The slutty Mayflower Pilgrim costume over at Ricky's is a whopping $59.99, and the Pirate Hooker getup is $49.99 on sale. Why not save the dough on an outfit you'll wear only once (in public) when you probably look pretty slutty in the first place? MAC agrees, proving all you need for Halloween is a little makeup to theme your sluttiness. Though the references may be vague, explaining to people that the card drawn over your eye makes you a "poker face" is pretty genius. You'll need an extra couple of hours to ready yourself for the night, a steady hand, and a load of tools, but your final outcome as a pop art piece come to life will be worth it. MAC's helpful how-to videos will ensure you'll get it right, even if you cant draw a straight line.

After the sun goes down, the makeup brushes come out in full force. Beauty junkies can get away with a lot when roaming New York's Lower East Side: the bars are dark, the drinking is heavy, and people look good in that uncombed, rolled-out-of-bed way. Just Cavalli sent this LES bar-hopper down the S/S 2010 runway the other day in Milan. She looks exactly the girls we know who shop at Blue&Cream and Opening Ceremony, hang out at White Slab, Darkroom, and Gallery Bar, eat at Les Enfants Terribles, and wear a ton of MAC. Appropriate, since MAC was in charge of creating the look. Maxine Leonard, the artist in charge, describes the look as "rock n' roll to reflect the collection. The girls look a bit like they did their makeup themselves and had a great night out.” Here's how the pros captured the LES girl.

This fall we'll be experiencing the harsh side of the 80s: Marc Jacobs with bright colors, Gucci with monochromatic contouring and hyper-voluminous hair. As spring rolls around, fashionistas will be extending their stay in the 80s, but according to the looks backstage at the Spring 2010 Tommy Hilfiger show, they'll be softening the overall aesthetic to the darlings of the era. While the hairstylists explained the hair and makeup belonged to "the clean, rich girls of the Upper East Side," the effect was reminiscent of the bouncy, fresh-scrubbed Breck Girls of the late 70s and early 80s

Custo Barcelona made a splashy debut at the tents over the weekend showcasing an "air show," as designer Custo Dalmau called it, which focused on the texture and lightness of his carefree frocks, bathing suit cover-ups and airy suits. It was a poppy debut that played with texture (yarn and chiffon) and shape (bra tops with sarongs skirts). But makeup took center stage to really drive Custo's concept home. Though giant pop art red lips appeared on several of the wispy dresses, the makeup was ostensibly light, pairing fluffy blowouts with peachy-pink eyeshadow and rosy cheeks. Seeing pink is not cause for alarm during spring fashion shows, but it's significant that the makeup trend was also apparent on fall runways. Are fashion houses looking out for the penny-pinching consumer trying to stretch their purchases?

One of the best things about modern technology is its immediacy. Last night I knew where I needed to be that second to see Daria and Lily having a dance off for Fashion's Night Out thanks to Twitter (they were cutting a rug at Indochine). Likewise, the instantaneous photo uploads from the runways help me plan ahead, save money, and invest in the right beauty products. To really squeeze my dollar, I usually wait to do any kind of fall shopping until fashion week is over, so I can get a good look at what the spring shows boast, in order have some insight into what trends will last. Though the shows have only recently commenced, I've already made a short list of beauty trends that seem to be transcending seasons. Here's a preview what to buy now, judging from the runway faces that will make the easiest transition from winter to spring.

Marc Jacobs' fall runway sparked one of the bolder makeup trends we'll see this season: ultra 80s makeup. Unfortunately for us, many of our fellow fashion-savvy co-workers and friends will overdo it with a harsh color scheme too tough for the 9-5. Many more will chose to overdo it at night, pairing a colorblock nightmare of a face with their LBD for a cocktail, at say, Rose Bar. As an extra on the set of Sex and the City 2 yesterday, I learned a valuable lesson after changing out of my 80s flashback clothes and drawing horrified stares and snickers on my way home on the 6 train with big hair and loud makeup. There's runway, and there's real way. Luckily, I was paying attention to the makeup ladies responsible for my contoured cheeks, red eyeshadow, and bold brows. It is possible to take the trend out into the real world -- whether you want to prove you can pull it off during the day, or go dancing with it into the night.

I love it when beauty editors offer up their prowess on the perfecting the elusive five minute face. I love it because it's humorous. I've tried every single short-cut tip, and I can tell you from experience: just because they are using MAC's Cream Colour Base because of its "versatility," doesn't mean you are going to be able to apply it any quicker with bar music is still ringing in your ear. Take last night: gin and tonics at Smith & Mills. This morning: Tired, unwashed skin, and bags -- not of the Bottega Veneta variety. On mornings like this, the last thing on my still-drunk mind is rushing through a regimen that is only under five minutes when done by a makeup pro backstage during Fashion Week. Thankfully, there really is a five minute face to fake awake -- curated not by a seasoned beauty editor, but by a seasoned bar hopper.

MAC, the cosmetics empire that's given rise to makeup without limits, and provided an artist's palette to trannies worldwide, is nodding to its own heritage with a collection inspired by the fairy grandmother of sexually-ambiguous, bedazzled glamourpusses everywhere--Dame Edna. (We know you were totally counting on Diana Ross, so sorry to disappoint). Needless to say, there won't be very many Dame Edna pieces trafficking up to Connecticut, as to mention the mere word subtle is nothing short of blasphemous. But those in the know will definitely make haste to snatch up the bold, kitschy collection, emblazoned with the dame's signature metallic red cat eye glasses.