Runway Trends

From the runways to the red carpets, the spring makeup shade of the moment is purple. Feminine and flirty, purple adds a fun splash of color to your eyes or lips. Read on for Stylelist's tips and tricks from leading beauty experts on how to rock the purple trend.

- by Melissa Goldberg

Scott Gries, Getty Images for IMG | Dave Hogan, Getty Images | Gary Gershoff, WireImage | John Shearer, WireImage

PURPLE LIP RULE: GO BLUE!
Blue counteracts yellow in your teeth, making for a bright white smile – so always look for blue-based purples. "Consider any purple lipsticks with brown undertones to be rotten grapes and avoid them like the plague. Think fruit when picking your shade of purple – old fruit starting to brown is bad!" advises Jamie Kern Lima, creator of IT Cosmetics.

Scott Gries, Getty Images for IMG

PURPLE LIPS FOR FAIR SKIN
Go with a deep magenta or berry shade for a stunning contrast against light skin, see here on Anna Paquin. "Avoid pastels and iridescent purples. On pale skin, these light purples will make you look like you're freezing," says Jamie Kern Lima.

TRY THE TREND:
Laura Geller Lipstick in Frostbit, $15
Lancôme Color Fever Lipstick in Rock Icon Fuschia, $25

Jason Merritt, Getty Images

PURPLE LIPS FOR MEDIUM SKIN
Jeweled berry tones enrich the pigment in medium and olive skin, which pulls off more vibrant color beautifully - as seen on Zac Posen's Spring 2009 runway, and on actress Camille Belle. Be careful not to go too dark, as it can be aging, and "avoid pastels like lilac, it will just wash you out," says Celebrity Makeup Artist Trish McEvoy.

TRY THE TREND:
L'Oréal Colour Riche Lipcolour in Raspberries, $7.99
Sue Devitt Balanced Matte Lipstick in New York, $20

Scott Gries, Getty Images for IMG | Lester Cohen, WireImage

PURPLE LIPS FOR DARK SKIN
Your deep complexion can pull off dark plums beautifully, says New York Makeup Artist Kimara Ahnert. To modernize your look, slick vaseline or plum lipgloss over your lipcolor for a sexy, shiny lip-lacquered look, see here on actress Taraji P. Henson.

TRY THE TREND:
MAC Lustreglass in Trance Plant, $14
Milani Velvet Lipstick in Chic, $4.99

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

LEERY OF PURPLE LIPS?
If you want to try purple on your lips in a subtle way, apply a smidge of purple eyeshadow to your lips and then top with your favorite blue-based lipgloss. The color will absorb a gentle purple tint without straying too far away from your usual shade, says Celebrity Beauty Expert Eva Scrivo.

TRY THE TREND:
IT Cosmetics My Youthful Smile Lipgloss in Signature Blue, $32

Scott Gries, Getty Images for IMG

WHAT TO PAIR WITH PURPLE LIPS?
Sweep a touch of rosiness to your cheekbones with a natural blush and keep the eye neutral, advises Trish McEvoy. If you want to add a touch of color to the eye, define with just aubergine eyeliner (seen here on actress Thandie Newton). "Stay away from bright colored eye makeup!" warns Jamie Kern Lima.

TRY THE TREND:
Trish McEvoy Perfect Blush in Natural, $20
Paul & Joe Beaute Pencil Eye Liner in Aubergine, $16

Gary Gershoff, WireImage

PURPLE EYES - HOW-TO APPLY
Light and vibrant shades of purple eye shadow should be applied with a large eyeshadow brush in a sweeping motion over the lids so that you deposit sheer color. You can also apply these tones up into the crease and finish with a cream or soft shimmer on the brow bone for a pretty eye-opening look. Deep shades of plum are best applied in the crease, outer corners of the eyes and/or smudged along the lash line.

From top left: Queen Latifah, model from Erin Fetherston's Spring 2009 fashion, January Jones, Blake Lively.

Steve Granitz, WireImage | Frazer Harrison, Getty Images for IMG | Steve Granitz, WireImage | Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage

PURPLE SHADOWS FOR BLUE EYES
Blend a light violet all over the lid - as seen here on Amy Adams and Katie Holmes -- and then apply a brown-plum to your crease and along the lashline so that the deep shade sits right next to your blue eyes. The mix of plum and brown brings out blue eyes beautifully, and "you'll look like you walked off the runway, not like you walked out of the 80s," says Jamie Kern Lima.

TRY THE TREND:
Paula Dorf Eye Color Glimmer in Tranquility, $21
MAC Eye Shadow in Shale, $14.50

Steve Granitz, WireImage | Dave Hogan, Getty Images

PURPLE SHADOWS FOR GREEN & HAZEL EYES
"You were born for this trend – own it! Purple makes your hazel eyes pop more than any other color," says Jamie Kern Lima. A silver-toned purple will additionally bring out the whites of your eyes, which will make your eyes sparkle, suggests Trish McEvoy. Here, hazel-eyed Faith Hill sizzles in plum shadow.

TRY THE TREND:
Too Faced Single Eye Shadow in Glamazon, $16
Smashbox Cosmetics Single Eye Shadow in Spellbound, $16

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

Celeb: Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Fashion Line:
Elisabeth Hasselbeck for Dialogue

Qualifications:
"The View"'s co-host is the latest name to throw her hat in the designer arena with the Elisabeth Hasselbeck for Dialogue line, which will be sold exclusively at QVC. With no piece costing more than $100, everyone can soon be dressing like the perky TV personality.

Katy Winn, Getty Images

Celeb: Nicole Richie
Fashion Line: House of Harlow
Qualifications: We still aren't sure why Nicole Richie became famous but what's keeping her famous is surely her fashion sense. The fashionista just launched a jewelry line named after 14-month-old baby number one Harlow and if the lines a hit our money is on Richie announcing a junior line named after baby number two (due at the end of the summer)!

Jean Baptiste Lacroix, WireImage

Celeb: Lauren Conrad (in her Jade bubble dress)
Fashion Line:
Lauren Conrad Collection
UPDATE: Went out of business on March 23, 2009
Qualifications: An unfinished stint at L.A.'s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, two years of sorting samples in Teen Vogue's West Coast fashion closet and a new gig with pal Whitney Port at the fashionable PR firm People's Revolution prepped LC for her own designing gig.

Steve Granitz, WireImage.com

Celeb: Madonna
Fashion Line: Madonna for Ed Hardy
Qualifications: The 50-year-old popstar has long been a fan of Christian Audigier's line and now we hear she'll be making her second foray into fashion design for the label. Madge's first effort (2007's M by Madonna for H&M) was a hit, but it's hard for us to imagine her new creations will be the much needed break from Ed Hardy's unfortunate tattoo cover box.

Fred Duval, FilmMagic

Celeb:Taylor Swift
Fashion Line: L.E.I. Sundresses by Taylor Swift
Qualifications:The young country singer is releasing a line of frocks this February that her die-hard fans will love and moms can afford. We're sure Swift's brand will expand into denim.

Charley Gallay, Getty Images

Celeb: Dita Von Teese
Fashion Line: Science of Sexy for Wonderbra
Qualifications: This burlesque bombshell spends most of her time in scanty skivvies, so we're absolutely confident she is capable of creating amazing lingerie! Of her '40s and '50s-inspired line Von Teese says "Underwear isn't just something that you put on for your lover -- you wear it for you."

Mike Marsland, WireImage

Celeb: Lauren Bush
Fashion Line:Lauren Pierce (hits stores in Spring 2009)
Qualifications: An alum of both Parsons New School for Design in NYC and Central Saint Martins College in London, first niece and former model Lauren Bush definitely has a solid design foundation. Add to that an internship at Zac Posen, a boyfriend with a designer dad (her main squeeze is Ralph Lauren's son) and the success of the popular FEED bags she designed to benefit the U.N.'s World Food Program, and it looks like Ms. Bush has the chops to make her ready-to-wear sustainable fabrics line a hit.

Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images

Celeb: Eva Mendes
Fashion Line: Vida for Macy's
Qualifications: Calvin Klein's latest controversial ad campaigns features a naked Eva Mendes rolling around on a bed, so perhaps her new venture isn't really all that surprising. The actress and her boyfriend, film producer George Augusto, are launching a collection of sheets and comforters. While neither has any design background, we're betting the betting the lovebirds know how to make a cozy nest.

AFP/Getty Images

Celeb: Mischa Barton
Fashion Line: Mischa Barton for Stacey Lapidus
Qualifications:The former O.C. star gets more ink these days for her hair accessories than her acting jobs so maybe this is a brilliant career move: She's coming out with a line of headbands made from a wide array of materials including silk, feathers and crystals, ranging in price from $40-$200.

Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images

Celeb: Janet Jackson
Fashion Line:Pleasure Principle
Qualifications:Named after her 1987 hit, the fancy pants (and matching bras) will all retail for under $40. "There's something for every woman, and that's very important to us," Jackson says. "I've always hated when lingerie is uncomfortable, so the fit and comfort was key." Nothing nasty about that, Miss Jackson.

Arnold Turner, AP