the modern lady? Olivia Palermo's style M.O.

: sometimes, glossy waves are the only accessory needed

: perfectly pretty waves and subtle eyes...

: Olivia goes for distressed volume, and the merest hint of edgy liner

: this half up-half down look softens Olivia's leather look

: the modern-day Audrey Hepburn? Could be...

Olivia Palermo first arrived on our style radar as the snooty rich kid on The City, a reality show on MTV, initially intended as a spin-off for co-star and designer Whitney Port.

However, of the two reality stars, Olivia is the one who has really exploited her newfound fame. One minute she was snarling at some ill-dressed lacky on set, the next, women and girls the world over were looking to Olivia for her thoughts on their accessories, hair, etiquette and more.

What we like about Olivia is her softly-softly approach to hair and beauty trends. While she might embrace haute couture wardrobes, she only ever adds a touch of a trend when it comes to how she styles her hair. Off-duty she'll play with an ever so slightly dishevelled bouffant updo, but when she's attending a couture show it's often evident that she's been playing around with a new product, as some element of her hair will be teased, volumised or slicked, making for a subtle trend interpretation. We're yet to see her play with colour though!

Makeup-wise, Olivia seems to be a less is more girl - but we'd love to see her experiment with this season's purples and plums, and perhaps a dose of shimmer too. Until then she will no doubt stick to her flattering subtle brown shadows and the slimmest slick of eyeliner.

published: 31/08/12