These Beauty Trends Are Man-Repellant

If you're a fashion and beauty addict like moi, you may already be familiar with The Man Repeller, a blog dedicated to the high-fashion trends women love to wear and men hate to look at. Recently, this has become my daily online obsession—I can't wait to check out the latest outfits and wacky inspirations writer Leandra Medine comes up with, and always with a witty comment to boot. According to the site, a "man-repeller" is someone who "outfits themselves in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex." Such outfit choices include, but are not limited to, drop-waist pants, shoulder pads, turbans, and lots of lots of animal print. So what exactly is the beauty equivalent of a pair of harem pants?
Inspired by my new favorite blog, I asked our editors (and their beaus) for their top man-repelling beauty trends:
Our beauty director's husband Grady Laird (who writes GQ's grooming blog) says, "Those jet black, bowl cut wigs from Yves Saint Laurent's Fall 2008 runway show—those were definite man-repellers. When it comes to makeup and hair, anything too over-the-top is going to turn off most guys—extreme runway looks like Day-Glo lipstick or rainbow eye shadow probably won't appeal. Personally, I think less is more. I prefer the natural look."
Many of our staffers' significant others felt the same way. One writer admitted her boyfriend hates when she wears dark nail polish, for that exact reason—it doesn't look natural. Another editor's favorite fuchsia lipstick gets only one comment from her husband: "Wow, that's bright—really bright."
But in true man-repeller spirit, who cares what guys think anyways? Walking around with natural-looking makeup all the time can get monotonous, and it's fun to experiment with a braided updo or a new shade of lipstick. So tonight, I'm putting on the new lime green shadow pencil from Nars (out tomorrow!), and you know what—I don't care who I repel, because as long as you wear it with confidence, you can get away with anything.