape and even out the contours of your brows. 

Featured: Marc Jacobs

SEEING BLUE AND GREEN

A Mediterranean influence swept  the shows, as makeup artists dabbed their eye makeup brushes in shades of turquoise, jade and vibrant aqua. Even though the references supposedly ranged from the psychedelic sixties at Moschino Cheap and Chic to bejeweled butterflies at Gucci, the look wasn't too wild or extreme for the every day wearer. Try a thin streak of green eyeliner seen at Stella McCartney or Kenzo, a saturated smear of sapphire on the base of lids like at Versus, or a colour-blocked etching of royal blue or teal a la Fendi. And for those moments of all-out glamour, place a few sparkles around your eyes like a Gucci model if you dare. 

Featured: Versus

SKIN ALL AGLOW

Fresh, natural skin provided the perfect backdrop for the season's best looks. At Dolce & Gabbana, makeup artists Pat McGrath achieved a flawless "Sicilian summer" effect by applying liquid foundation with a brush, paying extra attention to the nose and forehead for an even effect. She followed that with a touch of concealer where needed and three different shades of blush - Dolce & Gabbana The Bluah in Sole, Mocha and Apricot - lightly swept across models' cheekbones to bring out that elusive inner glow. Good skincare goes a long way, too. Try a light-reflecting primer worn underneath makeup and a highlighter dabbed on the high points of your face. 

Featured: Ralph Lauren

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