How-To: Hipster Beauty Trends
Here in New England, if you’re not an east-coast prep, you’re a hipster. I’m not normally one for labels, but in a city like Boston, over 60 colleges and universities draw students from around the country to create a rich subculture of young people united by indie trends: music, fashion, food. I think there’s a statistic that during the academic year, one in five Bostonians is a college student – that’s a lot of kids wearing the same Urban Outfitters vegan moccasins.
Personal style accents become essential in differentiating yourself from the other young people in the nightlife and culture scene in Boston – no one wants to show up to an xx show wearing the same unisex American Apparel outfit as every other kid packed into the GA area.
While I admit that I DO love my trusty unisex AA tri-blend tanks, I like to splash some originality throughout my wardrobe via hair and makeup in order to keep things fresh and unique. Check out my favorite not-too-trendy trends for spring!
Dip-dyed Hair
While dip-dyed hair isn’t really “new,” it’s a great freshening-up of last year’s ombre trend – and you can incorporate your favorite spring colors to compliment your outfits! Whether you try a pastel, bright, or even neon, it’s a trend that can work with any natural hair color. Check out Jeremy Scott‘s technicolor pigtails in his Fall 2011 RTW show:
Feather Extensions
If dying half your head isn’t an option, why not opt for something a little less permanent? Feather hair extensions last for about four months, and can be washed, dried, curled…whatever! I like to think of these as the reincarnation of 2005’s coontail trend. Check out Fine Featherheads for more info and where to buy the extensions!
nails
For an on-the-go alternative, try a feather hair clip or headband.
Vintage Nails (a.k.a. the “Moon” Manicure)
I’m definitely looking to Dita Von Teese on this one. Taking things even further back into history than the 80s baby and 60s boho trends, nail polish styles of the 30s and 40s can give your outfits a “polished” look. Keep the moons of your nails unpainted, or paint them a contrasting color from the rest of your nails (think of a reverse-french manicure). Here’s a good close-up of Dita’s nails (her Alexander McQueen cluthc is enviable, too):
Signature Scents
The right purfume can instantly pull together a look and give you a defining confidence-booster. But why spray on the same ones as all the other people perusing the women’s scent department? Combining spritzes of perfumes can be risky, but with some at-home experimentation you could discover new potential in old, half-used bottles of eau de toilettes and body sprays you already own. Be careful, though, to keep the scents in the same family (fruits, musks, etc) so that they compliment one another rather than compete.
Dramatic Brows
Makeup artists this year at NY fashion week were loving the bleach and eye pencils, but not on models’ hair and lashlines…rather their eyebrows. Whether they were lightening them to be barely-there or coloring them into dark, defined arches, the idea is to play up your face by drawing attention to the unexpected. If you have light hair, try coloring your brows in with a darker pencil (think Madonna). If you have dark hair (and are daring) try lightening them and balance your face with a heavier lashline. Models at Giles‘ Fall 2011 RTW show had nearly-invisible brows paired with a strong red lip, while Disney’s Tron: Legacy showed off amazing dark brows on their bleach-blonde fembots:
