Need an idea for a Halloween costume?

Visit MACCosmetics.com and find all the Halloween inspiration you could hope for. Then print off your favorite and take it to your local MAC counter for application tips. How easy is that?!

We’ve seen this season’s makeup trends on the runways, in magazines, and on the red carpet—cat eyes, bold lips, strong brows—but translating these looks to everyday can be daunting for some.

Jillian Veran, Director of Artistry for Prescriptives (you’ve seen her on QVC, right?) gave us some simple tips and tricks to make this season’s dramatic looks more wearable for everyday:

• Know your look. If bold lips are not your thing, skip the season’s deep red lip and focus instead on a dramatic eye; If smoked-out eyes are too sexy for your style, try a softer version—like a simple cat eye or an extra coat of mascara—for a little drama without stopping the show.

• If liquid liner scares you, try this: Divide your eyelid into (imaginary) thirds. Starting with the outermost section, carefully draw a line toward the outside corner of your eye. Work your way in, by section, until you have a perfect line of liquid liner. It’s best to use a liquid liner that dries quickly (to avoid smudges)—our favorite is Lucky Stroke Eye Defining Liquid Liner. (This was a favorite even before we met Jillian. The compact size, precise brush, and long-wearing formula make it a Makeup Bag staple.)

• To create a more understated version of fall’s rich purple and dark red lips, dot on a light layer of bold lipstick with your fingertip—and finish with your favorite gloss. This gives a hint of pigment with the comfort of gloss.

After being in the business for 18 years, Jillian has seen makeup trends come and go. “It’s really all about what’s comfortable for you,” she tells us, “Trends can be customized to your own personality. I will never feel good in a crazy dark lip—it’s just not me.”

She does, however, love how the fall trend looks on others. “I loved the makeup at the Emmy’s this year,” she said, “all those gorgeous red lips!”

If you do embrace the red lip trend, be sure to keep a mirror handy—red lips must be perfect. Perfectly perfect.

Visit Prescriptives.com and QVC.com for more expert tips from Jillian Veran.

Napoleon Perdis, Australia’s leading makeup artist and CEO of Napoleon Perdis cosmetics brand, is the official sponsor of tonight’s Primetime Emmy Awards. Known for his “red carpet to reality” belief, Perdis will be on hand to offer backstage beauty to presenters and winners at tonight’s show.

We caught up with Napoleon earlier this week to talk about fall trends and get some tips on makeup application.

Makeup Bag: Napoleon, thank you for taking time to answer a few Makeup Bag questions. For fall we’re seeing enhanced brows and bright pops of color on lips. What’s the best way to wear eyes for this look?

Napoleon Perdis: There is definitely more than one eye effect that can be worn with a bright lip for fall, but the safest option would be teaming a colored lip with a fairly minimal eye. One should use a wash of neutral eye shadow—Napoleon Perdis Eye Patrol in Private Angel is perfect, lots of mascara and eyeliner worn either in a soft smudge or a crisp clean line kept close to the lashes.

Makeup Bag: In the transition from summer to fall, what’s the best application technique for bronzer?

Napoleon Perdis: Instead of applying bronzer to the majority of your face, focus on high points such as the forehead, nose, chin and cheekbones- all the areas of the face that the sun would subtly pick up. Keep your application blended for a natural effect.

Makeup Bag: Would you give us some tips for creating perfect skin in photographs?

Napoleon Perdis: Always, always start by nourishing and preparing the skin with the primers from my Auto Pilot Collection. Apply concealer and foundation with a makeup brush for a flawless finish, being sure to apply only where needed. Complete the look with my Napoleon Perdis Camera Finish Powder to be truly paparazzi ready!

See Napoleon’s work tonight at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Fox at 8:00 p.m./7 c.

Also, catch Napoleon Perdis on HSN next month for tips, techniques, and products. Schedule is as follows:

Sunday, October 7th

5am Eastern Time (2am Pacific Time)

5pm Eastern Time (2pm Pacific Time)

Monday, October 8th

12:00pm Eastern Time (9am Pacific Time)

Tuesday, October 9th

4pm Eastern Time (1pm Pacific Time)

For more information on Napoleon Perdis, visit napoleonperdis.com.

Last Friday we had the opportunity to spend a few hours at San Francisco Fashion Week hanging out backstage with key MAC artist, Louise, and her team of makeup artists. MAC was the official makeup sponsor of San Francisco Fashion Week.

We observed Louise and her team create looks for three runway shows: Dcepcion, Kirribilla and EVarize.

Dcepcion creators, identical twins Daniel and David Concepcion, pulled inspiration from early 90’s comic books along with details from the 30’s and 40’s for their slim, tailored silhouettes. The flattering street-wear collection called for neutral makeup that gently enhanced features while offering a little unexpectedness. Rich Ground Fluidline was used to create an untraditional cat-eye that was more stunning than one might expect. Blunt Powder Blush was used to highlight cheekbones and contour the inner corner of the eye and the striking look was finished off with Clear Lipglass. This was my favorite look of the evening.

Kirribilla’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection was inspired by old time Hawaii. Classic styling with a vintage aloha twist had this collection calling for a strong, sculpted brow with a bright, happy lip. Louise began this look with no foundation, just Select Moisturecover concealer expertly blended with a #225 brush. (Louise prefers Select Moisturecover for a satiny look as it’s soft and more forgiving—allowing the product to melt into the skin.) For the brows, a #266 brush was used to fill in brows with powder shadow to create a fuller, bold frame for the eyes. Finishing off this look is a mixture of So Chaud and Chatterbox Lipstick that blended to a bright pop of color reminiscent of tropical flowers.

Erica and Darryel Varize created their latest EVarize collection, Measu‘RED as a way to create awareness to the needs regarding the Global fight against HIV/AIDS. This very important collection demanded a super hot look and Louise did not disappoint. With Molten Sol Liquidlast Liner on the lids topped with Mirror-finished Topcoat from Pro Longwear Lustre Lipstick, these eyes could be seen sparkling all the way to Jackson, Mississippi. Golden Bronzing Powder on the cheeks and Bronze Shimmer Lipstick added more sexy glamour to this hotter than hot look.

For more Makeup Bag picks from Friday’s SFFW, visit our Flickr set here.

*Special thanks to Heather from MAC for the incredible opportunity to experience SFFW backstage.