Verve's Beauty Forecast [January]

Beauty and make-up trends tend to change subtly from season to season. So, every year the color schemes follow a palette similar to the previous one – though usually with a slight noticeable twist. We would normally not change the colors for the foundation and concealers that we use as they depend on our skin tone, but while making up our eyes, lips, hair and nails it’s best to keep in sync with the current trends. Verve asks experts for the latest lowdown for 2010!

Emphasized Eyebrows

At one time the eyebrow was probably one of the most undervalued features of the face but as fashions changed, people began paying more and more attention to it. The 1920s were all about thin and straight brows; arches dominated the 1950s and Brooke Shields’ infamous bushy eyebrows brought us the ‘untamed’ look in the 1980s.
The current trend focuses on accentuating your brows. “Eyebrows are important this season; the emphasis is on thick and dark brows which highlight the expression of your eyes. The trick is to fill in your brows with the appropriate color – black or brown – using a dark pencil, depending on what works best for you. You need to emphasize your eyebrows and make them stand out,” says Meeta Awatramani, training manager, Clarins, India. This look works best for Indians as we are already blessed with nice, shapely eyebrows; it balances the face and is easier to maintain.

Power Eyes

Eye make-up visibly changes every season, particularly from summer to winter. Make-up and hair stylist Vipul Bhagat says, “Bright colors always work well for me. My current favorites are black or silver glitter over the eyelids.” He recommends even shades like blue, green, bronze and yellow. Applying a shade of grey or black to the corners of your eyelids tones down the bright effect.
The long slanted liner is a big rage now. “You need to exaggerate the contour all the way to the temple. If you have a really steady hand then follow the shape of your eyelid with an eye-liner and just pull a bit at the ends. If you are not comfortable using the liner, use a brush and eyeshadow for a similar look,” advises make-up artist, Kapil Ghatge.

Voluptuous Lips

Dark, bold lips in almost neon shades are huge this season. Focusing on just the lips and keeping the rest of your make-up – like eyes and cheeks toned down – really brings out this look. Although deep shades of reds, pinks and oranges are in, remember that these shades are ‘high maintenance’. They need to constantly be touched up, as the colors start wearing off. “Use them in the day only if you are sitting in an air-conditioned environment or when you are going out in the night,” suggests Bhagat.

Voluminous Lashes

An essential part of making a fashion statement, they are now available in different colors and according to the size of your eyes. The most commonly used colors are brown and black, as they are the most natural and easy to pull off. People are even adorning their lashes with crystals and sequins! Artificial eyelashes open out your eyes making them look bigger, bolder and prettier. But they are tricky to wear on your own. If you are unable to put them on, the best option would be to double up on the mascara to enhance your peepers. “Make your lashes long and extremely voluminous in 2010!” says Tashnu Khariwala, brand manager, Shiseido.

Lustrous hair

Straight hair is out! Waves are in. Volume will continue to be a big trend this year. “For people who don’t like to experiment too much with their hair, it is advisable to maintain mid-length locks with soft waves. If you don’t mind a little bit of experimentation, you can try anything from the ’60s-inspired short bobs to the pixie cuts that are back,” urges hair stylist Raika Vaswani. Hair colour seems to have changed quite a bit for the upcoming year. Deep shades of brown, plums, shades of auburn and mahogany along with bright bold red and black undertones, with maybe a lavender hue, would work best for us.

Bright/Dark Nails

We use our hands for everything we do, so maintaining them is important. The nail polish can speak volumes about a woman – if it’s a shade of red you know that the woman wants to look sexy; black indicates daring and a French manicure is a clue that someone is playing it safe and simple. Matte manicures are making a strong comeback for 2010. Gel and acrylic nails have also been around for sometime now and are still in, in a big way – be it digital prints on nails or the regular French manicure. Make-up artist Ritika Karna says, “French-manicured acrylic nails are the most practical as they don’t need to be constantly touched up and look very elegant.” For nail colours the palette is varied, they can be anything from bright orange, yellow, red, pink, cool blues, purples and black which is still trendy.