Daily delight: beauty at Lanvin Spring 2010

Cuddly, utterly charming Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz vacationed in South America earlier this year, and reportedly loved the energy of the women there and the way they move. His new found passion was channelled into the brand's collection for Spring 2010, and the beauty look sported by the seemingly never ending parade of “elegant society ladies” coming home after a great night out. The make up artist behind the look was the legendary Pat McGrath, who began by applying a light foundation and dusting of powder that made the models' skin appear almost bare. Then, in a classic rock-n-roll-by-numbers move, she rimmed the eyes with black pencil and cream liners and smudged the lines with a brush. Black shadow was then applied to the lids (almost to the brow bone), followed by a clear gloss which was then carefully wiped off with a tissue. Left behind was a glossy shade of black similar to that made popular by Aaron De Mey when he applied black lip gloss to the lids of Daria Werbowy for the campaign shots that accompanied his first collection for Lancome. "It's all about this destroyed black eye makeup," McGrath told the beauty press, “we're putting it on, then wiping it off so it looks smeared and lived-in.” Add the on-trend bleached brow and an almost entirely erased lip (the perfect DIY version can be created using M.A.C's Lip Erase) and you have one very distinctive catwalk face. The hair that accompanied the collection was a slightly messy updo created by Guido, who ran thickening lotion through damp hair, blow-dried it straight and then roughly brushed the hair into a ponytail smack on top of the head. The tail was lightly teased and rolled around the top knot, then held in place with hair spray and a finishing burst of spray shine.