Backstage at the Catherine Malandrino Fall 2011 fashion show, a Parisian femme inspired the look of smoky purple lids, carefree waves and hazy lilac nails. Oh la la!

MAKEUP: Gato for Maybelline New York
HAIR: Laurent Philippon for Bumble and Bumble
NAILS: Angi Wingle for CND
SNAPSHOT: Parisian Romance Visits New York

THE SCOOP: Catherine Malandrino's Fall 2011 "Quai de la Tournelle" collection was a hybrid of French sensuality and New York sensibilities, with makeup, hair and nails that melded classic beauty with a sexy leather edge.

"The girl is '70s Parisian -- fresh hair, chic color applied stylishly. It's pretty, but with a touch of city," said Gato. Skin was creamy, with a flush of pink on cheeks that accented stunningly smoked lavender and kohl eyes. Lips stayed kissable with just a slick of clear gloss. Highlighter drew attention down the center of the face, while bronzer contrasted as an imaginary heart drawn above the brows and sweeping below the cheekbones.

Hair tumbled about loosely in waves that seemingly ached to be touched. A deep side part was '70s retro in depth, though the moveable texture and soft shape of the wave were both unstructured and modern.

Nails were custom-mixed to a "concrete nude with a hint of purple" by request of Malandrino; CND interpreted that with a mix of six shades and a final matte topcoat that appeared like a purple haze. "All of the designers are asking for that matte finish topcoat this week. I think it's because it has a satin sheen finish that they see as fabric -- so they're either asking us to match a shade to a swatch in the collection, or asking that we contrast against it," Wingle told StyleList.

GET THE LOOK - MAKEUP: All products by Maybelline New York. Apply Fit Me Foundation all over skin for dewy coverage, followed by a touch of cream highlighter blended down the center of the face for an angelic glow. Apply cream mousse blush in a raspberry shade to apples of the cheeks. Smoke eyes by first applying a blend of black eyeliner pencil and foundation to create a kohl finish on lids, and then apply Purple Drama eye shadow quad over, as the powder will adhere to the base. Finish with several coats of Volume Express mascara on top and bottom lashes, with clear Shine Sensational lip gloss swiped on your pout.


GET THE LOOK - HAIR: All products by Bumble and Bumble. Spritz strands with Prep Spray and Styling Lotion, followed by a blowout with a round brush for volume. Then using a clipless curler, add loose waves of varying size for a natural look. Shake through with fingers, and hit with Spray De Mode for hold.

GET THE LOOK - NAILS: All products by CND. Mix equal parts Silver Chrome, Putty, Eclectic Purple, Bright White, Asphalt and Desert Suede for a purple-tinged smoky neutral. Top with Super Matte topcoat to lend a satin texture to nails.









If you missed seeing the Malandrino collection then take a look at our partner video!