While ready-to-wear fashion weeks in the spring and the fall are what drive the sales with the hordes and masses, the loveliest and most creative designs appear on the lesser seen haute couture week in Paris about this time of the year. Here is where the hair gets funky, the makeup artistic and the overall creations come into play with no borders to mold them into something sellable. What are the top fall 2016 couture beauty trends for the season?
Couture fashion is where each designer can show and tell with ease what is on their mind, not always with the intention of sales – Maison Margiela is a little too wacky for us to be wearing those in our everyday lives, but to show off a whole different side to the house and brand. The whole thing is a spectacle, with fewer people in attendance and a whole lot of fun on that stage.
That’s probably why it gets annoying when haute couture sometimes takes a more ready-to-wear attitude in order to drive sales. That is not what the whole genre is about.
Though, if you were to pick up any of those magnificent designs – Zuhair Murad and a few others come to mind, you’re looking at quite the hefty price tag to dish out for.
Yet, for all of that, we are entirely in love with the trends these runway shows set. For the fall of 2016, there are a few hair and makeup trends that we are more than happy to see, while others we might want to steer a little clear from due to being overly extravagant.
#1: Out with the No Makeup Makeup
Remember when for multiple seasons it was all about the fresh face, the I-just-woke-up and haven’t put anything on face and the clearer luminous visage? Yeah, put that out of your mind.
Fall 2016 is about bold eyes, bold lips and bold hair, making you stand out and show off with a major artistic touch around eyes and lips especially. Colors are in, bold strokes are required and anyone walking about with a fresh face is so last year at this point.
So do not worry about going overboard so long as your focus is eyes and lips! Pack it on and play with the effects for a whole lot of fun.
#2: Glittery Red Lips
We know that red lips are in, particularly in deeper berry shades. We love the sour cherry look especially. Add in some glitter the way Atelier Versace did and you have superstar pouts to match with the occasion you’re attending.
Forget the matte, we are going all shine here and you can enjoy all those holiday get-togethers and even a gala or two wearing glitter on that kiss.
#3: Graphic False Lashes
We are so happy that yes have become the center of attention for the fall season along with those luscious lips that get played with every which way. We love that the focus goes not only on shadows and liners but also on the thick lashes, meaning using false ones on your upper and lower lids is a must now.
You want to achieve that full look, fanning down onto your cheekbones and creating a doll-like figure. Chanel and Dior really played this up during the shows.
#4: Incredibly Winged Liners
One of the most dramatic fall 2016 couture beauty trends, this is a look we can so get into and should be quite fun to play around with. Thick liner around the eyes, either only on the upper lid or both together for a major Egyptian sort cat-eye is what you are going for.
You can opt for thin on top and thick underneath as well, playing with the different illusions as was done on the Dior fashion show on the couture runway. Black liquid eyeliner is about to become your best friend.
#5: Shadow Wings
We love what the designers have been doing with the eyeshadows in different colors, including blues and oranges, winging them out to create cat eyes that do not require the added liquid liners. Atelier Versace’s silvery-blue cat eyes are going to be the cornerstone for creating the perfectly made up face this coming season.
Shadow wings also appear in heavy smoky eyes, bringing out the color and looking fab with hair pulled back at Ralph & Russo. As for Dior’s designs, let’s just say shadow mixes with liner for very graphic and brightly glittery and orange to boot.
#6: Added Graphics on Eyes
There is fun and then there is really fun eyes. Remember the doll like looks from Chanel? Alexis Mabille took that up a notch and is telling you to grab a liner, grab your shadows, grab the false lashes and mascara, and play.
Play dress up and draw on the lines, along creases and in added lower lashes. Create black and white contrasts and make sure the eyes are the center of focus. You are the artist. Your eyes are your canvas. Work!
#7: Slippery Hair
This is one of the fall 2016 couture beauty trends that have been around for a while now and we might just be starting to say goodbye, hopefully come 2017. For now though, enjoy the design to your hair with gel and other products that slick it all back and give you a very fashionable attraction.
Givenchy was of course the first on board for this as the house seems to adore this particular trend. Or you can pull it down a few notches and not look so wet as onGiambattista Valli.
#8: Big Curly Hair
We love curls. Really! Natural curls left big and voluminous and piled up high is exactly how we want things to be. Chanel gave us a great glimpse of what that would look like, both with shorter and longer hair, bows in and eyes done like a doll.
Who does not want to look utterly adorable anyhow? A gentle blush and gentle lips only finish off the look. But really go for that half untamed gorgeous bouncy curly pile of hair.
#9: Hair Swept Back
Hair swept back in a bun, loose or otherwise, was a huge thing for Atelier Versace as the focus was brought to the eyes and lips instead, lovely accessories only adding to the allure of the beauty looks. Some slicked back and others more loosely combed, we enjoyed the loveliness of seeing those tendrils pulled away from the forehead, the cheekbones thus pointing out more prominently and the eyes capturing our attention.
You can opt for pretty designs to it as well such as with braids down the center to the back or across the crown as seen at Ralph & Russo. You can also go for swept into a half-up and half-down design such as at Dior.
#10: Add in Hair Accessories
Finally, according to the top fall 2016 couture beauty trends what you really want to work on is using different hair accessories to create the look you want. Forest nymph is a great way to appear as seen at Alberta Ferretti.
Doll-like is where Chanel has been taking us. Use what you have in antique hair pieces, fun creations and bows, ribbons, clips or otherwise to achieve that final appearance before your own show.
Dior’s barrettes are a great place to start from.
Photos courtesy of Vogue