1. Pigmented Gemtones – Rich plums (CND Colour in Plumville) and inky navies (such as CND Colour in Midnight Sapphire) packed a gem toned punch on the runway. Get the high-shine look at home by applying CND Stickey Base Coat, CND Colour in Midnight Sapphire, and topping with CND Super Shiney Top Coat.

Seen at: Karen Walker, Correll Correll, Malandrino, Milly

2. Hi-Tech Femme – Posh metallic nails contrast neutral clothing and give silk and wool sateens an industrial, urban sheen. These high shine nails in gold and silver were seen on the runway covering the full nail or edging a creamy French mani. Achieve this look with gold or silver foil leafing (found in your local craft store), by apply leafing with a gel brush. Make sure to use top coat to seal and protect your metal mani.

Seen at: Behnaz Sarafpour, Alexandre Herchcovitch

3. Sugared Neutrals – Creamy nude and lilac tones were a soft look on the runway for a clean and sophisticated finish. For a more creative spin, at Christian Cota CND designed “Terra Cota” nails that featured a neutral faded ombre that was reminiscent of drying clay. Other variations included removing the shine with CND Super Matte Top Coat for a velvety textured look. Get the “Terra Cota” nail at home by applying CND Colour in Putty to entire nail, and using makeup sponge, sponge on CND Colour in Chocolate Milk at the cuticle area to create the neutral faded ombre look. Finish with CND Super Matte Top Coat.

Seen at: NAHM, Christian Cota, Victoria Beckham, Theory

4. Leather & Lace – Nail art ran the gamut backstage at Fashion Week, but this type nail art was all grown up. Leather and lace was used in an edgy way at The Blonds (actual leather nails in luxe silver, high shine copper and jet black) and Joy Cioci, where black fishnet-inspired lace decorated the edge of the nail for a sexy spin on the French Manicure. Achieve the leather look at home with two coats of CND Colour in Blackjack followed by one coat of CND Super Matte Top Coat. For the fishnet nails from Joy Cioci, apply CND Colour in Putty and leave the free edge clear. Apply lace or fishnet found in a craft store with nail adhesive over the clear free edge and outline the fabric stitching with CND Colour in Blackjack for a clean look.

Seen at: The Blonds, Joy Cioci

5. Whimsical Nail Art – From hypnotic swirls at Nicole Miller inspired by Jimi Hendrix tunes to the hand painted Phillipe Blond helmet heads at The Blonds and “Flirty Flower” bright tulip nails at Rachel Antonoff, nail designs were colorful and expressive on the runway. Get the “Time Machine” manicure from Nicole Miller at home by painting the entire nail with one coat of CND Colour in Plumville, then using a toothpick or detailing brush, swirl the following colors together: Electric Orange, Bicycle Yellow and Anchor Blue.

Seen at: Nicole Miller, Rachel Antonoff, The Blonds

*all images courtesy of CND. CND Nails were on hand to create the looks for all shows depicted in this article.

Read on for tips on green eating, healthy skin and foods that can help prevent the aging process:

SARAH HOWARD: In layman terms, how does what you eat affect your skin?
TERRY WALTERS: A healthy diet supports good health in countless ways, just as poor choices challenge us to maintain balance and wellbeing. Our skin, as our largest organ, reflects our state of health on the inside and can fluctuate just as our diets do. Increases in sugars (simple and complex), unhealthy fats, processed foods and artificial ingredients create acidity, inflammation and imbalance that effect our skin, hair, nails, and of course, the rest of our body and its “systems”.


SH: Some dermatologists and facialists say that the food you eat is a direct link to break outs while others call that train of thought a myth. What’s the real story?
TW:People break out for a variety of reasons. For some, breakouts can be a result of stress, for others it can be hormonal shifts and still others may never break out at all. I suspect there is little conclusive evidence of certain foods directly linked to breakouts simply because every body is different. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a connection. What we eat is undeniably connected to our overall health and the health of nearly every system in our bodies. Our bodies’ ability to break down the foods we eat also plays a huge role as food sensitivities and compromised digestion are increasingly more common and can be at the root of a variety of symptoms that affect the skin from acne to eczema.


SH: Ever since I was a child, it’s been drilled into my head that chocolate causes acne. Tell me, does it?
TW: I really hope not! In truth, while there’s not convincing evidence that chocolate causes acne directly, there is evidence that acne can be caused by sugar, and even more evidence of a link to hormonal shifts and an increase in acidity, which can be caused by both sugar and caffeine. Unfortunately, both of these ingredients are in our chocolate. Does that mean you need to eliminate chocolate? Definitely not. To get at the root of what’s causing your acne, I’d recommend assessing your overall diet to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need before I’d encourage you to deprive yourself of the foods that nourish you, at least emotionally if not physically, too!

SH: Are there any foods that can actually help with acne?
TW: A balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants is your skins best friend. Eliminate processed and refined foods, and strive to eat foods that are minimally processed and come in a rainbow of color. Switch from processed grain products to whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice. Increase your vegetable intake with extra emphasis on greens such as kale, broccoli, collard greens, watercress and sea vegetables that provide essential minerals and support nearly every bodily function. Strive to bring in non-animal sources of protein and healthy fats from legumes, nuts and seeds. Fill in with foods high in antioxidants such as berries and add some lemon or apple cider vinegar to your water to alkalinize and support overall health. The more you focus on bringing in the foods that serve you, the sooner the foods that don’t serve you will fall by the wayside, or will at least move to a healthier place in the mix.

SH: When it comes to aging, any foods that speed up the process?
TW: Processed foods, sugar, artificial ingredients, partially hydrogenated oils and any foods that you can’t translate in your mind you’re likely not to be able to translate in your body either. These combined with a sedentary lifestyle can wreak havoc on your skin and your health.


SH: How about foods that slow down the aging process?
TW: 
Our food choices together with life-style can help slow the aging process. Antioxidant-rich foods that neutralize free radicals and the damage they do to cells and membranes are a great addition, as are super foods such as blueberries, broccoli, oats, quinoa, pumpkin seed, walnuts and more. Keep your food clean – minimally processed for maximum nutrition – and eat foods that come from the green kind of a plant as opposed to a processing plant. Combine a healthy diet with vitamin D from the sun, fresh air, clean water, ample sleep and exercise, and you’re apt to be feeling and looking younger in no time.

SH: If there was one food everyone should eat to make our skin look its best, what would it be?  
TW: I always recommend that people start with greens! Many consider green to be the color of healing, and it happens also to the color most missing in the standard American diet. Dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, cabbages, romaine lettuce, watercress, mustard greens, dandelion greens…provide a wealth of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that benefit everything including your liver and heart to your bones and eyes. Greens are known to reduce inflammation, and can even help reduce risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer.


SH: What’s the perfect diet?
TW: If every body is different, how can there possibly be one perfect diet? Good health is about making conscious choices – one healthy choice at a time, and we can’t make healthy choices unless we know what we’re choosing from. Focus on keeping to foods that are minimally processed so that you can access maximum nutrition. And stick to foods that come from the green kind of plant – whole grains, lots of vegetables, non-animal sources of protein and fat like legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits and super-nutritionals like sea vegetables, antioxidant-rich foods and extra emphasis on greens. That’s what I call CLEAN FOOD – the foods we ALL need more of, not matter what else is on your plate. The more you focus on bringing these foods in, the healthier you’ll be on the inside and out.


SH: Is there a middle ground? Can we still keep our treats?
TW: We all make food choices that nourish something other than our best nutrition! Perhaps it’s an emotional need, a connection to tradition or possibly an addiction (especially if it’s a combination of fat and sugar). The reality is that deprivation doesn’t serve anything and just makes us want those favorite foods even more. Moderation is key! Focus on bringing in the good and making a slow and successful transition to eating clean. All it takes is one clean food a week. If you make that your goal, at the end of the year, even if you only like half of the foods you try, you’ll have 26 new clean foods in your diet. That’s a lot of added nutrition for good health and glowing skin.

*For more of Terry Walters and her health tips, follow her at @terrywalters.

I asked Rodney Cutler of Cutler Salons, responsible for some 20 NY F/W fashion week shows to give us some insider tips into the world of bangs. Should you choose to make the cut, here is the information you’ll need to know.

SARAH HOWARD: It looks like bangs may be coming back into style this season — what will be different about the 2012 bang?
RODNEY CUTLER: I think that the 2012 bang trend is a heavier bang than usual, with a bit of separation, but with a heavier feel. They hit the corner of the eyebrow and drape down a little so when you pull your hair back, there’s a few little bits that pop around the face. They’re more deliberate this season, which adds real drama as there’s more of a shape. I really think a bang like this is the best way to reinvent long hair without losing length.

1. separated, textured bangs / 2. wispy side bangs / 3. thick, blunt bangs

SH: What type of bang matches each face shape?
Round:
RC: Bangs that have more movement, and that are softer so they bring out the roundness in the face. If they’re too square, the cheeks wil pop out too much.
Oval:
RC: They’re the lucky ones that can go with any bang style- though square are better if they swing to one side.
Heart:
RC: This is wear a fuller bang would work- this is ideal to balance out the chin.

SH: What bangs work best for the following hair types?
Thick Hair: 
RC: Bangs that are broken up, cut with a little separation to lighten up the face and the hair surrounding it.
Thin/ Fine Hair: A
RC: Adding a little fullness to the bangs works to increase volume, but don’t overlay the bangs as it will just make them appear even thinner. Aother great trick is to start the bang further back on the head (so more hair is cut bang-length) which will add the illusion of fullness.

SH: Any specific way to style bangs for 2012?
RC: For thick hair, add a very small amount of a light conditioning spray- I like Redken’s new All Soft Supple Touch Softening Cream-Spray for this.  Comb it on wet hair and let it dry naturally. Were looking for the hair to be smooth and straight but not dead straight so we air dry, but the spray will help it keep frizz free. For fine hair, use a little of a volumizing spray like Redken’s Rootful 06 Root Lifting Spray just on the roots where the bang meets the head, and then blow-dry using a medium round brush. The whole idea is to create fullness at the roots not the ends – otherwise the style will become bubble-like and won’t work.

I’ve been doing this beauty thing for quite some time – over  half a decade (closer to a decade) now… and it’s with such great pleasure that I share my newest venture, beauty editor of the recently launched, shoppable magazine, Lifestyle Mirror. I am so proud of my section (click here to peruse beauty) – chock-full of beauty tips, product spotlights, how-to and DIY videos (featuring me!), and interviews with some of the top artists and stylists in the field. The highly curated site offers beautiful imagery coupled with indispensable beauty advice.

Please take a few moments to check it out. New content is uploaded every day so bookmark it as a daily read and make sure to watch the videos (new ones premiering weekly)!

On the site today: Daphne Guinness’s beauty favorites, how to create a modernized Jane Birkin face, favorite products containing rose hip, a tip about tending to your lashes courtesy of Gisele’s makeup artist, Rose Marie Swift, and a How To Video on achieving a Bold Lip (in 5 simple steps)!

And, if you feel so inclined:  tweet it, tumble it, stumble it, facebook it, pin it, pose it… etc, etc.

Of course, please leave your feedback and let me know what you like, don’t like, want to see more or less of…

www.lifestylemirror.com/beauty

I like unexpected makeup; something that is a bit unusual like not your average lip color but experimenting with orange and purples instead of your everyday red or pink. But my boyfriend thinks I look like a tranny when I wear too much makeup so I guess you can say that, when I do do my makeup, I’m doing it for the girls. At least they appreciate the time and effort it takes to put it on!

I like the way that Drea de Matteo uses makeup. I’ve never seen her without it and I’ve lived in the same building with her! I love her devotion to waking up and putting on a full face of makeup. I guess that I thought I’d grow up one day and just know how to put on makeup from watching my mother do it. Sadly, that was not the case for me.

Here’s what I have in my makeup bag at the moment:

Mason Pearson Junior Mixed Bristle Brush – Because my hair is so long, it tends to become really knotted so I always carry a brush so that I don’t look like I just had sex. By the way, I’m a real blonde.
Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude – I’ve used this product forever. It’s a standard that I always have with me. It’s for daytime when I don’t feel like wearing a ton of makeup but want an even skin tone and some coverage. And it doubles as a pretty decent moisturizer.
Chanel Teint Innocence SPF 10 in Cameo – This is my favorite makeup product and they’re discontinuing it – I am so sad. It covers up all of my Melasma and zits and it makes me feel like a supermodel when I wear it.
Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer in Hotel Heiress – I’m really into pale at the moment but when I do wear bronzer, this is my go-to. I’ve actually turned a lot of my friends on to it. I can’t really lay my face in the sun and so this color is as close to the sun as I’ll get.
Chanel Powder Blush in Rose Dust - Jen Brill (Chanel Ambassador) convinced me that this would be a better shade for me in the winter. Not sure if I’m buying it but I’m testing it out. Because I’m really into the pale skin I find that blush is very important to bring out some color so that I don’t look like I’m sick or transparent.
Eyelash Curler – I curl my lashes after – I know, I know, most people do it before. But I feel like it helps to de-clump and separate when I do it post mascara.
MAC Lipstick in Warm Me Up - This is my daytime color. It’s very neutral and gives my lips a bit of a pinkish color. I have naturally red lips so sometimes I like to bring them down a notch.
Lucas’ Pawpaw Ointment - Did you know it’s illegal in the United States? It’s not FDA approved, but we’ve been selling it at our store, 143, because one of our employees is Australian. I’m obsessed. Mainly, I just like the packaging. And the product’s pretty good too. I think it works better than Aquaphor. Honestly.
Chalotte Ronson Lipgloss in Sophia - Charlotte is a really good friend of mine and I’m so excited about her new makeup line at Sephora. There is a lipgloss called Chrissie but I prefer the Sophia for me (kidding). The glosses are seriously awesome – they give your lip the right amount of color and shine without being overpowering or messy.
Drugstore Concealer Wand – I think it’s CoverGirl, I’ve been using the same one since I’m sixteen. It matches my skin color pretty perfectly and since my biggest beauty concern is my dark circles, I am never without concealer under my eyes. I stalk up whenever I walk into a drugstore.
Chanel Brow Pencil in Blond Clair – When I got my eyebrows shaped at the Pierre Michel Salon, Sue Ellen told me that the Chanel brow pencil is the lightest one she had ever seen. And it’s true, it really shapes my brows rather than fills them in. I use it only if I have time (which is practically never!).
MAC Lipstick in Russian Red - I am really into pale skin and when I’m feeling like I need a little color on my face, I turn to a red lip. This is my favorite red color. I only wear red at night and never when I’m djing. I hate being too dressed up when I’m djing.
L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara in Black – I’m really into the packaging. Anything gold is good. I think I tend to choose makeup a lot by the packaging it comes in. Mascara is mascara, you know? But packaging sets it apart. And, for the record, I do like a bottom lash full of mascara. Very Twiggy.”

I keep all of my products in a LeSportSac bag that I have decorated with a few cool pins. The Sophomore and Miller pins are my favorite – Sophomore is my clothing liner and Miller is the beer but also my last name, although no relation (sadly).