Marc Jacobs
1. Taupe, Mushroom, Greige: These were three words we heard over and over again last week. Think of them as the neutrals du jour. Taupe eyes and nails ruled at Rodarte and Alexander Wang, respectively, while mushroom gray graced lids at Thakoon and Donna Karan and nails at Vera Wang. Greige, that pebble-y hybrid of gray and beige, was seen on digits at Jason Wu and Marc Jacobs. In fact, CND created five(!) variations of greige specifically for Marc's show.
From top: Zac Posen; Vera Wang
2. "Lived In" Looks: Hairstylist Odile Gilbert put it best when describing the look at Zac Posen's show: "It's not a Saturday night, it's a Sunday morning." Fuzzy yet cute hair is the cornerstone of the so-called lived-in look, and it was seen in spades at Posen, Derek Lam, The Row, Michael Kors and Vera Wang. As for makeup, it's all about the smudged eye, spotted at Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs and again at Zac's show, where MAC makeup artist Stephane Marais drew diagonal black lines underneath and on top of lids to mimic the effect one gets after wiping excess makeup away from underneath their eye.
From top: Marc by Marc Jacobs; Thakoon
3. Focus on Cheeks: While eyes and lips normally get the bulk of the attention on the runway, this season cheeks stole some of the focus. In some cases, they stole all of it. "I'm sorry to disappoint you but there's next to nothing," Shiseido Artistic Director Dick Page said of the look he created for Marc by Marc Jacobs. "It's almost embarrassing, but it's just blush." Cheek color also played a pivotal role on faces at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Thakoon, Michael Kors and Yigal Azrouel.
From top: Narciso Rodriguez; Rodarte
4. Smooth Hair: Super sleek center parts ruled at Narciso Rodriguez and Anna Sui, while twists on the classic theme were added at Jason Wu, where perfectly flat strands got brushed over ears and tied back with black rubberbands, and at Rodarte, where cute silver flowers got clipped onto seriously straightened locks.
From top: Proenza Schouler; Donna Karen
5. Red & Ruddy Lips: Red lips never do go out of style, do they? This season gave us more options than ever: Glossy brick red at Donna Karan and United Bamboo, Matte fire-engine red at Costello Tagliapietra, and deep burgundy-red (MAC's Charred Red) at Proenza Schouler.
