London beauty trends: less is more

Grunge-inspired, 'I don't care'-beauty was the big trend in New York, with many designers opting for smudged smoky eyes and 'dirty' hair, and the general goal seemed to be not to overstyle things. London designers have been taking this further: most models looked as if they weren't wearing any makeup at all.

"Natural seems to be the key trend emerging in the capital," confirmed Jenny Smith, who keeps a blog for beauty brand Avon, citing Matthew Williamson and Julian Macdonald as examples of the fresh-faced look.

Smith cited Charlotte Tilbury, the makeup artist for Macdonald's show, as saying: "We wanted the girls to look clean, like there's no makeup. [...] It's simply healthy, glowing skin with a pinched cheek. It's a no make-up makeup look."

The only products required to achieve the look 'au naturel,' according to Smith, are skin brighteners, eye sparklers, concealers and shine removers.

London designers couldn't do completely without the smoky eye, however, with examples including PPQ or Jena Theo. And in order to keep the focus on the face, most brands went for pulled-back hair styles: Erdem opted for top knots and headbands, and Marios Schwab's models had slick side partings, for instance. The very few exceptions included wild 1980s-inspired hair at Roksanda Illincic and Vivienne Westwood.