BellaSugar

Blade Runner-Esque Chignons Make For a Futuristic Vibe at Preen

Jaime Richards — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:59:00 PDT

One theme we've seen a lot of this Spring 2012 Fashion Week is the balance of masculinity and femininity (see: the androgynous looks at Altuzarra and the sleek, braid-bun updos at Rachel Roy), and now we have Preen doing its own take on the gender-bender phenomenon. Of the '40s-style rolled updos seen on the runway, Paul Hanlon for Aveda explained, "It's a futuristic chignon; a bit Blade Runner, as well." And while the texture was slick and polished for a severe effect, Hanlon made sure the style also featured a modern, not-too-perfect edge, without being overly shellacked.

To create the look, he began by prepping the hair with the brand's Volumizing Tonic, blowing it dry with a round brush. Hair was then twisted back one side at a time, and ends were tucked and pinned within the style. Cool (er, hot) tip: to make sleek styles such as this smoother where needed, spray the area with hair spray (Hanlon used Air Control), and lightly brush the barrel of the curling iron over any wispiness to tame it down.

Photo courtesy of Aveda

Frederic Fekkai Says Hi at Proenza Schouler

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:26 PDT

Backstage at Proenza Schouler, designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough chatted with Frederic Fekkai, whose hair care line was being used on the models. Mr. Fekkai wasn't doing hair, but lead stylist Paul Hanlon led a team in creating an undone, tousled updo. "It's a twisted Hitchcock thing," Hanlon explained. "It's cool and sexy, but the designers wanted a maturity to the look." He applied Fekkai Coiff Oceanique Tousled Wave spray throughout hair before finger-combing it dry with a diffuser. After pulling hair into a French twist, he left a few pieces out for what he calls "a feeling that it's fallen." In one unusual but effective move, he wrapped hair with mesh scarves, then set the texture with Fekkai Coiff Sheer Hold hair spray before removing the scarf.

Makeup had a tomboyish quality. "They're much more ladylike than they usually are, but they still wanted a tough edge," makeup artist Diane Kendal said of the designers' vision. Flawless skin and contoured cheekbones (courtesy of MAC Iridescent Powder in Silver Dusk) provided a contrast to the strong eye. Kendal created tomboyish eyebrows by brushing on shadow a shade darker than each model's natural color. The finishing touch: a little bit of foundation dabbed on the lips.

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Backstage Beauty: Armand Basi

BellaSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:00:21 PST

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.

Proenza Schouler Does Rough Rockabilly Hair

Annie Tomlin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:06:48 PDT

As The Smiths played backstage before Proenza Schouler's show, lead stylist Paul Hanlon was in a peppy, playful mood. "It's borderline bad-taste," he said of the deconstructed hairstyle. "But it's beautiful, too. The look is masculine-meets-feminine, organic, weathered hair." While the rockabilly-inspired quiff may be too tough to wear off the runway, softly textured hair will be big for Spring. Hanlon's team prepared models' dry hair with Fekkai Coiff Océanique Tousled Wave Spray, which adds tons of texture. The key to pulling off an unconventional look, according to Hanlon? Confidence. "The Proenza girl is so confident in the way she looks," he said. "If you have the confidence, you can pull off anything."