2012 Beauty Trend: Imperfection?

In what could be the best (or worst) beauty trend, the hottest beauty trend of 2012 is IMPERFECTION, according to a recent NYT article.

That’s right, ladies. No more matching lip liners, meticulous cat-eyes and spotless foundation. According to leading hair & makeup artists, the new look for this year is effortless and minimalist. Tousled hair, smudged eyeliner, dewy lips and luminous skin are in.

According to Terry Barber, director of makeup artistry for MAC Cosmetics, “Perfection got slightly boring.”

But before you start celebrating about rolling out of bed in the morning and  heading outside makeup-free, realize that “minimalist” doesn’t necessarily mean “no-makeup” at all.

Here’s what to keep in mind:

–Fingertips: Instead of makeup brushes, use your fingertips to create a more natural & relaxed look when applying foundation, blush, or bronzer. The heat from your fingertips also allows a more even distribution for a non-matte look.

–Popsicle mouth: In a look called the “popsicle mouth” by Emily Kate Warren, a member of the Shiseido fashion runway team, set aside your lip liners, apply a bright lip color on the center of your lips and then press and roll your lips together. The darkest concentration of the lip color should be in the center of your lips and then lightly fade out so it looks like you just sucked on a popsicle.

-Restraint: Remember the KISS theory – Keep it Simple Stupid. If you’re wearing a dark lipstick, keep your eye makeup to a bare minimum and vice versa. The goal is to look balanced and not overdone.

–Low-maintenance Eyes: If you can’t let go of your favorite eyeliners, then just ease up a little and only line your eyes from the outer corners to the middle instead of all the way. The models from Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2012 rocked this look and looked amazing! You also want to remember to go light on your eyebrows if you use heavy eye makeup.

Closeup of half-rimmed eye makeup from Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2012 show

So you see, sometimes less is more! 🙂