The Mad Men Premiere Had Three Beauty Looks Worth Discussing

Three of the leading ladies had totally memorable beauty looks

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The women of Mad Men know a thing or two about retro beauty — having seen the looks change from the refined elegance of the early ’60s to the bold, bright mod colors from later that decade. (And we’ll have lots more on that from the show’s makeup artist next week, so stay tuned!) But for the premiere of the show’s final season, three of the show’s leading ladies — from left, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss and Jessica Paré — went for mostly modern looks that were a major departure from their characters. And all three were discussion-worthy, so put on your gogo boots, pull up your wicker peacock chair and let’s chat.

From the looks of Jones’s huge smile, she was loving her very fresh and modern beauty look — a two-tone eye and a messy braid, both of which deserve attention. First up, that braid, which as you can see was haphazardly pinned up throughout to create a really undone look, then what appears to be a darker shade of extension was woven throughout for contrast. She accented the bold hair look with equally attention-getting makeup courtesy of Chanel makeup artist Rachel Goodwin, who applied the line’s Stylo Yeux pencils in “Blue Exiquis” to the top lid and “Or Rose” along the bottom. Black mascara and Rouge Coco lipstick in “Chéri” completed the look.

“[January] has some serious fun with makeup. I feel so lucky to have worked together for so many years,” says Goodwin. “That trust in our relationship has allowed for so many memorable beauty moments to happen. She’s always up for new ideas. Working with her is truly a makeup artist’s dream!” Her tip for keeping the lips from looking too pale or washed out? “Not to go too cool with nudes and neutrals. Stick with warm nudes with peach undertones,” she cautions. “This keeps the lips looking fresh and feminine.”

PHOTOS: Star makeup: Better barely-there or bold? Vote now!

Moss, meanwhile, went for a very un-Peggy Olsen-ish vixen look to go with her leather Alexander McQueen number. A charcoal-and-dove-gray smoky shadow made her blue eyes pop, and her lips were muted with a glossy nude shade. Makeup artist Jenn Streicher tells PEOPLE, “The dress conjured up an idea of being really sultry but soft at the same time. Nothing over the top. It can be tricky to play up the eyes when you have a client who adopts a character within a certain era … A cat eye would no doubt be beautiful, but it’s almost too close in association the show.”

Streicher applied Make Up For Ever matte eyeshadow in “04” with a wet brush for a “glazed like finish,” then finished with Lancôme’s Ink Artliner in “04 Pop Petro” on the inner and lower rims, and used no mascara. “Makeup isn’t a ‘paint by numbers’ thing where you have to have each item involved in creating a face … Play with light, texture, finish, and shape correctly — and you don’t need A to Z.” Make Up For Ever “Nude Beige 1C” lipliner and Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope lipstick in “Star System” finished the look.

And Paré left Megan’s bouffants and colorful winged lids on the show, opting instead for a sleek, high, curled pony and a graphic liner. Makeup artist Mai Quynh used Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes liner for a slightly smudged wing on the lower lid, then and mixed the line’s LipSurgence lipstick in “Tipsy” and gloss in “Blissful” for a Pop Art-pink pout.

We think all of these looks are worth trying for a night out but we want to know which you like best. Would you give any a shot? And how excited are you for Mad Men to start?

–Alex Apatoff, reporting by Jackie Fields