Fall lineup looks rich

The fall fashion lineup in the Triangle is shaping up to be one of the best yet -- not just with new looks but with many new brands to our area.

At Nordstrom, Savvy department manager Amanda Gargano has been working with buyers to stock the contemporary women's department with new names beyond the old faithfuls such as Diane von Furstenberg and Michael Stars. She has landed shift dresses from Crimes & Misdemeanors, romantic tops from Generra and embellished tunic dresses by Karta.

Other big names this fall at the store: Twinkle, Meghan Fabulous, Conspicuous, Sunner and Rich & Skinny jeans.

Expect to see even more frequent shipments of Ella Moss, which are quick sellers at the Durham store, and more DVF beyond just the wrap dress, including a selection of wide-leg trousers. The department also will stock more from Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Meanwhile, Uniquities in North Hills has new shoes by high-end designer Giuseppe Zanotti, including sexy, stylish animal print pumps and patent leather flats. "We just felt they were really important with the clothes for fall," says store owner Julie Jennings.

If you're more of a cheap-chic shopper, get ready for Vera Wang's first collection for Kohl's. Simply Vera, a collection of feminine and whimsical looks in gray, black, taupe, dark brown and purple, will hit stores in September. Prices start at $25 for a knit hat and run to about $128 for a double-breasted black car coat.

Before that, though, prepare for Lela Rose's highly anticipated shoes in early September at Payless. And then Alice Temperley hits Target on Sept. 16.

The base coat

Raleigh makeup artist Julie Hafer has some pet peeves about summer makeup, specifically about foundation.

Simply put: A lot of us are getting it wrong, especially when it comes to color.

How can you tell? At some point in the afternoon you look at yourself in the mirror and think: Something's off. Either you're a different shade than you were when you left the house or your face just looks grimy and needs a good scrub.

Hafer, who has opened a new appointment-only beauty salon focusing on brows and makeup in Cameron Village, says if you're using the same makeup you use in winter, that's probably the cause of it.

"It's a color issue, and it's a texture issue," she says. That means the color of your foundation could be wrong or the formula might be too oily or too chalky for your skin type in the heat.

When in doubt, during summer stick to a neutral foundation, she says. Wearing foundations with a yellow or pink base will change your look by the end of the day as your face heats up and the oils and sweat help exaggerate the foundation's original color. Even worse, if you're matching the foundation color to your face rather than your neck, you're likely off colorwise.

Hafer hopes to help women understand which foundation is the one for them during summer in workshops Saturday and Sunday at her store. She'll start with concealer, teaching the right ways to use it, and how to use it to highlight certain areas so that you might be able to skip foundation all together. Then she'll move on to foundation, helping each person find the right texture and shade for their skin.

Sign up for the $15 workshop by e-mailing Hafer at julie@beautyethics.com. Her store, Beauty Ethics, is on the second level above Fleur.

A new place to shop

The Triangle's market for contemporary women's clothing is widening yet again.

Today, Kristen Bishop will open Lucky Mi in Eastgate Shopping Center in Chapel Hill, selling established and new designer clothes from Los Angeles and New York. Among the designers she'll sell: clothes by Rachel Pally, denim by Fortune and Kasil, handbags by Lauren Merkin and jewelry by Moon and Lola.

Bishop, a recent Peace College graduate who grew up in Chapel Hill, says she wants the store to be a gathering place for customers where they feel comfortable shopping at a designer trunk show or watching a fashion show.