Purple reigns

The fashion-conscious among you will have noticed that neutrals are the new black. Camel shades paraded at Hermès, Marni showcased taupe and caramel shades dominated the runway at Chloe. Backstage, the make-up artist's job is to create looks that complement the clothes — and this season, that means going purple. The perfect foil to the sophisticated neutrals of your autumn-winter (AW) wardrobe, this purple takes on the intensity of black cherry, aubergine and fig. The key is to pick an accent feature (eyes, lips or nails) and go all-out. We asked the experts how to bypass the gothic look and go straight to glossy.

THE AUBERGINE EYE
This AW, the classic smoky eye comes with a softer, more tonal feel. At the Carolina Herrera show MAC eyeshadows in Vibrant Grape and Indian Ink (£11 each; maccosmetics.com) were layered onto lids for a Seventies-esque look.
"Layering multiple shades of purple over the eye allows you to build intensity and drama," says Maybelline New York global make-up artist Charlotte Willer. "Use a lighter shade over the eyelid and near the lashline. Apply a deeper shade into the crease and towards the brow bone. Wet a small brush and run it along the lashes and into the crease to hit the right note of sophistication."

Get the look with Max Factor's new Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow in Purple Dust (£7.99; maxfactor.co.uk) which comes in a dual-ended applicator for blending colour and defining eyes. Better still, visit the Maybelline New York Pop-Up (October 16-26 in Covent Garden) to pick up the Eyeshadow Quad in Purple Drama (£6.99; maybelline.co.uk).

THE BLACKBERRY LIP
There are two ways you can go with this: shaped and glossy or matt and smudgy. Take your cue from the Sass and Bide show and use a brush to sculpt lips into a full, red-purple colour, then add a gloss topcoat. Or go for the matt and smudgy look seen at Proenza Schouler by using your finger to press colour onto the lips, (try Shu Uemura's new Rouge Unlimited in WN260M, £19.50; spacenk.co.uk) intensifying the colour at the centre of the mouth.

"This season's purple is all about decadence," says make-up guru Bobbi Brown. "To get a look that's both powerful and polished, pair the purple lip with pale, heavily-highlighted translucent skin." Combine your usual liquid foundation with a light-reflecting primer or highlighter to create the perfect complexion canvas for Bobbi's new Creamy Lip Colour in Black Cherry (£15.50; bobbibrown.co.uk).

THE AMETHYST NAIL
The perfect nail now comes in a longer, oval shape with a high-shine, jewelled finish that oozes power.

Look to the Antonio Berardi show and keep skin pale to set off the new William Tell Me About OPI (£9.95; lenawhite.co.uk) — a deepest, darkest purple. Mavala's Black Cherry shade (£3.95; 01732 459 412) works well on warmer skintones. Watch out for the Accessorize beauty collection, including a glittered purple nail polish in Pin Up (£4 in Superdrug nationwide from next month) which can be worn alone or layered over black.