Hunger Games Beauty from the Runway to the Arena

Don't judge, but I waited until The Hunger Games movie came out on video before seeing it . . .

Yeah, I'm almost four months behind the bandwagon, but I saved six bucks! Besides, why shouldn't we keep talking about this both well-loved and controversial work of pop culture for months and even years to come? Especially since it's progressive fashion and beauty elements have so prominently influenced high-fashion trends and vice versa ;-).

I've been wanting to write a post like this for ages. I admit that it would have been more powerful if I had written in it Spain when the film first came out, but I felt like such a poser speaking authoritatively when I hadn't even seen the movie for myself.

Possible Inspiration for Hunger Games Beauty

While the world of the Capitol supposedly exists in some extravagant distant future marked by outlandish fashions, hardly a single beauty look described in the book or depicted in the movie hasn't been realized already by a current or past fashion designer.

My theory is that to make the styles seem futuristic, film producers and designers (and maybe even Suzanne Collins way back when she was writing the book), assigned haute couture looks to the Capitol's everyday citizens. In fact, these citizens would probably look very familiar to us if we were all more easily influenced by high-fashion beauty trends.

Peroxide and Pastel Hair

As the vain Effie Trinket, Elizabeth Banks rocked a plethora of bleach-blonde wigs spritzed with pastel colors, one of which (lavender) was almost the exact shade featured on Proenza Schouler's models in Spring 2010. The coloring style found on these and other runways could have provided some definite inspiration for Effie's lightly colored locks.  

The Braid

Braids have been in fashion for a while now, but nothing could have prepared the world of hair and beauty for the explosion of the single, over-the-shoulder braid caused by Katniss's signature look. Which fashion forward designer first rocked the look in true hipster fashion? Alexander Wang back in Fall 2010.

Pink Smoky Eyes

Pink eye makeup is another favorite of Hunger Games' Effie, and less recently, of high fashion designers everywhere. Even if it's not always extreme as Burberry Australia's interpretation, I have to say . . . If Chanel is doing it, it's probably a good idea.

Gradient Lips

Shimmery two-toned lips are a popular trend in the fictional Capitol. The dynamic lip look often called the "petal pout" because of the increased lip fullness it suggests has been everywhere from Gucci runways and Burberry ads to British Company magazine's high-fashion issue. This ombre lip look, not surprisingly, took off in the high-fashion world shortly after the ombre hair trend took hold in street style culture.

Gold Glitter Eyeliner

Lenny Kravitz seems to have de-throned Johnny Depp as our new favorite man in eyeliner, perhaps because his incarnation of fashion-wise stylist Cinna opts for a shinier option. Who knew that gold eyeliner and even real gold-leaf eye shadow has been swarming the runways from Fendi to Vivienne Westwood ever since Spring 2011? This has become so popular that Emma Watson even tried it on for size at last summer's Deathly Hallows premiere in New York. On the other hand, we do give Cinna credit for being the first dude to rock this look.

Bejeweled Beauty

Believe it or not, rhinestone beauty spots and butterfly lashes are not the sparkliest things to hit high fashion in the Capitol's world or our own. Check out these loud beauty looks from this year's Galliano and Dior runways.

Green Skin

Although she didn't make it into the movie, prep team member Octavia was written into the Hunger Games novel as having green pigmented skin, perhaps not unlike this controversial look Fyodor Golan sent down the runways last fall. Let's hope this is one style that never catches on.