Spring 2012 Fashion Week: The Prettiest Hair and Makeup Looks From the Runways

Pretty spring 2012 makeup look: the orange nails, magenta lips combo at Milly

Sometimes two brights make a beauty right. Case in point: The models at Milly's spring 2012 show wore CND Electric Orange on their nails and hot-pink matte lipstick on their lips. Since the hot hues are far away from each other (unless you go around with your hands on your lips, like this lovely lady), the overall vibe isn't too wild or clash-y.

Backstage at Milly, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 hairstyle: the super-high braided bun at Erin Fetherston

You've gotta love when a cute hairstyle is way easier to pull off than it looks. To DIY the fun, flattering updo that the Alterna team whipped up at Erin Fetherston's spring 2012 show, simply pull hair back into a high ponytail, braid the length, then twist into a big ol' bun. Shove in a few bobby pins and you're ready to go! If you need more convincing, check out how fab our beauty blogger Beth looked after she DIY'ed this 'do!

Erin Fetherston, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 makeup look: the party-ready silver eyeliner look at Betsey Johnson

We wouldn't usually suggest wearing bright pink lip gloss and very metallic silver together, but the Stila makeup pros at Betsey Johnson's runway show totally made it work. (Makeup fiends, take note: They used In the Light eyeshadow palette and Petal lipstick.) One VIP tip: Save this for the weekends as it's a wee bit (OK, a lot bit) festive for the office.

Backstage at Betsey Johnson, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 makeup look: crimson lipstick, gold eyeliner and serious nails at Jen Kao

There's no replacing the always-essential black eyeliner, but the little flash of gold on the lids of Jen Kao models gave us a good idea of how to change things up. We put "gold eye pencil" and "orange-y crimson matte lipstick" on our drugstore beauty list (the Maybelline team used Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Give Me Gold and Color Sensational Lipcolor in both Coral Crush and Are You Red-dy) and took notes on the ombre nail how-to.

Backstage at Jen Kao, spring 2012

Pretty Spring 2012 hairstyle: pastel hair streaks at Peter Som

Amazingly, these pastel streaks look good in pretty much every hair color, just take a peek and see! Plus, they're pale enough to not be overly distracting or wacky or trying too hard (some of the models had streaks that were more pink or blond, but all had the same peachy-pale vibe).

Peter Som, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 hairstyle: the glossy, bouncy ponytails at Monique Lhuillier

To create the polished "It's Saturday and I'm going to the country club" kind of ponytail, hairstylist guru Odile Gilbert prepped models' hair with Kerastase's new Fibre Architecte serum to get a sleek look through the crown. She then teased the ponytail length in sections using a Mason Pearson brush, which has both fine and thick bristles. One last brushing along the crown and over the outside of the ponytail gave the whole hairstyle a smooth look. The finished ponytail was so voluminous and bouncy, you would have sworn hair extensions were used (but they weren't).

Backstage at Monique Lhuillier, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 makeup look: super-pretty (and super-affordable!) magenta lipstick at Luca Luca

To get the sexy, look-at-me lips at Luca Luca's spring 2012 show, makeup pro Gucci Westman used Revlon's super-lustrous lipstick in Fuchsia Fusion. We loved the result and the price tag: A tube of it'll set you back only about $8!

Luca Luca, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 makeup look: the shower 'n' go dewy glow at BCBG

While we know you ladies don't love the gelled hair look, we've gotta thank the Bumble and Bumble team for making us feel a little better about those days when we scoot out the door with still-wet hair. Meanwhile, Maybelline makeup artist Charlotte Willner's three-step makeup look is good for mornings when you've got only a few minutes to get out the door: She started with FIT Me foundation and a little pressed powder for the base, then added a deep rose blush where you naturally blush (cheeks and even a little on the temples). Then she used a clear balm on the eyelids and lips, just to catch the light and give that natural, fresh-out-of-the-ocean (or, in our case, shower) vibe.

BCBG, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 hairstyle: the feather and bobby pin-accented bun at Jason Wu

The romantic, feather-trimmed updos at Jason Wu caused us to seriously swoon. The Kerastase team prepped models' hair with Lotion Densitive, Fibre Architecte and Mousse Volumeactive to build up volume and texture, then twisted the hair into different pieces, pinning hair up into a round shape at the back of the head. After the wispy chignon was secured in place, hairstylists tucked thin black feathers in here and there for a surprisingly dramatic 'do.

Jason Wu, spring 2012

Pretty spring 2012 makeup look: Tommy Hilfiger's mascara-free beauty look

A slew of makeup pros skipped the mascara step this season, which resulted in some fresh, eye-opening looks like this one at Tommy Hilfiger. Instead of mascara, MAC's Diane Kendal filled in the eyelid with MACs Havana shadow and added a thin black liquid eyeliner to define the eyes in a sweet, subtle way.

Tommy Hilfiger, spring 2012