Top 10 Beauty Faux Pas Made Popular

Elle

These hair and makeup don'ts were dos on the Spring 2010 runways


Theatrical Makeup
Clowning around is typically reserved for the circus, but at Jacobs' show white-painted faces, dramatic eyeliner, and red lips ruled. "I wanted the models to look like characters-like ballerinas who just stepped off the stage," says makeup maestro François Nars about the look. "It's '30s stage makeup with a modern edge. Dancers in theater and opera always had white faces, pointed lips, and an eye that was drawn outward, not upward."

Gray Roots
Going prematurely gray is an unwelcome tress transformation for most women. But at Rue du Mail's show, thanks to a liberal dusting of hair powder, models boldly walked the runway with halfway-down-the-head gray, making silver strands a dramatic do.

Clumpy Mascara and Penciled-In Brows
TV commercials have drilled the importance of mascara brushes that "separate each lash" into our heads. And Brooke Shields' lush arches have long been coveted. But at Reese's spring 2010 show, makeup artist Charlotte Willer was intent on creating stuck-together lashes and superthin brows. "It's a modernized '20s look," says the Maybelline global makeup artist. "We hid the eyebrows with concealer and drew a line over each with pencil. For lashes, we wanted them spiky so that they stood out. After brushing mascara on, I pushed lashes together so they'd appear clumped."

Uncovered Wig Wraps
What lies beneath a wig is typically not meant for public display-but at Ohne Titel's show, stylist Jimmy Paul purposely left models' wig-ready heads uncovered. Inspired by the age-old hair-wrapping technique, Paul misted strands with a strong-hold spray and circled them around the head. To secure, he wove sections together with thread and applied Bumble and bumble Hair Powder for matte texture.

Matte Hair
Shiny tresses are one of the most sought-after attributes, but to offset spring's abundance of shimmering fabrics, this season, matte hair is a must. "If clothes are very light-reflective pairing high-gloss hair with them can be too much," says Guido Palau, who says he uses dry shampoo or baby powder on blow-dried hair to dull it down. "The two-day-old matte look is cooler-it's not like you're trying too hard."

Palau isn't the only stylist opting for matte: To complement the metallic fabrics in Preen's spring 2010 collection, Laurent Phillippon used Bumble and bumble Surf Spray. "Normally, you'd spray the product on your hair and let it air-dry. But for Preen, I'm blow-drying with a flat brush using the Surf Spray," says Phillippon. "This gives the hair really nice hold and a certain amount of matte texture-it's still light and clean but has an interesting matte effect."

Tat Sleeves
While Chanel went with delicately tattooed necks, wrists, and legs, Rodarte opted for bold tattoo sleeves-a type of tattooing that usually rivals the "tramp stamp" in unpopularity. "It's Maori-tribe-meets-L.A.-gang," says makeup artist James Kaliardos about the face and body art. "The look is inspired by East L.A. gang girls; even the lips are meant to appear tattooed." To fashion the faux tats, artists used sponges to apply M.A.C Chromaline, a water-resistant product, over precut patterns and dusted with translucent powder.

Unruly Curls
If curls can't be tamed, don't bother: Cutler stylist Teddy Charles aimed to dishevel models' tresses at Luca Luca in order to create a "dramatic" effect. Of the look, Charles said he interpreted the season literally, choosing "natural, bouncy curls" as a way to celebrate spring and "springy movement."

Bleached Brows
Barely there brows may have a bad rep, but on the catwalk they're good as gold. "We bleached them because lighter brows really open up the face and allow you to wear more color," says makeup maven Pat McGrath about the arches at Prada. "They make a big impact on the runway and appear otherworldly."

Wet Hair
Unless you're racing against time, leaving the house with stringy, damp strands is never recommended. But at Jonathan Saunders' show, shower-fresh hairstyles were premeditated as a way to offset the feminine pastel clothing. "We didn't want the hair too glamorous or overdone-we wanted it to make the dresses look edgy," says hairstylist Palau, who sprayed models' hair with water, Redken Hardwear 16 Super Strong Gel, and Redken Outshine 01 Anti-Frizz Polishing Milk.

Brown Lipstick
The heavy matte-brown lipstick of the early '90s (think Drew Barrymore, Kate Moss, and Courtney Love) hasn't been lusted-after in ages. But the goth-meets-grunge lip look made a comeback in Givenchy's spring 2010 show. To make brown wearable off the runway, look for a sheer rose-tinted hue.




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