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The latest trends, techniques, and insider secrets—revealed.

Love Saves the Day
Embrace your natural flush and wayward tendrils. When it comes to spring beauty, romance reigns supreme.
By Nissa Botthoff

The spring fashion shows are a faint memory, but now that it’s warm enough to wear all those flirty clothes, we’re looking back to see if the beauty trends we previewed were any indication of what’s hot right now. And one thing’s for certain—the spirit of love that ruled the catwalk is in the air. The runways showcased faces in full bloom: Bright, rosy complexions melted the snow, while cascading curls captured our hearts. Think Robin Wright in The Princess Bride, Ali McGraw in Love Story, or Jane Seymour in anything—but updated with a few modern twists. Feeling the love? Well, you’re in luck: The prettiest and most timeless styles work beautifully on everyone. Here, the pros who brought romance to life under the tents show you how to get the look for weddings, proms, or just starry-eyed trips to the grocery store.

Soft Focus
The romantic look simulates the appearance of a woman in love, which, according to Masters and Johnson, means dilated pupils and flushed skin. The aim is muted, with an emphasis on the eyes, says makeup artist Nicole Bryl, who created such a face for the Zac Posen look book. “It’s soft, smoky eyes, not a lot of liner, and just a little mascara with blended rosy cheeks and petal-soft creamy lipstick,” she explains. To re-create the look, Bryl suggests choosing a warm neutral eye shadow with just a hint of shimmer. “Blend lightly all over the top lid, and smudge gently under the bottom lashes,” she says. “No matter what your coloring, the warmer shade will bring out the warmth in your eyes, evoking romantic evenings and springtime walks through the park.”

Devra Kinery of Shu Uemura, who generated a romantic look at the Adam + Eve show, explains, “I kept the skin dewy, with a touch of warm blush.” Once again concentrating on the eyes, she used “a soft brown shadow lightly around the eye to create depth, then applied a metallic brown pencil underneath for a smoldering effect.” Kinery completed the face with dark mascara and soft pink lips. “I wanted to create a provocative effect—romantic yet still very modern.” To make the approach work for you, she suggests playing with the placement of the eye pencil: “Some women may look better by smudging it on top rather than the bottom or by placing it on the outside corner of the eye or lining the inside.” The most important addition to your makeup case this spring? “A good metallic pencil,” she stresses. “The texture should be soft enough so you can blend it to create a smoky effect.” Not surprisingly, Shu Uemura’s Drawing Pencils offer superb texture and come in an array of metallic earth and jewel tones.

Mane Attractions
According to the experts, romantic hair is textured and a bit undone—tousled, wavy, or curly, and anything but pin-straight or done. The look of love doesn’t necessarily mean having to wear your hair down, though. “Chignons were popular again this season, but what made them stand out from previous seasons were the contrasting matte texture and dramatic shine that gave each style dimension and a bit of edge,” says hairstylist Damien Boissinot of Bumble and Bumble, who created looks for the Adam + Eve, Thakoon, and Carlos Miele shows. At Adam + Eve, he started by pulling dry hair—either all or just the front section, depending on the face shape—into a loose chignon at the back of the head. “I used Bb Styling Wax and Hair Powder for grip and to create a matte, wavy texture on clean hair. Then, I pulled out random pieces from the chignon at the ears and back of the head, and finished with a bit of Bb Does It All to hold everything in place without making it too stiff.” The best part? “This look works for just about every hair type and shouldn’t be too perfect—there’s no right way to do it. I wanted the look to be sexy and fresh, something that a woman could wear out for cocktails without worrying about her hair.”

Jean-Francois Pilon of J. Sisters International, who coifs New York City’s society brides, notes that his clientele is requesting a softer, freer look this year: “Many women are wearing their hair down in lots of beautiful curls or very loosely swept up.” He uses a curling iron on vertical sections to create long spiral curls à la Nicole Kidman, then separates them with his fingers for a more natural look. For updo’s he recommends first applying mousse or gel, or starting with unwashed hair—“clean hair is slippery, and the style falls out right away.” He also suggests adding an accessory to a casual chignon for more drama. A couple of skinny headbands (Camila Paris has a great selection of simple styles) gives a chignon a Helen of Troy feel. “Pull some curls out and over the headbands,” he instructs. “This style really holds up well, but still looks unstructured.” Of course, fresh flowers are the “ultimate romantic accessory,” and Pilon recommends tucking them behind the ear or in the chignon, then finishing with a little hairspray—a light spritz that will make the romance last throughout the day.

Photo credit: Kateryna Govorushchenko

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