Get Glowing Skin Like a Supermodel

Trends from New York Fashion Week

When supermodels walked the runways at New York Fashion Week, those beautiful ladies showed off more than just the fashionable clothes they were wearing and the handbags they carried. As with each Fashion Week, top designers’ hair and makeup looks set fashionista magazine editors and bloggers into overdrive with reports on the newest trends in beauty. This year, the big news was soft, radiant, glowing skin on models, and thus a gorgeous look for you emulate.

A saying you may have heard when it comes to top beauty looks each season is, “Look like you, only better.” That beauty philosophy stands out this season, with minimal makeup worn and glowing skin on display.

Everywhere You Look Healthy, Blemish-free Skin

Here are some of the steal-able skin trends from New York Fashion Week:

At Balmain’s runway show, designer Olivier Rousteing worked with Estee Lauder creative makeup director Tom Pecheux to create a look that would send his models down the runway presumably without makeup. Rousteing reports that creating a flawless look for ‘makeup-free’ models started with 30 to 35 minutes of facial massages, followed by five-minutes of covering under-eye bags and pimples. Foundation is then applied lightly, not to be seen, but to create a perfect finish. So on those days when you want to look fresh and lovely sans makeup, you don’t have to go out with splotchy, unrefined skin. Just copy this easy method for creating a makeup-free look that shows off your smooth, fresh, healthy skin: apply a light layer of foundation, and then top with moisturizer, patting your face gently with a tissue as the last step. You’ll get no cakey, overly made-up face, but will instead get good coverage and that slightly dewy look that’s so fresh and young today.

At J. Mendel, the look for spring, and heading into summer, was Sporty. For a healthy, sporty vibe on the runways, supermodels showed off glowing, bronzed skin and glossy lips courtesy of Revlon makeup designers who applied bronzer to the cheeks, bridge of the nose and forehead using a wet sponge, a method you can easily steal…but be sure to use a fresh makeup sponge for each application to keep your look perfect and avoid pressing old skin oils and bacteria into your face.

Monique L’Huillier sent her models down the runway with a fresh, clean skin look accented by a slight hint of highlight on the cheeks, and dramatic, cherry-stained lips. If you’ll wear the bold red lips look, the skin around your lips needs to be line-free so that color doesn’t bleed. Botox may be a good solution for you if you have liplines that make wearing bold or brightly-colored lipstick or gloss a problem. Fresh skin is line-free, so your forehead and the space between your eyes look best when they’re smooth and crease-free, and again, Botox can be your skin savior here.

With Derek Lam, BCBG Max Azria, Calvin Klein and other top designers creating minimalist looks for the face – smooth, glowing skin without makeup coloring, your skin truly needs to look as flawless as possible, and glow from within so that those light touches of coverage and moisturizer can complete your freshest, most youthful look.

Not every designer went with the ‘no makeup, only better’ look, however. At Prabal Gurung, the models wore matte makeup looks, and when there’s no shine, no dewy moisture, your skin really has to be line-free. The matte look is famous for showing facial lines more than the forgiving moisturized, dewy look, so talk to your dermatologist about fixing up those fine lines and forehead lines with the proper amount of Botox or other dermal fillers or correctors, so that you can wear the trendy matte look this season without looking twice your age.

Fashion Week Makeup and Botox Combo:  Achieving The Perfect Smokey Eye

Calvin Klein’s bare-faced models sported smokey eyes, and when that bold eye makeup look is worn, attention goes right to your eyes. That means crow’s feet would be very much on display and perhaps ruin the fashion-forward look you’re after. Botox can correct crow’s feet and fine lines around the eye, helping to create a more model-esque ‘canvas’ for your best makeup looks.

Some overall Fashion Week tips for showing off your glowing skin:

• The less foundation you use, the less oily your skin will look.
• Use matte makeup on most areas of your face, and then use a creamier, dewier formula on your bone structure and any areas you want to highlight, to make your skin look more luminous.
• To cover bags under your eyes, choose the proper shade of concealer, never going too light or too dark. If you have dark circles under your eyes, your dermatologist can help correct that flaw that makes women look old and tired.
• When applying dewy formula makeup, do so with your fingertips to get the perfect texture on your skin.
• If you notice your skin getting oily during a night out, while at a wedding, during your workday or at any other time, dab it away using an oil-blotting sheet rather than applying more foundation or powders. The look in fashion for face: less is more.
• Makeup artists prevented a too-bare look by giving models a slight flush on their cheeks. Some even used pink cheek color on lips, and lipstick on cheeks for a double-duty application that created a naturally-flushed, cohesive look.
• And remember that glowing skin is never garish. Don’t overdo it with the bronzing powder, and always blend well to get rid of telltale streaks.

There you have it…a free primer on how to look like a New York Fashion Week supermodel each day, and night, this summer.