Lovely lilac

From Marc Jacobs to DKNY, lilac was the colour on everyone's lips. At Missoni, make-up had a slightly retro feel with a twist; lilac-pink lips were combined with a smoky grey pencil in the crease of the lid. Jill Sander combined the barest of faces – with the exception of lilac lips – with clean hair that was swept strongly to the side.

It's an exercise in simplicity. Whether hair is taken off the face or naturally texturised, rest assured that you can bin the Barbie.

Lara Whitehead, the make-up artist who painted this cool beauty, says although pink is a very wearable colour, the cooler shades of lilac are a little trickier: "Lilac is so hot this season you have to give it a try, but if you're not sure about the eye shadow, rather go for a lipstick ­ it's much easier to wear." A lot depends on your colouring, she explains. "If you have an olive undertone it won't look good, no matter how hard you try. This is definitely a shade for a cooler complexion that has either a blue or pink undertone."

Jeanette Genis, the hairstylist who created this look, says that what makes the hair modern is the fact that it's not fussy. "Although I used curling tongs, they were intended simply to give the hair a little body. After I tonged sections, I let them cool and then teased the hair lightly to create a modern, unruly mess." Curls for the sake of curls would look as odd as Barbie with a brush cut.

Get the look

Hair:
Beautiful feminine make-up offset by slightly tousled hair is the ultimate modern beauty statement.

Step one

Hair that looks as though it's naturally "messy" is probably the most difficult to achieve. Although hair this winter might look undone, it's not frizzy – it should look healthy and shiny. The most important item you'll need is a styling product. It should make your hair look shiny and increase its manageability.

Step two

To achieve natural texture if you have wavy or curly hair, gently scrunch-dry your hair on the lowest setting of your hairdryer, using a diffuser so it doesn't get frizzy. If your hair is dead straight, use curling tongs to curl sections. Secure the sections with pins until hair has cooled down.

Step three

Remove the pins and gently tease sections so you don't have defined curls but rather a "messy" texture. If you used a diffuser, run serum through your hair to calm any frizziness.

Step four

Ignore the urge to "overstyle". Spray lightly over your hair to keep it in place.

For your hair to look naturally beautiful, it needs regular cutting. Don't confuse modern hair with a bird's nest.

Make-up:
This pastel look can be dressed up or down; it's the simplicity that makes it modern.

Step one

The condition of your skin is of utmost importance this winter. For a luminous complexion, exfoliate and moistur- ise before putting on make-up. Use a light-reflecting day cream for a smoother-looking complexion.

Step two

Apply concealer to areas that are uneven in tone, such as under your eyes, the corners of your nose and the corners of your mouth. Follow with a light application of foundation where necessary, then powder lightly using a powder puff. Brush off the excess with a powder brush. This look doesn't include a pencil eyeliner, but if you want more definition, use a slightly darker eye shadow than the one you used across your lids to draw a line along the roots of your lashes. Curl your eyelashes to make them look longer and your eyes look wider.

Step three

Using an eye-shadow brush, apply a pale pink eye shadow to the entire eyelid. Use a light ivory with a slight sheen on the brow bone and in the centre of the lid.

Step four

Dust a light pink blusher onto the apples of your cheeks to balance your eyes. For this look, make-up on the eyes, cheeks and lips should be the same intensity. The eyes should not, for example, be more prominent than the lips. Apply a single coat of brown mascara and comb your eyebrows.

Step five

Line your lips with a lipliner the same colour as your own lips. Follow with a light lilac-pink lipstick. The lilac pinks for winter are different from those of summer, which were pretty and warm; these are cooler and more interesting.

If you want this look to be more defined, use taupe eye shadow as an eyeliner. For even more definition, try a brown eye shadow. For evening, a slightly darker lipstick will make your lips look more defined.

Model is wearing:

Foundation: Kanebo Total Finish Foundation.
Powder: Max Factor Créme Puff in Tempting Touch No 53.
Blusher: Lancôme Blush Subtil in Brun Roche No 08.
Mascara: Almay Intense i-Color Mascara in Brown Topaz.
Eyebrow pencil: Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil.
Eye shadow: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Petal.
Lipstick: Rimmel Rich Moisture Lipstick in Paradise No 313.
Nail polish: Justine Colour Radiant Nailgloss in Coffee Bean.

Credits:

Photographer: Jacques Weyers
Photographer's assistant: Damon
Hairstylist: Jeanette Genis
Make-up artist: Lara Whitehead of Monopole
Stylist: Marleze Coetzee
Model: Laura B of Storm