The bright stuff

Members of the media and beauty experts from around the globe were out in full force at P&G’s annual beauty symposium at the China World Summit Hotel in Beijing, China. This year’s theme, “Facing Forever,” explored the challenges and creative inspirations that are shaping the world of fashion and beauty, because of today’s longer life expectancy.  The key trends for 2011 were presented at the gala night and fashion show by leading beauty experts such as iconic hairstylist and Pantene Brand Ambassador Sam McKnight, top make-up artist and Max Factor Chief Global Makeup Artist Pat McGrath, Wella Professionals Global Creative Director for Color Josh Wood, and Wella Professionals Global Creative Director For Care and Styling Eugene Souleiman.

Fashion-wise, P&G Beauty Director and trend expert Vassilki Petrou expects that color will be the biggest trend of the year. “Color was especially strong in the New York and Milan S/S ’11 catwalks,” she says. Designers such as Jaeger, Prada, and Etro featured graphic accents, bold prints, and contrasting colors, which livened up design for 2011, reflecting a post-recession mindset. A trend Petrou has labeled “Cheerful Pulse,” it shows a more optimistic, uplifting, and youthful outlook, she adds.

For hair, expect waves and curls akin to the ‘70s and new interpretations of the updo, says Sam McKnight. “Think hair that’s healthy, sensual with a lot of movement (he favors Pantene Pro V 3-Minute Miracle Treatment to get a lot of shine),” he adds. Wella’s Josh Wood agrees.

“Hairstyles are very bold this year, with sharp geometric shapes and vivid tones of red,” says Wood. For Eugene Souleiman, it’s about that just-out-of-bed warrior look. For makeup, Max Factor’s PatMcGrath showed how to wear bright makeup shades, a makeup look heavily seen on catwalks. Red, she adds, is the predominant color for 2011. “I used a combination of blue, yellow, red, and pink shades for the runway shows,” says McGrath. On the other end of the spectrum, McGrath says that metallic shades are also particularly strong this season, and will be a key trend for the Fall/Winter collections. This is also reflected in what those futuristic sci-fi movies hinted at – clothes with sleek structures and high-shine finishes, and technology integrated into fabric and other aspects of design.

How to get the look

“In real life, it’s all about making small changes to your look, like wearing a red gloss instead of pink,” says Mcgrath. Another tip is to layer color, such as layering a burgundy or blue eyeliner over your regular brown or black liner, or to use a bright cream color eyeshadow (she favors Max Factor’s Masterpiece Colour Precision Eyeshadow) over your regular eyeshadow. For hair, Wood says it can be subtle tweaks to your hair color, like using a reddish-brown shade instead of chestnut brown to make one’s features “pop.” Changing your brow color to match your new hair color also makes a big difference, adds McGrath. To achieve that glamazon look, Souleiman advises massaging the roots instead of backcombing the hair for volume and texture.

Pat McGrath’s makeup tips:

1. Invest in proper skincare. Makeup goes on better when skin is smooth and well hydrated. McGrath is known to be a fan of SK II’s skincare line and applies their facial masks on models prior to makeup application at the shows.

2. Focus on one feature. Pick only one feature, like eyes, lips, or nails to play up with a splashy color. Keep your cheek color sheer and natural to avoid that Raggedy Ann, clownish look. McGrath is a fan of slightly shimmery shades of blue, green, and violet for eyes and orange and fuchsia for lips.

3. Use sheer foundation like cream formulas for that dewy finish. “Cream formulas allow your natural skin tone to shine through,” says McGrath. If you live in humid areas, a cream-to-powder formula is ideal.

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