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Given the number of holiday season bashes we have logged into our iPhone, we’re on the lookout for tips and tools to help us get prepped lickety split–without looking like we’ve only spent 20 minutes in front of the mirror. We want a look that says Done Perfectly while still being slightly undone.

We scrolled through our fave shots from the Fall 2009 runways for inspiration. The Goth look was definitely out. The classic beauty, though oh-so-darling with upswept coiffeand red lips, was a little too-too for our taste this season. And then it struck us: Vera Wang’s gold-accented eyes and natural hair. She paired the look with a collection that was slightly more austere than we usually expect from one of NY’s most romantic designers. We noticed that–sans the usual embellishments Wang usually adorns her pieces with, but filled with intriguing fabrics like rippling organza, techno stretch and scuba–the collection showed just the sort of understated celebratory wear we had planned to don.

It’s a look that we’re recommending for all seasonal celebrations this year: use a texturizing product on hair, then sweep it up and keep it in place with elastics and bobby pins; keep your face fair and fresh with rosy cheeks, and elegant with gold lids.

Get the Look
Ask the experts at MAC or Murale (pictured) for tips on how to pull this look off with panache.

Spring 2010 fashion weeks showed a rainbow of color on faces. In New York, a few of our favourite designers deserve mention. In Milan and Paris, different looks were everywhere–but highlighting one feature was tops. 

New York
A rainbow of colours set off eyes at Derek Lam
Bursts of color were wrapped in hair at Zac Posen
Rodarte created tribal art-inspired body paint
Geisha-inspired makeup complimented the collection at Marc Jacobs
Tuleh showed rosy faces
Tommy Hilfiger did dreamy blowouts 

Milan and Paris
Balenciaga did neon and tribal influenced eyes
Charcoal, smoky eyes were sultry at Lanvin
Glossy, red-hot lips shone at Prada
Plum kisses put purple in the spotlight at Bottega Veneta
Hair was frizzy at Etro, and even bigger–in full afros–at Louis Vuitton

Get the Look
Ask the pros at Murale or MAC for tips on how to pull this look off, and what beauty products will work best for you.

LET’S HEAR IT
Highlight one feature or all?

We saw them at Rachel Roy–paired with dark bobbed wigs, to help emphasize, as she hoped they would, the strength of her Fall 2009 collection–minus the poufs, bubble skirts, and embellishments of past seasons. There they were again, at Rodarte, alongside Maori-inspired tattoos, flawless skin enhanced by sculptural application on the cheek and eyes, and black nails. And then Tuleh models were sporting them, as Gothic English roses-complete with pin-curled hair, darkened and elongated eyebrows, and deep shadows on eyelids-all inspired by the 1930s.

Black lips were, quite frankly, nearly everywhere. Whether muted into a dark gray, layered on in a thick black wedge of lipstick, or slicked on over top of berry tones as a gloss, lips were dark and as Goth as the fashions.

Our Top Recommendations
MAC: Style Black collection, featuring Black Knight Lipstick and Nocturnelle Nail Lacquer
Chanel:  Noir Obscurs collection
Yves Saint Laurent: Pur Gloss Black
Lancôme: Color Fever Gloss in Piha Black

MAC senior artist Fatima Thomas had this to say:
“Black plays into so many current pop culture phenomena, like vampires and a revival of Eighties street style.” 

Not sure about sporting darkened lips? Aim for the Goth-look with black nails or a smoky eye, or go classic, with the runway favourite: deep red lips.

Get the Look
Find our recommended brands, and ask the experts at M.A.C. and just-opened Murale for tips on how to pull off dark lips, and what brand works best for you.

LET’S HEAR IT
Black lips: bold or creepy?

While watching the shows for Spring 2010, we noticed something about the hair. Whether slicked back or poofed up, it was wet–or at least cleverly disguised as damp. Whether combed back at Jen Kao and rag & bone, parted down the centre at Marc Jacobs, or pulled back into updos at Chado Ralph Rucci and Zac Posen, the designers sent models down the runway with hair loaded with product. Considering the trend for your own new look?

Consider these 5 dos and donts.
Do: pair slicked-back pony tails and updos with thick-rimmed glasses and tailored jackets

Don’t: match long, wet-look tresses with anything you’d wear to the office

Do: risk envious stares while parading the sidewalk with wet-look, just out of the shower, loose ‘dos matched with casual, highly stylish gear

Do: strut your stuff in elegant evening wear made sexier: dry hair made wet from forehead to ear tips

Don’t: make it obvious. This look is all about wet, not weighed down with product

Get the Look
Get your runway-inspired ‘do, or simply the one that’s just right for you, at Botticelli for Hair or Hennessey Salon and Spa

LET’S HEAR IT
What would you pair with wet-looking hair?

In beauty terms, Fall 2009 has become the golden age of nail polish. Designers showed hues far from the standard sell-out red, and say-nothing pink. Colours more in line with Victorian wallpaper, as in New York manicurist Jin Soon Choi’s selections for M.A.C., or a shiny new car, as seen at Lancôme, made an impact on the runway, as nail polish became just as important an accessory as bags and shoes.

Top Picks: Nail Polish

1. Indigo by Lancôme: a deep, metallic blackberry
2. Cool Reserve by Jin Soon Choi for M.A.C.: a dirty gray lavender
3. Dry Martini by Jin Soon Choi for M.A.C.: khaki olive green
4. Beyond Jealous by Jin Soon Choi for M.A.C.: a blackened blue-green

We dare you to pair them with another top beauty trend this season: black lips.

Get the Look
Find drama-tinged polish, and more, from the experts at M.A.C. and Shifeon.

LET’S HEAR IT
What are your thoughts on polish to pair with your outfit?

We’re continually amazed by couture. It seems the one place where fashion stays fashion–pure and untinged by mass marketing. Who wants wearable when you can have a true impact? And it’s at the couture shows where hairstylists and make-up artists truly get to shine. We scoured them all to come up with our fave looks from the runways. 

1. Jean Paul Gaultier
   Tall updos and Hollywood glamour.
2. Chanel
   Bows and flowers made out of loose hair strands.
3. Givenchy
   Rhinestones and sequins on faces.
4. Christian Lacroix
   Shimmer eyes and peachy cheeks.
5. Christian Dior
   Different lip and eye shadow combos.

Too much for Vancouver nightlife? We disagree. Let’s inspire.

Get the Look
For right-on-trend, or just-right-for-you hair and make-up tips visit M.A.C., Shifeon, The Bay, Botticelli for Hair, or Hennessey Salon + Spa.

LET’S HEAR IT
Where and when can we get away with truly inspired hair and make-up?

Rodriguez’s Spring 2009 collection came with some surprises: more colour than usual, and a surprising theme: ninja rock star. The cut-outs were a bit more daring, the bandage dresses a bit stronger, and the prints featured ninja stars. Yup, ninja stars. But the part we liked best about the collection that just happens to be the part we can parlay into our own summer look? Models’ heavily lined eyes and squared-off hair. 

Top Beauty Tips
Straight From the Runway

1. Apply eyeliner to the upper and lower lash lines. Finish with several coats of mascara.
2. Create a strong silhouette by applying a texturizer to the roots of your hair. Then pin it back, letting a few pieces fall out. 

Get the Look
PLUS insider tips
Eyes
The Body Shop
Tons of natural beauty products and friendly staff
M.A.C.
Created for make-up artists, used by make-up lovers
Shifeon
Filled with luxury and prestigious beauty products and perfume

Hair
Botticelli for Hair
They may be inclined to give you the perfect cut to suit your lifestyle, but they’re fashion-loving ways mean they’re up for some runway-inspired styling
Hennessy Salon and Spa
A personalized approach means they aim to make you really happy

But be careful when sporting this look; shopping sale grabs might be punctuated with a “Hiya!”

LET’S HEAR IT
Would you rock on? Can this look work for day?