MBFWA: Our favourite beauty trends

From braids to bright red lips, there’s something for everyone

Beauty Crew Beauty Editor / May 25 2017

Our favourite time of the year came and went in the blink of an eye - and what a week it was. MBFWA saw leading Australian designers show off their Resort 2016 collections, so we jumped at the chance to chat to the best hair and makeup artists in the industry to discover the next big trends. Here are our favourite for the coming season…

Matte red lips

Red lipstick is here to stay, and best of all, there’s a shade to suit every skintone. Our best tip this season is to keep the texture matte - it’s the new cool girl classic trend to try. Want to amp up the intensity? “At Rebecca Vallance, we layered the products on,” says Carol Mackie, Senior Artist of MAC. “First we slicked on a Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Feels So Grand, then we followed with Velvetease Pencil in Anything Goes, and finally we finished it off by pressing Magenta Madness pigment over the top.”

Rebecca Vallance

Bianca Spender

Cynthia Rowley

Image credits: Getty

Inverted braids

We’ve seen braids hit the runway at NYFW earlier this year, but down-under, things were a little different. Inverted (or Dutch) braids were featured this season, and the look is easy to master if you’re ace at doing your own hair. At Yuxin, Redken’s Hair Director John Pulitano suggested to “start by saturating the roots with Redken’s Rootful 06 Root Lifting Spray for control and touchable fullness”. Then, braid as you would, but take each section across and under the piece in the middle, instead of on top. If you’re a novice at braiding, try the style we saw at Cynthia Rowley. First, divide your ponytail into two, twist each section individually, then around each other to mimic a loose fishtail braid.

Yuxin

Bondi Bather

Cynthia Rowley

Image credits: Getty

Neutral tones

Now that you’ve mastered how to wear pink without looking too girly, it’s time to mix and match the rosy hue with shades of nude inspired by natural tones on your face. The models backstage at Macgraw, C/Meo Collective and Steven Khalil all walked out with touches of pink and beige on their eyes, cheeks and lips in a painterly manner - just like fashion illustrations come to life.

Mix several colours together and apply it as a wash, rather than trying to sculpt or contour the eyelids and cheeks with different tones.
Nigel Stanislaus
/
Maybelline New York
Makeup Director

Macgraw

C/MEO Collective

Steven Khalil

Image credits: Getty

Sleek ponytails

Ponytails were kept low and as close to the nape of the neck as possible this season, with the texture of it being shiny (but not wet) to mimic healthy-looking hair. Soft accessories were also hot on the runway this year, with the models at P.E. Nation sporting a bandana around their hair elastic, or even a piece of coloured hair at Karla Spetic. Interestingly, the girls at Misha Collection had pieces of distressed velvet wrapped around their ponytail, “so it’s still got that luxe sheen to it, but it’s also a bit rough, streaky and grungy”, says Dale Delaporte, lead artist for Goldwell.  

Misha Collection

Karla Spetic

P.E. Nation

Image credits: Esteban La Tessa, Getty

Iantha is BEAUTYcrew's Beauty Editor, and has been part of the team since the site launched in 2016. Besides pinky-nude nail polish and wispy false lashes, she has a healthy obsession with face masks and skin care ingredients. Her previous work can be found in Virgin Australia Voyeur, Women's Health, and SHOP Til You Drop.