Runway Beauty Trend: Powdery Purple Eyeshadows

At Victoria Beckham and Etro, the look was all about a pastel purple eye and
nude/golden lips. The looks is girly, fun, and perfect for party girls. In both cases the shadow was dusted up to the brows and hair was kept sleek and minimal to keep the focus on the eyes - and the fabulous clothes, of course! The skin was very clean and matte and brows were kept natural. 

To copy this look at home, stick with matte lavender shades, a peachy blush and a nude gloss for Etro and ditch the blush and gloss for the more minimal style at Victoria Beckham. Consider "D. Gorgeous" shadow from Nars, a matte dusty lilac, and DuWop's "Violet Eyes" palette. The key is to keep the rest of the face and hair fairly simple, so avoid shadows with sparkly or shimmery shadows and use a light touch on the rest of the face.

Will you be pretty in purple come Spring?

by Emma Freed

Runway Beauty Trend: Orange Eyes

If you thought orange lips were a stretch for Spring, wrap your head around this new trend for orange on the eyes. Each designer had a different interpretation of this new look, from the winged orange liner at Derek Lam, to the traffic-cone eyebrows at Damir Doma and the soft creamy orange eyes at Maurizio Pecoraro.

If we haven't seen orange eye makeup before, it is perhaps because it is difficult to pull off as an everyday or office look. But there are subtle ways to wear this shade; The soft matte "Amber Lights" "Kid" and "Rule" from Mac Cosmetics are much more wearable. For the brave hearted, the bolder Mac shades "Red Brick" "Neo-Orange" and "Orange" pack a citrusy punch. 

What do you think? Will you be rocking orange on the lids for Spring?

by Emma Freed

There's always a certain point during Fashion Week when I get really burnt out on following all the runway coverage. It's not because I'm not fascinated by the shows, its that I start feeling glum about the fact that I'll never be able to own any of the incredible clothes. It is at this point that I turn my attention to the beauty trends. Hair and makeup are just as important as the clothes when presenting a collection, but generally don't come with a £2,000 price tag in a size you can't fit into. And they can often be imitated at home. So without further ado, let's talk SS11 beauty trends!

Orange Lips

Looks like next Spring, orange is king (Orange doesn't rhyme with anything so we'll just have to make do with that). From the orange-on-orange seperates at Prada to PPQ's pumpkin-coloured mini dresses, orange is everywhere on the runways...including models' lips. And its not a shy peach or a muted coral, it's balls-out traffic cone orange at Fendi and Ohne Titel, neon at Les Copains and a glossy persimmon at Vena Cava.

To achieve the look at home, Lime Crime Cosmetics has you covered with a buttery orange-sherbert lipstick called "Cosmopop" and a matte tangerine shade called "My Beautiful Rocket". Purchase online at Lime Crime or at Space NK in the UK. For a more apricot shade, go for Illamasqua's "Perilous" (buy here).

Check back at Beauty Confessional for more beauty trends straight from the runway, including more orange, next time on the eyes!

by Emma Freed

Today, Illamasqua's Art of Darkness Fall 2010 collection has officially launched online, and come the 16th, will launch at your closest Illamasqua counter. According to their press release, "A feast for the eyes, the Art of Darkness collection is a sumptuous selection of jewel-like shades for eyes, lips, nails and body. From ruby reds to sapphire blues and emerald greens, accompanied by antique golds, this mythical array of lavish tones is as intense as it is opulent. Indulge your extravagant side and revel in the otherworldliness of night-time make-up". The collection is packed with their signature dramatic, high-impact shades and highly coveted nail varnishes...where else can you find deep blue lipstick (entitled "Disciple") and ruby metallic multi-use cream? The shade names all fit in with the dark theme- "Scarab", "Hermetic" and "Abyss" to name a few- and the accompanying campaign editorial is wild. Check out the full range of products here and let us know what you think of the collection in the comments! Will you be buying?

by Emma Freed