Bye-bye cobbled streets. Arrivederci tonal nudes. The concealer palettes are spent, the mascara wands exhausted and hairbrushes are taking a hiatus before the final onslaught begins. As the penultimate stage in the bi-annual month of catwalk shows, Milan Fashion Week – so often accused of playing things too safe – presented tangible, solid beauty trends defined by a new, quiet strength.

As if in silent conspiracy, make-up artists and hair stylists fashioned looks that, show after show, were immaculate, chiselled of cheek and groomed of brow. This was a woman who left the whimsical baby hairs and pastel blue hues of London firmly behind, and instead relied upon caramel shades and hair styles that struck just the right balance between ‘done’ and effortless, to compose an overall impression of expensive sophistication.

And while some beauty seasons display a natural – almost childlike – exuberance that’s obvious for all to see, in the case of Milan Autumn/Winter 2014, the devil was in the very grown-up detail. A tuck behind the ear here, a just-perceptible shadow there – narratives were born out through references as diverse as Mia Farrow, desert nomads and off-duty ballerinas. Yet all shared common ground. For the results made you look – then look again – as tiny but elegant details emerged gradually to tell the story of this newly empowered woman. Forget ‘safe’ - ‘subtle’ is the word that Milan leaves whispering in its wake.

Here are the 10 most influential beauty trends from Milan set to define autumn:

1. No-make-up make-up
She was ‘gorgeous’, she was ‘natural’ she was ‘fresh’ – and she seemingly needed no make-up to be so. ‘Seemingly’ being the operative word. At Costume National, Moschino and Jil Sander, concealer emerged from the shadows of 2013’s BB cream obsession to become the star once more. Pinky shades to counteract purple tinges beneath the eyes, yellow tones to banish redness and dusky browns to take the lips down a notch or two - get ready to arm yourself with a wardrobe of concealers next season.

2. Tucked-in hair
To stylist Eugene Souleiman, the simple action of scooping the hair behind one ear was a subtle gesture that reflected how real women use it as a mode of expression. A fur-lined collar stretched up to the ears at Tods to envelop the hair while at Iceberg, James Pecis found beauty in the idea of ‘containing’ low ponytails in soft, snugly snoods.

3. Skinny liner
And when I say skinny, I mean pin-thin – in the waterline, almost kissing the eyeball. Make-up artist Tom Pecheux who is ‘totally into eyeliner this season, darling’, kept it classic black at Blumarine, then went for a blue-grey shade at Ports 1961. Either way, he believes skinny liner is now the epitome of minimalistic beauty. Do not approach next season without a clutch of good pencil sharpeners.

4. Post-shower
Wet looks may feel more at home in a summer season but for now, make-up artists and hair stylists seem intent upon bringing it to winter. If Marni’s soaked-to-the-skin helmet head is probably best avoided, the raked-back power shower hair that finished in a tousled bun at Roberto Cavalli is eminently more accessible. Lucia Pieroni’s trick of pitter-pattering gloss up from the centre of the eyelid onto the temples offered the most achievable hint of the liquefied look at Sportmax – and will instantly revive tired, dry skin next winter.

5. Virgin hair
Nothing. Nada. Nichts. That is what you should be using to style your hair. Or at least, make it appear that way. Next season, your shampoo and conditioner will have to work harder for you as freshly washed hair that’s smooth, soft and untarnished by mousse, serum or spray became the aesthetic to strive for at Jil Sander, Costume National and Blumarine.

6. Rouge Noir lips
As Milan was far from being awash with colour, when it did appear, the impact was all the greater. So to the lips, where a dark, dried-blood red set the tone. Added complexity created through texture updated it for autumn with a flash of silver highlight on the lips’ centre appearing at Antonio Marras and a powdered finish inspired by the tactile, velvet quality of the curtain at Milan’s La Scala Opera House at MaxMara. 

7. Chunky lashes
As if in retaliation to the alarming lack of mascara during previous seasons, Milan brought it back with a vengeance. Pinched and tweezed at Missoni, falsified at Versace, laden and loaded at D&G and Gucci – and all-out clunky at Prada. This autumn, size matters – and the bigger your lash the better.

8. The sixties
If London enjoyed a romp through the seventies, Milan preferred to walk down a sixties-inspired memory lane. At Versace, the backcombed crown made a nod to the beehive, Luigi Murenu’s tousled side-sweep at Gucci seemingly had a ball in swinging London and backstage at Au Jour Le Jour, moodboards smattered with pictures of Twiggy reminded make-up artists to create a round, sixties eye shape by layering mascara onto the centre lashes.

9. Contour over blush
​I didn’t spot a single bright, perky blusher in Milan. Not one. In place of brick reds, primrose pinks and sweet corals we had day after day of taupes, sands and mocha shades that slid beneath the cheekbones to create the impression of a shadow, rather than a flush. If powder leaves you grubby, the use of a latte-toned lipstick, blended beneath the cheekbone – as seen at Marni – will feel dewier and more user-friendly.

10. Brooke Shields brows (the sequel)
Two seasons ago, a young Brooke Shields in 1980 classic Blue Lagoon, was the reference for brushed up, bushy brows. Then came along Cara Delevingne and toppled Brooke’s crown as queen of brows. Now though, Ms Shields is once again the name tripping off make-up artists’ lips as brows that were full but groomed with clear gel led the charge at Etro and Bottega Veneta. Start suppressing those arches – a small point three quarters along the length of the brow is how Brooke works hers.