Hello, Kelly! I love makeup, and I really look forward to the new trends each season. Can you share with me the makeup trends for next season? I want to know what I should be wearing. Thanks. – MICA

I love following makeup trends. They instantly update your look, and at the same time show you different ways to look beautiful. I love my go-to red and nude lipstick, but there’s something exciting about trying out a new shade of eyeshadow or lipstick, or experimenting with different makeup applications. Of course, like fashion, following beauty trends is completely your prerogative—you can choose which trends you want to wear and make them your own. Individuality is key. At least, that is what I learned at the MAC Autumn/Winter 2014 Trends Presentation.

It seems there is a shift in makeup this coming season, as we no longer strive for perfection. Makeup is now meant to look like how we do it, and not how a makeup artist would do it. This idea may throw you off, because we’re hardwired for perfection, especially when it comes to makeup. But this season, we can relax a little, as we get to march to the beat of our own drums. MAC leaves it up to us to adapt these trends. This gives us complete freedom, and allows us to make our own choices. This is such a refreshing trend—do your own thing! It is all about attitude next season; MAC is merely supplying us with ingredients for inspiration, but it is up to us to style them. That’s what makes it modern. Let’s go through these four exciting trends: Off Colour, Streamlined, On Reflection and Unprocessed.

Off Colour. With shades like Polluted Pink, Unwholesome Brown, Bruised Plum, Dirty Khaki, Dull Rust, Dingy Violet, Dusty Ochre and Veined Blue, we are in for a different kind of color palette. All of a sudden, earthy and organic tones are on-trend, giving us grungy color that creates a unique kind of luminosity and life in the face. Instead of pretty and bright colors, we have fresh options like mud, moss, mushroom, algae, sap, rust and grit. These are colors we’ve never used before. But this coming season, it is all about these decayed shades. We’re going to see a different kind of beautiful. These new shades are just the change we need to match our mood.

Runway inspiration: Diane Von Furstenberg, Jonathan Saunders and Marni

Streamlined. Eyeliner is not a new trend, but it seems MAC has found a way to change it up. This trend is all about creating an architectural eye, and using strong beautiful lines to create new eye shapes. They say it sits somewhere between glamour and grunge, but is vitally neither of the two. Tough and confident, we will get to color outside the lines next season, and draw new lines of our own. We get to play with color and makeup placement (eyebrows can also be lined now). And we get to do it our own way—there are no mistakes here. The less time you spend fussing over your eyeliner, the better. Liner paired with minimally covered skin looks fresh and modern.

Runway inspiration: Giles, Missoni and Topshop Unique.

On reflection. Shine is something we are afraid of, just because we live in a tropical country and we get a lot of it on a hot day. This is a different kind of shine, though, and we mustn’t be afraid of it. This kind of shine plays with light, and is a stark contrast against matte makeup. It is all about where we place the shine, reshaping the face in the process. The eyes are the best place to apply shine, as it looks fresh and modern. This is applied sans mascara and liner, though, which immediately makes it minimal but luxurious. Playing with neutral metallics, like copper, gold, silver and pewter, will give you that effect. As well as applying a glossy finish through shimmer, or a balm.

Runway inspiration: Altuzarra, Donna Karan New York and Chloe.

Unprocessed. For the longest time, we’ve tried to figure out how to apply no-makeup makeup. It was always a long process, as we tried to achieve a natural glow, complete with a flush of color on the cheeks and lips. Well, this is nothing like that. Instead of natural, expect “real” makeup. This means wearing an almost bare face that is beautiful and fresh. But instead of focusing on the makeup, it is all about the individual. It is minimal makeup that accentuates reality. It is bare, clean and minimal. Again, there is no need to try hard to achieve this look; it is creating a groomed face with invisible makeup. Skin is the focus here.

Runway inspiration: Proenza Schouler, Prabal Gurung and Giambattista Valli.

This article was published in the Lifestyle Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer on July 11, 2014.