What you decide to wear will define your wardrobe but how you wear it is always equally important. You can ruin the best outfit with the wrong shoes or the strongest statement by wearing the wrong lipstick. There are reasons why some women – who are still outlining their lips with dark pencils before filling them in with a lighter shade – will never be considered style icons. Fashion may define what you wear but your style will reflect in how you wear it and this season’s beauty trends are all about futuristic, almost alien trends.
Hair: the long and short of it
Think Pocohontas, think Pandora. The good news for Pakistani women: long hair is an asset now because braids have hit international runways like never before. Women who do not have long hair are actually investing hundreds of dollars in hairpieces that match and can be attached to their original hair. The look is not tightly bound rather unkempt, asymmetrical and straight out of bed. Weave your tresses loosely and wear your braid over one shoulder. Often called the beach braid, let it have a casual flyaway look whether you have woven the herringbone or the conventional three way twist. Designers in Pakistan have also started incorporating braids in their spring/summer looks, though they are more Chitrali and Swati inspired. Either way, if you have long hair then you should cash in on yours this summer.
Women with short hair need to think fifties fashion: the bounce is back, curls are all aboard and straight hair has been laid to rest in peace.
Skin deep and dewy
‘Fresh’ is the one word that should describe how your skin looks this summer. The matte effect is totally passé and skin needs to look supple, hydrated and dewy to look its best. Drinking copious amounts of water is of course, step one to hydration but making an investment in the right moisturizer and toner is imperative too. Let your face and body cream have bronzing, luminous qualities to give glow a slight nudge in the face! All while looking natural and effortless.
Eye see drama
Spring/Summer makeup this year is all about being bright eyed wonder. If there’s a colour you swore you’d never be caught dead with on your eyelids, now is the time to break all promises and indulge. Eyes are being referred to as Kabuki eyes for heightened colour, Opera eyes for high definition and simply dramatic for being, well, dramatic. Pile on the colour or draw the kohl on heavily, brush in as much mascara as you possibly can to make your eyes stand out as much as possible. So far they have been the windows to your soul; now let them be the window into your style.
And if painting the eyes bright isn’t your thing, then pick one of the following features: lips or nails to create the edgy drama. Nail imaging is quite the in thing to do, however avoid gearing towards the tacky as it is a common mistake to make if you’re relying on one of the local salons for help. Preferably keep the nails short if you’re into nail art. When everything fails then a bright red, pink or colour of the season – orange – will do the trick as a statement lip colour!
“I think that there is a sense of make-up for the coming season that looks effortless,†says Mac top makeup artist Gordon Espinet. “It is not about a lot of make-up but it’s all about a lot of impact. Last season we saw a lot of smoky eyes, well-defined lips and constructed looks. This season it is more like having one single product that stands out.â€
All you have to do is chose what that one focal point is going to be.
Accessorize with the eclectic
Having an ‘It’ bag or pair of shoes in your summer wardrobe will ensure you a spot on the list of fashionable. And when you’re thinking of what to invest in then once again think of James Cameron’s hit film Avatar. Accessories this season, like fashion, lean towards mutant qualities. It is the optimism of life beyond our vision, and most of all hope. All this is translated in an odd combination of textures: leathers, fish scale prints and oodles of colour. And everything points towards the extraterrestrial. Even the new collection of Charles and Keith – in stores in Pakistan – has the odd wedged heels that seem like chips off an alien block. Think weird, think unconventional and as always, think out of the box. If it’s fashion you’re looking for then remember that the more different it is, the more it’ll stand out!
- This article was first published in Dawn
