OUT: BEEHIVES The piled-high messy-beehive look was just the thing to marry with last year's wiggle-inducing pencil skirts. Now, the half-up, half-down hive is starting to look mighty old. It will no doubt remain in the affections of its loyal followers, but for those with their finger on the pulse, there is a new way to wear volume. And all that backcombing practice will come in handy.

IN: 1960S BIG HAIR Amid a sea of tough tailoring and sleek, pulled-back ponytails, Dior, DVF and D&G shone through with the biggest hair we've seen since Priscilla Presley's heyday. Fabulously coiffed to within an inch of its life, and lacquered from here to high heaven, the “do” is a definite do. Your unlikely big-hair icon? Cheryl Cole.

OUT: WHITE MAKE-UP Ghostly skin, blanked-out brows and deathly alabaster lips dominated the spring/summer shows last year. At Gareth Pugh, skin was flawlessly covered in white, with features knocked back to the point of invisibility. There was also a notable fixation with white liquid eyeliner. Unwearable and, quite frankly, scary for small children.

IN: BLACK MAKE-UP The goth aesthetic has become something of an old friend who comes to visit each winter - but this year she's meaner and sexier than ever. YSL and Giles led the revival with rich black lips and a bowl cut, while Lanvin and Vivienne Westwood injected some dark sex appeal into smudged eyes built up with Vaseline. Looks shockingly good - if worn with conviction.

OUT: ORANGE LIPSTICK Mac's Morange flew off the shelves across the country and it looked like the freshest thing to hit the streets since hip-hop - but the fact is, neon orange lipstick is pretty hard to pull off. And, yes, we've seen just about enough coral-tinged lips to last a lifetime. (Or at least until next spring.)

IN: RED-WINE LIPSTICK Rejoice! Red lipstick, the ubiquitous beauty staple loved by all, is due for a rerun. Not just any old red lipstick, you understand: this autumn sees the advent of the merlot mouth, as worn at Chloé and Donna Karan. Get in there first with a smudged red-wine pout or a dark berry stain. Or just drink bottles of the real thing.

OUT: HEADBANDS AND THE SURREAL You couldn't move last season for wacky hair accessories: Marc Jacobs stuck planes in bird's-nest hair, while Sportmax opted for oversized PVC bows that delighted and dismayed. Well, kids, playtime is over. And we'll say it again: those American Apparel bands that have been wrapped around foreheads for three summers have had their day(s) in the sun.

IN: HEADSCARVES Ostensibly the preserve of the landed gentry, the austere chin-tied headscarf has taken on a sexy edge for next season, as Dolce & Gabbana and Jean Paul Gaultier have been seduced by all things quintessentially British. Remember to rough up the look with red lips, high heels and a no-nonsense attitude.

OUT: CITRUS NAILS Nails are the first thing to change when it comes to experimenting with colour, and the fluoro shades of the past few summers have spread across fingertips like wildfire. Orange and yellow have been notable favourites, with hot pink in third place. Fun and upbeat, yes, but, alas, not the least bit sophisticated. Give them to your little sister.

IN: DEEP REDS AND FOREST HUES It's high drama for nails this season: red is as on trend as ever, but be sure to opt for the right tone, says the nail technician Marian Newman. “The reds have matured into deeper, more classic hues, with a nod to 1940s Hollywood glamour,” she says. Also debuting on fingertips are opulent splashes of gold and green. Newman created a deep forest green for the Paul Costelloe show.

OUT: BRAIDED HAIR If you've spent the past few months perfecting the hairline braid - we're talking those face-framing plaits so loved by the young and restless of LA and, strangely, Fulham - stop now. They're fiddly and contrived. That's without even going down the path of the fake-hair braided headband. If you haven't succumbed yet, don't.

IN: FRENCH TWIST Up-dos are taking an altogether more sophisticated turn, with classic Audrey Hepburn french twists appearing on catwalks from Lanvin to Cavalli. Don't worry about being too neat, says Guido Palau: “Make a french twist look modern by bobby-pinning it to the back of the head and leaving the ends sticking out - it's an edgier take on the classic, neatly rolled version.”

OUT: FLICKY EYELINER No, we're not talking the classic upturned liquid-eyeliner point that Alexa Chung does so well - it's that dense, cartoonish flick (which seems to have grown bigger and bigger since its inception a few seasons back) that has reached its sell-by. That is, unless you are a Bond girl, Amy Winehouse - or it's Hallowe'en.

IN: YELLOW EYE SHADOW It's really not all doom and gloom: at the Marni and Derek Lam shows, a shot of mustard or acid yellow splattered across the lid proved to be a gloriously optimistic addition to the muted tones of the clothes. It made for an especially striking image when worn with blood-red lips. Apply with fingertips, concentrating on the outer corners of the eye for mussed-up glamour.

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