Sultry Sexy Pastels
Okay, I’ll admit the words sexy and sultry do not usually spring to mind when colours such as mauve and light blue are mentioned. Usually pastels suggest those bright pink kitschy lipsticks that you’d see your Gran sporting. But it being spring-fling season and all, pastels are perfect for that pre summer feel and are handily ubiquitous in the shops at the moment. Pretty pastels adorned the spring/summer catwalks and were an influence on nearly everything from nail varnish to shoes to hairpieces. Now is definitely the time to develop a taste for this trend.
Unusually enough make-up also tackled the trend, and proved that sultry make-up with a sexy finish can be achieved with this spring’s pastel palette. The trick is, think pastels for your eyelids and a kissable matte red on your lips. A kind of Lauren Bacall circa 1946 look with a modern twist, and complete with retro Marcel waves in your hair. This vintage look with a few colourful additions was rocked very chicly on the Dior catwalks for spring/summer 2010. The look in question was devised by make-up genius Pat McGrath. Some bright colours used on the lids included; coral, aqua and purple and these of course contrasted beautifully with the vampy crimson lips of the models.
Pastel tints work great not just on eyelids but also on fingertips too, and give an ultra-feminine, yet edgy feel to a look. Mac, Barry M, Dior and Illamasqua are without contest the go to guys for any pastel shade. This will be scoffed at by a few but hear me out. Why not try a finishing coat of glitter? Glitter nail varnish isn’t just for six year olds, a lick of glitter (try Illamasqua’s ‘Spartan’ gold) dazzles in those club lights and besides it does look glamorous, admittedly in a neo New Wave kind of way.
With your pastel make-up and nail varnish, you’ll need the right outfit and flirty floral prints are just the answer. Floral patterned clothes are a main stay for spring and summer 2010, a great excuse for dressing up in the prettiest garden prints, even if your home is more concrete city than sunny countryside. Luckily, as I’ve just mentioned pretty pieces with a sexy twist are a major presence in the designer and high street clothes collections alike. H&M have even designed a range of clothing aptly named ‘The Garden Collection’, an eclectic take on the trend. Their colourful flower collections took a deciding influence from design hard-hitters such as Stella Mc Cartney, Anna Sui and Alberta Ferretti. Anna Sui’s collection emulates perfectly this whole ‘floral with a sexy twist’ aesthetic. Just the right balance of girly but grown-up glamour. Seen in the hyped artsy splashes of flower print on loose dresses and skirts.
With floral prints there is always a deciding risk of looking a bit too cutesy, so mix and match your pastel patterns with something a bit more hard edge such as a military style jacket or chunky heels. Pastels are definitely something you can experiment and have fun. Adding a few hints of pastel shades to your glamorous going-out outfit is definitely worth a try, for an instantly feminine yet sexy look.
Aisling Kennedy
* picture from elle.com
Your Comments
- Posted by emer on 22 April 2010 at 16:3...
- thanks for the tips Aisling, i'm a real girlie girl and love the pastels and florals but i do think i go overboard at times and look a bit like a dolly so i really like your idea of a military jacket and chunky heels, in fact i may take myself to Dundrum to check them out this weekend :)
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