Peter Som

The runway ensembles at NYFW were all about the clothes, and designers made sure that we paid attention to that fact, with use of minimal makeup, or unusual touches that only served to further enhance the clothing.

From sparse eyes to nude lips, most models’ faces were seemingly left “bare”.  There was hardly a detectable trace of mascara on lashes. And shine was non-existent. Most of the makeup was matte.

Narciso Rodriguez

One noticeable trend this year was brows. They were left to grow free, with minimal tweezing and shaping. Most models featured two bushy arches above their nearly bare eyes.

The designers who did play with color did so with attention to one feature.

Models featured an orange eye shadow or a brick lip, but never both on the same face at the same time.

Color, when it was present, featured a matte finish.  Orange was the color of choice

for Narciso Rodriguez, with just a simple swipe across the lids. At Donna Karan, red was used to offset a wardrobe palette of grey, charcoal, and black.

Donna Karan

There were a few exceptions to the single color rule this season. Models at Rodarte wore both orange and red eye shadow, with just a hint of shine in the inner corners. But lips were still left bare and matte.

Rodarte

Oscar de la Rent

Ever a fan of the classics, Oscar de la Renta kept the makeup clean and minimal, with “barely there” highlighting through the planes of the face.

The focus was on the brows and lashes, and the result was smoldering without overpowering.

The good news is most of the trends from the runways at NYFW will translate nicely to reality. It may not be the best idea to rock a shocking red or orange eye shadow, but the parade of flawless skin and grown out brows is definitely worth a second look. So, put down the tweezers, upgrade that skin care regimen, and you’ll be well on your way to wearing the “trend” of the coming season, flawlessly and beautifully.