Cool Looks
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday May 27, 1996
Take a cold, hard look at beauty routines this winter with an eye on the new trends.
WINTER is traditionally the time we neglect our bodies. Rugged up in layers of clothes, it's easy to side-step health and beauty routines. It's too cold and miserable to be concerned with appearance, right?
In fact, winter is the ideal time to devote yourself to a sensible (or downright indulgent) health and beauty program. Cooler weather means you can wear dramatic make-up without fear of a melting face. And, it is a perfect time to enjoy delicious beauty treatments such as massage and facials, or look after yourself with ample sleep and exercise. You can say goodbye to the winter blues with a change of hair colour or boost your system with a complete seaweed body wrap.EYES
Winter beauty trends virtually start and stop with the mod look, according to creative director of The Look make-up emporium in Oxford Street, Paddington (ph 331 1417), Napoleon Perdis. "Brown tones come through as a colour director but mod, defined by dark, smouldering eyes, is the predominant look," he says.
Smouldering eyes are the key to a dramatic mod face. Begin with a black eyeliner drawn around the lower lid and extended a little. Make sure the lines aren't too harsh - smudge them a little. "While mod is quite retrospective, something new is using shadow under lower lash," says Perdis. Try Sax Cosmetics Black Eyeliner Pencil, $11.95, or The Look Cake Eyeliner in Black, $18.
Matt black or charcoal eyeshadow powder, such as The Body Shop Eyeshadow in Charcoal, $10.95, or Sax Cosmetic Eyeshadow in Smoky Earth, $9.95, should be applied in the eye socket and over the eyelid, blending so there is no definite line where the shadow ends. "If you'd like to make the eyes look a little warmer and not so stark, incorporate a mauve eyeshadow when you're blending," says Perdis.
Lashings of mascara complete the look and a must-have in any make-up kit is Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, $6.95. An alternative is Almay Amazing Lash Mascara, $13.95, or Taut Black Mascara, $23.
To make eyes looks brighter, try a dash of white eyeshadow under the brow as a highlighter, such as Prescriptives Purelight Eyeshadow, $25, or, more dramatically, rim the inside table of the eyes with white eyeliner. The Yardley Kohl Definer Pencil in White, $9.95, is perfect to create this effect.
FOUNDATION
"Foundation should be really matt for the mod look," says Perdis. "A yellow-based foundation is ideal and it should blend into the colour of your neck. There should be no lines where the make-up finishes." He suggests The Look Camera Finish Foundation, $45, which has a matt powdery finish. The Shiseido Wet and Dry Compact Foundation, $56, is another good alternative.
HAIR CARE
"Living in Australia, where we don't suffer from really extreme cold, winter is probably the time of the year when you can relax a bit about your hair," says Double Bay hairdresser Joh Bailey (363 4111).
But if you've got dry or split ends, Bailey suggests Bona Cure Intensive Care Leave In Fit Ends by Schwarzcopf, $15, as a winter booster treatment for listless hair. For damaged hair, he also suggests the Bona Cure Intensive Care Deep Revitalising Treatment, $30. "For ultra-dehydrated hair the Phyto 9 Creme De Jour Nutrition Extreme is a good leave-in treatment," he says.
Hair colour specialist, Alyson Schoer, of the Surry Hills salon Blondes, Brunettes and Redheads (331 7211), says hair needs a moisture boost in winter. "In winter we spend so much time indoors in artificial heat and we tend to blow-dry hair a lot," she says.
Schoer suggests Paul Brown Resurrect, $17 for two sachets, a deep moisture treatment to combat dry hair. And for gloss she says the Sebastian Laminates Hi-Gloss Spray, $20, gives hair a polished look without a greasy finish.
"For home maintenance you should always protect the hair when blow drying it in winter. Apply a gel which works as a barrier between the heat and the hair," she says.
HAIR COLOUR
Colour is one of the strongest hair looks for winter and, according to Schoer the more dramatic, the better. Warmer colours are popular for winter and one of the strongest colours this season is gold. "We are doing lots of caramel blond, golden brown and mango copper colours," she says. "Super chunks, big pieces of colour, are also big along with a technique we're calling 'jumbo chips' where we colour the ends of the hair leaving the roots a little dark. It gives great texture to the hair."
HAIR TRENDS
Winter hair trends are a dime a dozen. Like fashion, each hairdresser has a different interpretation of directions. Trends which are popular this season include glamour punk looks featuring chunkily layered hair and elegant style hair such as the chignon.
Joh Bailey says the gamine is his latest muse. "Very short unstructured hair is strong. This style is one length all over and quite dishevelled," he says. "Also long, really beautiful hair with shattered layering at the bottom to give movement is coming through."
HEALTH
To stay well in winter, remember to keep boosted with vitamin C, drink six to eight glasses of water a day to combat dehydration, stay fit through exercise, aim for about eight hours' sleep a night, avoid stimulants such as coffee and increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.
Other "boosters" include aromatherapy massages, pedicures, facials and even something as simple as lighting an oil burner at home and in the office. For the ultimate in indulgence, try a Complete Body Overhaul at Zen and The Art of Body Maintenance, $99 (361 4200). This treatment takes three hours and includes a solarium, a one-hour deluxe facial, an aromatherapy spa bath (20-25 minutes) and a one-hour massage.
LIPS
"Lips really take a back seat with the mod look because the eyes should be the focus of the face," says Napoleon Perdis. Lipsticks are virtually nude and the lipline should be a shade or two darker. For a chic look, Perdis suggests combining a coverstick or concealer with a pale lipstick. "You'll get a barely-there effect which is really dramatic," he says.
Try The Look Micro Bubble Lipstick in Nude and Candlelight, $22, or Chanel Brilliant Soleil in Nature and Nuances, $45. Suitable lipliners include Sax Cosmetics Lipliner Pencil in Nude, $11.95, and Estee Lauder Lip Definer, $20.
To keep lips looking lush, use an exfoliator such as the Body Shop's Lipscuff, $8.95, which removes dry and flaky skin from the lips and leaves a smooth finish so lipstick holds longer. A deep moisturising product is the Aesop Vanilla Lip Therapy, $24.50, which is made from an exotic blend of vanilla, camellia and hazelnut.
NAILS
Nails are vampy, natural, stark white or frivolous this winter. Vampy looks move towards brown and burgundy tones this season following the incredible success of Chanel's Rouge Noir last winter.
If you like brown tones, go for Red Earth's Nail Enamel in Chocolate, $8.50, Chanel Nail Varnish in Rouge Envoutant, $37, or Rok's Nail Enamel in Fig, $12. For something a little fun, try the pastel shades of Hard Candy, $19, including Sky, Violet and Mint, or Red Earth, $8.50, with colours including Dandelion Yellow, Sweetpea Blue and Lilyheart Lime.
If you'd like to stay true to the mod look, get your hands on some white nail varnish. Check The Look nail polish in White, $9.50, or Red Earth's Nail Enamel in Marble and Quartz, $8.50. The Look also has a great range of frosted metallic nail polishes which are dramatic for evening looks. Colours include Psycho Green, Psycho Blue and Psycho Pink.
If naturally manicured-looking nails are more your style, try Red Earth's Colour Nail Enamel in Sand and Nude, $8.50, or The Look's Nail Polish in frosted Pecan, $9.
Sensible nail lengths are also in vogue. "The trend in nails is medium length. The length of the nail should be a third of the nail bed and they should be filed in a square oval shape in line with the cuticle," according to Joh Bailey Double Bay salon nail therapist, Paula Tardy.
She says nails become brittle in winter and advises slipping on gloves when moving from heated rooms into cold air.
To keep hands supple throughout winter, include lashings of hand cream in your beauty routine. "Creaming hands is even more important in winter because it's cold and circulation can be lacking. When you apply hand cream you can stimulate circulation and bring the blood flow back to skin and nails," she says. Try The Body Shop's Hawthorn Hand Cream, $6.95 for 50 ml.
SKIN CARE
Keeping skin looking fresh and healthy can be a constant battle but a thorough basic skin care routine will put you on the right path. Cleansing, to remove make-up and impurities, is the first step. For normal skin try Nivea Visage Gentle Cleansing Gel, $9.30, Christian Dior Equite Wash-Off Cleansing Gel, $47, Pond's Self Foaming Cleanser, $11.95, or Clinique Facial Soap, $15.
Toning, to remove any stubborn traces of make-up or grime, is optional. Suggestions include Clarins Toning Lotion Without Alcohol With Bio Ecolia, $24, or Red Earth's Rosewater Toning Lotion, $10.95. The Sanctum Vitamin Surge toning mist, $19.50, will invigorate your skin.
Moisturising in winter is essential, especially with the amount of time we spend in artificially heated rooms which saps the skin's moisture. Try Clarins Multi-Active Day Cream SPF 15, $59, Red Earth's Normal to Dry Moisturiser (enriched with Almond Oil and Allantoin), $12.95, or the Lancome Bienfait Total, $55.
Double Bay beauty therapist Sylvia Deitch (327 2102) suggests the Natura face cream, $35, from Italian aromatherapy skin care range, RVB. "This face cream is fantastic for winter because the aromatherapy qualities are rejuvenating for your psyche and there's a huge range from honey to witch-hazel."
SKIN TREATMENTS
The harsh effects of winter coupled with dehydrating heating systems mean dull skin for many. To nourish skin, there's nothing better than a mask. Try Lancaster's Skin Therapy Oxygen Mask, $42, which will boost your skin to silky new heights. Remember to cleanse and tone before applying masks to dry skin.
It's also healthy to exfoliate during winter to shed any dead skin cells. Try the Body Shop's Japanese Washing Grains, $5.95, or, for a milder treatment, Shiseido's Pureness Exfoliating Treatment Gel, $35. Perdis's favourite winter skin treatment is Taut Aloe Vera Treatment, $25: "It's fantastic for rejuvenating and tightening skin. It also protects the skin and acts as a barrier for wind and impurities."
Deitch, whose salon in Double Bay offers specialised Algology Algae Boulia (crushed seaweed) body wrap treatments, says skin is relaxed in winter. "Skin softens in winter and is happiest in cooler weather because the worst thing for skin is when you heat it up. It becomes irritated," she says. Keeping this in mind, she says winter is the time to prepare the skin for warmer months. "It's really good to pep up your skin in winter and one of the best ways is with an MDO Formulations facial peel," she says, "The glycolic acid in these facial peels increases the PF in your skin by 10 per cent, boosting it for summer."
© 1996 Sydney Morning Herald