Fall/Winter Beauty Trends for 2012

Summers here. The weather is warm, the beaches are full, and shorts and tank tops are all over the place! This, of course, means its time to start thinking about Fall and Winter makeup looks.

EYES. Colored smoky eyes are all over the place and summers trend of orange is sticking around for the cooler weather. Try it with a deeper burnt orange or sunset hues; or branch out and change it all up. The standard browns and golds are, of course, back and always a good fit for fall, but smoky eyes in blues and lavenders were also popping up all over the runways. Sharp winged liner contrasts the smokey for a different look, my favorite being the bright blue ones I keep seeing over and over.

This teal smokey eye at Jason 
Wu is so pretty and feminine! 

Versace's dark eye eye makes a
statement with pale lips and cheeks. 

This smokey cat eye at is absolutely
stunning and makes eyes look huge. 

Anna Sui's bright blue cat eye can
be everyday makeup, I'd do it without
the accent dot on the lower lid.

LIPS. If smoky eyes aren't your thing, keep 'em clean and go for some sexy vampy lips instead. Perfect skin is they key here with softly colored cheeks setting the perfect background for your sultry pout. Again, we can't let go of orange, so rock your mango mouth from summer. For a more classic look, reach for that red in your makeup bag never goes out of style,or add some drama in a plum, wine, or brick tone. The key to keeping your vampy lip stunning? Concealer! Apply concealer at the outside edge of your lipline is a shade SLIGHTLY lighter than your skin tone and blend it into your foundation well, so there is no defined line. Apply lipliner all over your lips, filling them in, then your lipstick. The concealer will keep your edge sharp and defined. Clean up any mistakes on the edges with a pointed q-tip.

Gucci's mullberry lip is the perfect
example of the deep vampy lip.

SKIN. For perfect looking skin, you can't plan on your makeup doing all the work, proper prep is just as - if not more - important. Fall and winter can suck the moisture out of your skin, leaving you looking flaky and dull. Hydrate with a good moisturizer before you apply your makeup, and after you wash your face at night.  If your regular face lotion doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore, look into something a bit heavier and creamier for the cooler weather. Be sure to drink your water. Skin needs to be hydrated from the inside as well as the outside. Its easy leave your water bottle behind when the sun is no longer beating down on you, but your body still needs your 6-8 glasses a day, and all those cups of coffee don't count. Keep skin smooth and soft by exfoliating any dead skin regularly.

Use concealer sparingly, only where needed, and wear a good quality foundation. A higher quality foundation has better ingredients, so your skin will be happier, and is also more highly pigmented. More pigment means that you can use less product to get the coverage you need to create the look of flawless skin, instead of looking like you have a pound of makeup on your face.