BellaSugar

Trend Alert: Goth Lips at London Fashion Week

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:00:54 -0800

At London Fashion Week, I noticed a couple of outlandish beauty trends such as crimped hair and modern cornrow braids. But what I remember most vividly from my backstage access was the look of goth lips.

Designers like Julian MacConald, Nathan Jenden, Ossie Clark and Inbar Spector all chose a midnight lip to reflect a chic and distinguishable edge. I'm not a big fan of morbid makeup, but it definitely has shock value on the runway. Would you ever wear blood-colored lipstick?

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Backstage Beauty: Inbar Spector

BellaSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:30:02 -0800

My final stop at London Fashion Week was the Inbar Spector show, where the hair, makeup, and clothing had a completely different feel than any of the other "pretty" looks I've seen in the past. This was pure creativity rearing its head in the overall theme of "rebellious Gothic."

Stylists crimped hair all around, then swept it into a tight bun on top of the head. Two tightly braided tendrils were left on either side.

The makeup was just as intricate. Inbar hired makeup artist Lan Nguyen because of her avant-garde style and her bold use of color. If rebellious and goth is what Inbar wanted, that's just what she got. Lips and nails were black, skin was pale yet sculpted, and the eyebrows were all-out punk.

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For a breakdown of the MAC products used to create this look, plus application tips, read more.

Lan prepped each of the models faces with Prep and Prime mattifying primer and then blended Face and Body Foundation onto their faces and necks.
All of the powder contour colors on the cheeks are from MAC Pro Shaping Powder collections. First, apply Sculpt to the cheekbone and then right above the bone, dust a little bit of Accentuate all the way to the ear. Finish with some Emphasize on the temples and around hairline.
Since the eyebrows need to be prepped for the glitter, Lan applied Brow Finisher in Clear to keep the hair down and act as an adhesive. She then applied MAC Pro Glitter in Reflects Pearl starting from the base of the lid to the brow-bone and to the inner v of the eye. Next, she used white eyeliner pencil on the inner lower rims. For the brows, she used a black glitter she concocted from a few MAC glitter options and placed individual false lashes on the top lashes followed by black mascara.
Lips were lined with Ebony Eye Pencil and filled in with Blacktrack Gel Liner. As a finishing touch, Clear Gloss was dabbed in the center of the lower lip.

Backstage Beauty: Armand Basi

BellaSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:00:21 -0800

Yesterday afternoon, I checked out the Armand Basi fashion show at the historic Banqueting House in London. Just like the grand landmark setting, the behind-the-scenes area was really something to admire. This was by far the most organized and spacious backstage space I have yet to encounter this week.

The models had a private changing area away from peeping photographers and media, and hair and makeup each had their own fully-equipped workstations. I spoke with lead hair stylist Paul Hanlon who collaborated with Armand to come up with big hair to complement the voluminous clothing. The look they went for was, as he put it, "young, fresh, teased, and fluffy - not lady-like."

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For a step-by-step guide on how to create this stylish ponytail at home, read more.

Apply a generous amount of thickening spray to the mid-lengths and ends of dry hair and work it through using your fingers. Do not brush hair.

Next, back-comb the crown and the sides of the hair starting from the roots to the mid-length in sections. Then, massage the sides of the hair to fluff it up.

Using your hands, gather the hair into a mid-head ponytail and secure with a strong elastic. Begin to back-brush the ponytail using a Mason Pearson brush for added fullness. Tip: if your hair is very straight, use a curling iron on the ends of the ponytail to give hair extra body.

Lastly, mist a medium-hold hairspray all over the hair.

Chic or Shocking? Electric Makeup At Gareth Pugh

BellaSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:00:40 -0800

At yesterday's Gareth Pugh fashion show, models were covered in white powder, and their eyebrows, lips, eyeliner and lashes were painted electric blue. Their cheeks and eyes were dusted with aqua powder and their hair was twisted into a modified modern cornrow. This is by far one of the more courageous - or should I say outrageous - runway makeup looks of the season. What do you think of it?

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Chic or Shocking? Electric Makeup At Gareth Pugh
It's chic.

It's shocking.

It's a little bit of both.

Undecided - Share your comments below.

Backstage Beauty: Aquascutum

BellaSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:00:29 -0800

Yesterday, the 2008 Fall Aquascutum fashion show took place in London. There were 24 models, bustling around getting primed and primped by a hair-styling team lead by Malcolm Edwards and a makeup team lead by Val Garland. All hair-styling products were L'Oreal and all tools were Babyliss Pro.

After speaking with Val about the inspiration for the outdoorsy look, she walked me through each of the YSL, Elizabeth Arden, and Becca cosmetics used to create this "done yet undone, perfect but imperfect, very equestrian, very English countryside feel." She imagined the women walking in fresh from a brisk walk in a rose garden or a horse ride and having a natural flush to their cheeks and lips.

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To find out all about all of the products used and how you can create this look at home, read more.

Face: Make sure your face is clean and moisturized. Then, brush on two "clicks" worth of YSL Perfect Touch foundation and blend well using the applicator brush.

Cheeks: Use a smidgen of Becca Beach Tint (a watermelon color) and gently tap it onto the cheekbones beginning at the apples of the cheeks for an outdoorsy look. Then, add a touch of YSL Teint Parfait high on the cheekbone for added glow.

Eyes: There should be no product on the eyes before you begin. Add a touch of clear lip gloss to the lids and one coat of black mascara for a fresh and polished, natural look.

Lips: Prime lips with a little bit of Elizabeth Arden Eight-Hour Cream (not the lip balm but the body cream) and then lightly apply a little YSL Rouge Pur in Precious Garnet Lipstick to stain the lips a deep-berry color. Blend using the tip of your finger.

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Backstage Beauty: English Eccentrics

BellaSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:00:54 -0800

Yesterday afternoon following the Felder Felder fashion show in London came the 2008 Fall English Eccentrics show. I went backstage to get the lowdown on the makeup look from clothing designer Helen David and Nars lead makeup artist Jane Richardson.

The inspiration for the show was based on a fairytale written by the designer. Miss Magritte (the protagonist) is a schoolgirl who gradually evolves into a style slave after she is bitten in her sleep by a fashion vampire. Her clothing goes from sweet to edgy and her makeup encompasses both looks. Cheeks are sweet and bright but the color is high and far back for a more modern look. Lips are berry colored and matte, and false eyelashes are placed in the center of the lid - not on the lash line.

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To find out what products were used and how you can apply them at home to create this makeup look, read more.

Face: Jane prepped all of the models' skin with Nars Brightening Serum all over the face to even out the skin tone.

Cheeks: Then, she applied a little bit of Copacabana Multiple all over the face for a milky complexion with the hint of a moonlight glow. Next, she chose a fluorescent shade of semimatte lipstick called Schiap and with a brush, she blended some onto the highest and back part of the cheekbones. A little bit of Desire Powder Blush (a bright, cotton candy pink color) was added for more pop. The cheeks, nose, and forehead were then set with a light dusting of Nico Powder Blush (a pale natural shade).

Eyes: Then, Jane applied Penelope Cream Eye Shadow (a pale-pink shade) over the entire eyelid and then dusted the lids with Nico Powder Blush to set the cream. She then added a little bit of Albatross (a powder highlighter) to give the lids subtle shimmer. Next, she placed false eyelashes in the crease of the eye, which is quite unusual, but it looked really edgy. She finished the eyes with mascara on both the false and real lashes and then applied Triple X (clear) Lip Gloss to the lower part of the lids under the false lashes for sheen.

Lips: Since the cheeks and eyes were the focal points, the lips were pretty muted. Jane used the new Spring 2008 Belle de Jour Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (neutral beigey-pink) all over the mouth with no lip liner and no gloss on top.

Backstage Beauty: Felder Felder

BellaSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:00:50 -0800

Today marks day three of London Fashion Week, and I was lucky enough to sneak a peek behind the scenes at the Felder Felder show. Felder Felder is an up-and-coming, chic German brand born in 2006 from twin sisters Daniela and Anette Felder. Sienna Miller has been spotted wearing their clothes, and just last week Vogue.com called the designers "two to watch."

While the clothing was ruffly, tight, and sexy, I, of course, was interested most in the hair and makeup.

I spoke with lead makeup artist Georgina Graham for MAC, who took me on a virtual tour through the inspiration for the look. She and the Felder sisters wanted to create a modern take on the grunge look. Hair was long, loose, and rumpled and the focus of the makeup was dark, heavy eyes, and pale lips.

The look was based on Courtney Love, Reality Bites, MTV's My So-Called Life, and Steven Meisel's fashion photographs from the early 1990s. When she said, "think Marc Jacobs working for Anna Sui," I knew exactly what to expect.

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To find out how to create this grungey look, read more.

Prep skin, curl lashes, and apply lip balm.

Skip concealer and eye cream since you are going for a very natural face. First, apply Black Track gel liner all over the eyelid, making a round shape. Then, apply Smut Eye Shadow (muted black) to top lids. Follow with Shadowy Lady Eye Shadow (dark plum) in the crease, and blend upwards into a round shape.

Next, apply a dot of Knight Divine Eye Shadow (silvery black) in the center of the lids by the lash line for shine.

This is a really heavy eye, so clean up any fallen shadow using a Q-tip covered with a bit of NC20 Studio Stick Concealer. Also add a little bit of this concealer to the inner rims of the eyes (on the bottom only) for a natural effect.

Lastly, apply a little of MAC's famous strobe cream around the temples and the outer-eye area as a highlighter. Set skin with a light dusting of Loose Powder, paying close attention to the tip of the nose. Skip any blush, bronzer, or lip color.