It isn’t frequent enough that we are offered a new perspective on things , last Thursday at a MAC Cosmetics event, offered in a silver platter was just that. Spring/ Summer 2012 Beauty trends were established as interpreted by MAC senior stylists from the various beauty looks emerging from the top runway shows around the world.

On hand was MAC Senior Stylist from Australia, Nicole Thompson – who briefed us on four main trends coined as ATH-ELITE, ORE-INSPIRED, NOUV-EAU and NEO-N. To summarize briefly – the trend is towards luminous- bare skin, touches of metallics, soft washes of color, graphic details and pops of color. Each trend was demonstrated on a model and key products for the look were highlighted as well. It was definitely an immensely informative afternoon which offered a very fresh take on beauty.

At the danger of sounding too technical and overwhelming with a plethora of information, I shall just begin by saying that the stand out characteristic of the season is beautiful bare luminous skin. The skin was noticeably very very fresh, clean and extremely luminous. And hand-in-hand with this, the stand out product for the season is a highlight product as well. Whether that be cream or powder based, if you have yet to delve into the world of highlights then this is the season to do so. In keeping with this standout feature trend MAC introduces it’s extra-dimension product- which is a high breed between a powder and a cream based highlighter. And a fearless forecast from a product junkie- this will definitely be the key product of the season.

Besides luminous skin, bare and natural fresh skin also defined many looks. This gives way to much attention and meticulous detail work on preparing the skin. Products such as moisturizers, toners and creams play an integral role on the skin’s suppleness and luminousity even after other products are layered or applied. Some key products in creating this fresh canvas are MAC Fix Plus, MAC Strobe Cream, MAC Moisture Concealer, MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

Other details followed suit- washes of color, graphic details, metallic touches and sparing pops of color to stain the lip & cheek. Details such as these- were far and in between yet they to me did not truly define the season but more so defined specific looks catering to specific design preferences. The details are fairly simple to add to a look or achieve but definitely took a back seat to what I believe is the standout trend for the season, which is extremely beautiful and luminous skin.