Best of Beauty: Spring 2012 Couture

There are two schools of thought when it comes to beauty at couture, it's either completely minimal, with a flushed cheek and clean eyes, or as over the top as the clothes. Here we've complied the best of what's in between, and a few bold looks that you can modify to integrate into your own beauty routine. 

We don't usually see mainstream beauty trends come out of the Haute Couture shows but with models at both Dior (left) and Iris Van Herpen (right) sporting white eyeshadow, we might have an exception. At Dior, the look was paired with a black gel liner for a strong contrast, which is a wearable and easily replicated look, where as Van Herpen's models opted for an all over shadow with white liner as well. For a more wearable version of the latter, try a dark or flesh toned liner on the water line to break up the all white look. 

Intricate designs aren’t just for the garments; this woven up-do from Christophe Josse (left) was the perfect accent to the soft girlish looks that graced the runway. For a simplified version, try braiding your hair into French braid pigtails and secure the ends in a spiral pattern with bobby pins. While the hair at Chanel (right) is similarly bold, but much less wearable, the makeup features a strong navy eye that’s perfect for a night out. 

Between the Amy Winehouse winged eyes at Jean Paul Gaultier (left) and the bold horizontal wings at Stephane Rolland (right), there was eyeliner aplenty this season. Try applying gel liner with an angled brush for more control when applying bold looks such as these. 

These may not qualify for best of status, do not try them at home, but these looks from Maurizio Galante (left) and Alexis Mabille (right) cannot go unrecognized. Try a toned down version of this look by using an aqua toned liner on your waterline or a bold green shadow across the lid.  

Images: IMAXtree