FALL BACK!

The Pros agree that our favorite time of the year is between the months of September and November, thus we begin our search for new wardrobe items, both clothing and makeup. 

During our quest, we couldn’t help but notice the touch of feline femininity seen throughout the colors and textures that definitely make Fall 2010 our most favorite season. Bold, striking, and maybe a little high maintenance, the sassy trend is one to sink your claws into.

IMPO sent Makeup Pro, Cathi Singh, out to investigate and report on all the latest Fall trends.  She says, “it’s all about clean skin, long lashes, dramatic shadow, rich velvety colors, and soft luxurious cream blushes and lip colors.”

Your first step to achieving a new Fall look begins with Foundation because healthy skin is always in, but this season the focus is refined and polished, with a less dewy sheen.  Our picks are Chanel Pro Lumiere for a semi-matte silky finish and NARS Sheer Matte foundation.

Nothing screams sex kitten like a fierce cat eye using liquid liner and new user-friendly products give this classic a helpful update. Felt tip liner pens give beginners and Pros alike the benefit of a perfectly smooth line with just a flip of the wrist.

Our favorites are; NARS Stylo Pen, Benefit Magic Ink and Smashbox Liner Pen from the Heartbreak collection.

Pro Tip: When shopping for your felt tip pen, make sure to check the size of the pen tip as it will affect how defined or dramatic it applies onto your eye. Not all pens are created equal. Also, add a modern twist to your cat eye by applying a jewel toned soft pencil around the rim of the liquid liner or smudged over it.

We sipped on pumpkin spice lattes while viewing the Fall 2010 eye shadow collections - bronzes, coppers, smoldering browns, grays, and blacks.  Green tones are usually a part of every fall/winter season, but this is the year of the humid, khaki green. The military jacket, moss colored, shade with a hint of gold for that chic finish.

Pro picks; Guerlain Terracotta Fard Indien Mineral Eye Shadow in Jungle Dust is a deep green with gold shimmer that has a built in sponge tip applicator. Perfect for the get up and go lifestyle. Also check out their shadow quad called Bronze Dore 481, which has a beautiful olive green and complimenting colors.

Indulgent, dessert like chocolate browns are also a must for Fall and the Pros are head over heels for llamasqua’s Cream Eye Shadow in Destroy, which has a satin finish with a rich terracotta pigment. Delve and Inhale are two more decadent and delicious colors to add to the autumn palette.

 

Urban Decay gets a huge gold star for their Naked Palette. It’s stocked with the gamut of bronzy browns and a deep pigmented black, as well as two eye pencils to finish off the frisky feline set.

For the ultimate in luxurious shadow, Dior has created the Minaudiere Clutch for the smoky eye enthusiasts. Amenities include classic Dior hounds tooth pattern, gold accents, and two warm glossy lip colors. This clutch is exclusive to Dior's Holiday Collection 2010 not yet available in stores.

To line your eyes, try Stila’s Smudge Stick Waterproof Liner in Moray, which is an intense olive green with blendable texture. For understated color, mix bluish green colored pencils with charcoal shadows.

Lashes are all about length this season, so the Pros suggest Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Smoky Lash Waterproof Extra Black Mascara with an elastomer high-density brush, which makes reaching lash roots easy and creates incredible separation.

Just like fashion, brows have trends too and this season, brows are taking a back seat to prominent eye or lip color due to the rising trend of lightening, highlighting and erasing brow hair. If you don’t want to dye your brows, try a lighter application with your brow pencil, or even a shade or two lighter with a powder.

Understated and soft cheeks that have just a kiss of color are a must this season and at the top of our Fall 2010 list is Senna’s Cheeky Cream Blush in Petal.  We also love Senna’s new color Hue from their latest collection, which is a sheer matte blush.

Lady GaGa isn’t the only one embracing an orange lip; this feline look rocked the runways. Tangerine lips worn with bronzer, black eyeliner and mascara will immediately make your look current and fresh.

Not to mention the orange tones warm up the skin and help maintain that tan we are desperately trying to hold on to.  Sisley Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick in L30 or L11 is our choices when rocking this trend.

  

Burgundy lipstick is another one of our favorite trends this season. Nothing says cozy like a rich berry stained lip, fluffy sweater and good book. In our case the book is usually a fashion mag, but tomato tomahto.

The Pros love Dior Addict Lip Color in Pinstripe Plum, as seen below on French actress, Marion Cotillard in Vogue Magazine.

We also are smitten with MAC Lipstick in Kittenish from the Fabulous Felines Collection exhibit some of the finest burgundy wine shades.  NYFW was laced with wine stained lips this season, like a 1930’s prostitute on the L.A.M.B. runway created with MAC cosmetics.

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

Fall 2010 is all about smoldering, sensual lips in jewel toned colors and we love the fact that lipstick is making a major comeback, but the Pros are so over trying to coordinate lip liners and lipstick colors!  We recommend trying Cargo Cosmetics The Reverse Lip Liner, which comes in two shades, Light or Medium/Dark.  This liner is a natural colored pencil that adds definition and fullness to the lip line and locks color in place.  Check out Cargo’s great how-to instructions below:

Get the Look - Girl Next Door!

This Pro is a lover of old black and white movies from the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s! Who doesn’t love the glitz and glamour of Greta Garbo, Betty Davis, Joan Crawford, Sophia Loren or Vivian Leigh? But, my favorite is the innocence of characters created by actresses such a Judy Garland (Wizard of Oz), Joan Fontaine (Rebecca), Jean Parker (Little Women), Grace Kelly (The Country Girl) Lena Horne (Stormy Weather) and Debbie Reynolds (Singing in the Rain).

The classic “girl next door” look has been created and recreated over and over again throughout movie making history. Sissy Spacek, Cybill Shepherd and Farrah Fawcett had the “all-American” face and today actresses such as Zooey Deschanel, Anne Hathaway, Zoe Saldana, Reese Witherspoon, Gong Li, Jessica Alba and America Ferrera are considered the quintessential “girl next door,” but with a modern, sexy twist!

Back in the glory days of Hollywood, studios would “groom” starlets to fit a certain “type.” For instance, Judy Garland, who was born Frances Ethel Gumm in 1922, was signed on to an extremely long-term contract with MGM at the tender age of 13.

She was older than most traditional child stars, but the studio knew that Judy was going to be their big money-maker and they were right! “Raised” properly and photographed in a certain light with hair, makeup and wardrobe befitting a young, innocent girl, the studio marketed her image to the world and reaped a huge profit in return!

But, did you know that Judy literally “lived” on the MGM Studio lot most of her young life? Attending school with Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner and growing up on a sound stage exacerbated her insecurities to the point where she was forced to wear caps on her teeth and rubberized disks to reshape her nose. I guess it didn’t help that the Studio Chief, the famous Louis B. Mayor, nicknamed her “the little hunchback!” She was “cute” and her looks did not exemplify a glamorous persona. She was a tiny little “girl” at 4 feet 11 inches, but had a voice as tall as a mountain!

Fast forward to the 1960’s when a gorgeous blonde beauty born Cybill Lynne Shepard beacame a “star” by appearing in The Last Picture Show as Jacy. She captivated our hearts and sky rocketed as a model when the trend changed from Twiggy-type waifs to more curvy “real woman” images!

Enter Breck Shampoo circa 1968 and you will discover Cheryl Tiegs, Jaclyn Smith and Christie Brinkley were among the most memorable “girls next door.” Or how about Marcia Brady? C’mon! It’s okay to admit that you wanted to live next door to the Brady family and have Marcia be your best friend, only because you had a crush on Greg and thought that by being Marcia’s friend, he would take you to the Prom! Or maybe you were a Partridge Family fan?

Our nation’s "all-American" look definitely was more defined by women (or girls) who were blonde-haired and fair-skinned, but fast-forward to the 1980’s and you will discover Molly Ringwald. She was born in a quiet little town just outside of Sacramento, California when she got her “big break” playing the role of Molly Parker on the Facts of Life.

However, her most memorable performances are portraying moody, awkward teen characters in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, which were written specifically for her by the late John Hughes. She was a freckle-faced, red head with a spunky attitude, but none-the-less, she looked more like the “real” girl next door, then that of a super model. She was believable and we as young girls in the 80’s completely identified with her and the emotional characters she brought to life.

In today’s world, our society is a melting pot of gorgeous "all-American" women with ethnicities that scream “modern world” instead of “middle-ages!” We embrace beauty regardless of skin color and are inspired by all shapes and sizes of women!

You can sport the “girl next door” look everyday! It is a simple as putting your hair in a ponytail, pulling on a pair of Levi jeans, a white t-shirt from the Gap and a pair of cowboy boots!

Gather your supplies:

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer

Concealer

Setting Powder

Neutral Eye Shadow

Bronzer

Peach Blush

Mascara

Eyeliner

Nude Lip Pencil

Lipgloss – pink, peach or nude

Product recommendations and how-to:

This Pro always recommendations prepping your skin properly before applying any cosmetics. Using a great skincare and primer is a must in achieving the “girl next door” look, which begins with clean, clear, radiant skin.

Pro Tip: This is not a “heavy” or “made-up” look – each product should be lightly applied and blended to achieve a natural face!

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer/Concealer – begin by examining your skin in the mirror and deciding if you need a full coverage foundation, tinted moisturizer or maybe you just need to conceal a few problem areas. I love Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer. It is a great bang-for-your-buck giving you three products in one, moisturizer, SPF and foundation.

If you like the coverage of a foundation, try using Visiora Powder Foundation which is heavier on the skin, but may cover your skin issues eliminating your need for concealer and a setting powder. Visiora also has more of a pink undertone, which can create a natural flush to your skin possibly ruling out the need for blush color.

This Pros concealer recommendation is Benefit Cosmetics, Realness of Concealness box, which contains every possible product you could possibly need to conceal a skin flaw! This little kit has a mini collection of Benefits’ most coveted concealers such as Boi-ing, Lemon-Aid, Ooh la Lift, High Beam and Lip Plump.

Setting Powder – it is a makeup “rule” that you must set any crème product before applying a powder product. If you do not follow this step you will most likely look like a “streaky” mess. Tricia Sawyer Beauty’s Sheer Diffusion Cotton Powder is an amazing loose, colorless setting powder made of finely milled cotton. It is formulated to control shine throughout the day making for less touch ups!

Neutral Eye Shadow – This Pro loves Bobbi Brown’s newest take on nude makeup and it is a Fall Season “must-have!” Bobbi’s Nude Eye Palette will effortlessly take you from day to night with universally flattering selections of nude shadows. With three different textures; soft matte, lightly pearlized and metallic shimmer.

To achieve a "girl-next-door" eye begin with the lightest shade of Navajo eye shadow as an all-over wash from lid to brow. Add Chino in the crease and use to line the lower lash line right at the waterline - blend. Finish with a wash of Beige Linen Shimmer all over and blend.

Eyeliner – to complete your natural eye look use a super soft eyeliner pencil. iNuovi Cosmetics makes a great waterproof liner called Fluid Liner and this Pro loves the color Café. This is a perfect liner in pencil form for the “tight lining” technique of the upper lash line area. It is smudge-proof and gives a high pigmentation of color. This product contains Jojoba and cottonseed oil making it very easy to blend. Once set, this liner will last all day with no need for touch up!

Bronzer/Blusher – using a bronzer to enhance your cheekbones and give the illusion of a tanner skin tone, I recommend CoverFX Bronzed FX because they come in an amazing range of color making it easy to achieve a healthy, sunkissed look. Apply lightly under cheekbones and temples across forehead and chin.

On the apples of your cheeks use a gorgeous and warm peach-toned blush like Chiffon from iNuovi Cosmetics. This product line comes in an array of colors making it easy for women of all skin tones to find a peach colored blusher just right for them!

Mascara – you can use either brown or black mascara for this look. This Pro recommends embracing CoverGirl Lash Blast, what could be more "all-American?" Not only is it a fantastic formula that makes your lashes full and lush, it is a drug-store item, which means your wallet will love you!

Nude Lip Pencil/Lipgloss – Smashbox Cosmetics makes an amazing Nude Lip Liner that is ultra creamy! In Fair, Light, Medium and Dark, you will be able to find a match to your lip tone creating a natural, defined look. This product works with any lip color and will make your gloss last for hours.

NARS Cosmetics is this Pro’s favorite when it comes to lipgloss! Complete your look using colors such as Striptease, Stolen Kisses, Sunset Strip, Supervixen or Sweet Dreams!

Following the above instructions will give you a fresh face, wholesome, "all-American" look of the "girl-next-door!" One that will make even Hugh Hefner stand up and take notice!

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

Groomed eyebrows are an important part in creating a clean look. Make sure you pluck, wax or thread away any stray hairs. Keep them in place with an eyebrow gel and fill in with a matching eyebrow pencil or powder if they are sparse or if you have over plucked!

STAY TUNED:

Up next on IMPO: step into the unique world of nano-technology, aromatherapy, high-tech ingredients and discover SAMPAR! Learn how to treat and change the effects of environmental pollution on your skin!