Fall's Designer Beauty

"Mother Nature is the greatest colorist of all — black calla lilies, peacock feathers, poisonous snakes. You don't get more brilliant than that!"

The colorful makeup nods to the runway and YSL's vibrant history — captured in a book and recent exhibit in Paris.

Yves Saint Laurent 5 Colour Harmony for Eyes in Midnight Garden, $56

Rouge Volupté Perle Lipstick in Spellbinding Violet, $34.

Every element of the Fan di Fendi fragrance and design was informed by the brand's heritage, Silvia Venturini Fendi explains. Known as the creative force behind It bags like the Baguette and Peekaboo, the designer turned to the house's ubiquitous gold double-F logo to punctuate the fragrance bottle.

Fendi Fan di Fendi Eau de Parfum, $76.

Perfumer François Demachy nodded to the runway's swingy furs, blending notes of leather and musk into the traditional base of Italian scents like Calabrian tangerine. The kicker? A trio of supermodels — Karmen Pedaru, Anja Rubik, and Abbey Lee Kershaw — star in the campaign.

"They're strong women," says Venturini Fendi. "Just like fans of Fendi."

"The perfume is like the Peekaboo bag: whispered, classic luxury. " — Silvia Venturini Fendi

With models marching down the Italian designers' fall runway fashioned into bustier-clad "girls" or androgynous "boys," spectators were left doing a double take. Carrying on the theme, the house's makeup collection makes a two-part reveal. First up: the "Passion Duos," constructed with velvety, high-pigment lipstick on the outside, a shimmery sliver of gloss in the middle. "I love lipstick's richness and weight," explains longtime makeup collaborator Pat McGrath. "Add gloss, and it's instantly wearable!" Part due will even appeal to the tomboy set: creamy foundations that mimic a summery Sicilian glow. And yes, the two make a great pair.

At the designers' Portofino house.

The brand's signature red in Passion Duo Lipstick, $34.

"Stefano would be a sparkling gloss; Domenico is more reserved, like classic lipstick. " — Pat McGrath

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation, $55.

Scarlett Johansson's shade.

"Perfume is like couture — it's different on every woman's skin," says designer Riccardo Tisci, who ventures into women's fragrance this fall with a woody-powdery rose blend called Dahlia Noir.

No stranger to the female psyche, Tisci grew up in southern Italy, raised by his mother and eight sisters. "They were all his muses," chimes model Mariacarla Boscono (with Tisci), who now holds that title herself.

Each muse had her part in shaping Tisci's debut scent: The central rose note was chosen for his mother, who wears a classic rose splash from Santa Maria Novella; the sisters had veto rights on the 200-plus versions of the perfume; and Boscono's gothic beauty inspired the dark visual concept.

So, was designing a scent more challenging than, say, a fashion collection? Certainly different, says Tisci: "You have only one drop to express your romanticism, your edge."

Behind the scenes.

"Perfume for me is the strawberry on the cake, a celebration of the past six years of success at the house." — Riccardo Tisci

Dahlia Noir Candle, $56.

Givenchy Dahlia Noir Body Milk, $50

Fall and haute couture look.

Eau de Parfum Spray, $90

Leave it to the queen of bridal to create a scent that aims to embody a love affair. "This is a story about a modern Romeo and Juliet," says Vera Wang of her sparkly new floral scent, Lovestruck. No matter that the campaign — which features Leighton Meester and a hunky "Romeo" re-enacting Shakespeare's most famous love scene — was shot on a fire escape in NYC, not a balcony in Verona; Wang just wanted to capture an uptown-meets-downtown spirit.

She created the logo by scrawling it in lipstick on one of her cocktail napkins, and the burgundy dress (which reflects the bottle design) is a couture piece made for Meester. Juliet should have been so lucky.

Vera Wang Lovestruck Eau de Parfum, $68.

"It's about a girl who's very rockin' and very downtown, but also feels confident in couture." — Vera Wang

"We used extreme proportions to create something new, unexpected, and optimistic," says perfumer Daniela Andrier of Prada Candy. Lest you assume it smells like Pop Rocks, it's a cool take on the sweet concept, utilizing Benzoin, a creamy-smelling resin of the Laotian styrax tree (no joke) and a synthetic "pop" of caramel.Design-wise, the team looked to the house's signature saffiano leather and colorful accessories.

Art director Jean-Paul Goude dreamed up a video and print ad starring French actress Léa Seydoux as a naughty piano student. The soundtrack wisely avoids the Bow Wow Wow song.

Fashion illustrator François Berthoud sketched the box art.

"If Prada Candy were a film, it would be a musical comedy!" — Léa Seydoux

Prada Candy Eau de Parfum, $80.

Die-hard Christian Dior fans know that the designer's muse, Mitzah Bricard — a hatmaker known for sporting insanely chic leopard prints, and lots of them — influenced many aspects of his work. She was a woman of substance, too: Bricard was not only Dior's millinery director, she also consulted with the designer on various collections. (She helped cook up the "New Look.")

The icon is certainly at the heart of the company's fall beauty collection, simply called "Mitzah." The easiest way to incorporate her style is with the nail polishes, in camel and in ebony, which when combined (see far right) make for the kind of gorgeous-yet-daring pedicure we think the elegant Bricard would have no problem sporting today.

"Ms. Bricard is one of those rare people whose only reason for living is elegance." — Christian Dior

Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Mitzah, $60

No doubt Bricard would've coveted these limited-edition, hand-pressed leopard-print bronzing powders.