words_shivani aluru.

Fashion week has come and gone, leaving polarizing beauty trends in its wake. Some styling we noticed, like the natural radiance seen at Prabal Gurung and Tracy Reese, has been in for a few years now and is fairly safe and chic. Other looks, while more daring, may give you a sense of vague nostalgia for middle school picture day when everyone suffered the inevitable irritation of greasy, unfortunate hair (shout out to Alexander Wang, Thakoon and Ruffian).

Bold brows and crimped hair came back with a vengeance, seen on Marc Jacobs and Mara Hoffman, respectively. Jason Wu complemented his structured, minimalist clothes with a bright statement lip that looked cool, not clownish. And most designers went crazy with braids, weaving everything from leather into roughed up fishtails to pearls in braided buns.

Nails were painted in every color under the sun and then embellished with seemingly infinite studs, rhinestones, foils, glitter and a host of dynamic patterns.

Fashion week presented thousands of beauty options but the most interesting and accessible look was definitely the use of bright pastel eyeliners on the lower eyelid instead of the upper. Considering all the charmingly awkward (read, crazy) trends coming out of fashion week it’s nice to find something attainable off the runway.