BellaSugar

See the Best Beauty From Fall 2011 Fashion Week

BellaTV — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:30:39 PDT

We pulled together some of our favorite backstage beauty looks from the biggest Fall 2011 Fashion Week shows in New York, Paris, London, and Milan. Check out our montage of Fall's makeup, hair, and nail trends to see what'll be hot next season.

Backstage Beauty: Rows and Rows of Barrettes at Alexander McQueen

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:39:00 PST

The Fall 2011 Alexander McQueen show had some of the most exciting hair in all of Paris Fashion Week, with models' heads all but concealed beneath an armor of large metal barrettes. As with most things McQueen, the look was equal parts medieval romance and dark modernity. Get a 360-degree view of how stylists put the barrettes together, and marvel at just how many hair accessories they used.

Source

2010 Fall New York Fashion Week: Alexander Wang

BellaSugar — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:10:44 PST

When you're one of the hot names in fashion, you can lure people out to the boondocks of Manhattan - and if anybody grumbled, I didn't hear it. Before Alexander Wang's show, the backstage was filled with the big names in modeling (Natalia! Agyness! Freja! Anja!) and a faint whiff of hair spray in the air.
To find out what went into the creation of the Alexander Wang look and see more photos, keep reading.

The 10 Big Fashion Week Beauty Trends (So Far)

BellaSugar — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:47:56 PST

It's only a few days into New York Fashion Week, but we're already seeing hints of next season's trends. What we're not seeing: stiff hair, bright makeup, shimmer, and dark nails. What are we seeing? You'll just have to read on to find out.

2010 Fall New York Fashion Week: Yigal Azrouel

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:04:20 PST

Yigal Azrouel is noted for his cool-meets-sexy clothes, so it's no wonder that the makeup look was all about showing skin. Lead artist Wendy Rowe, working with Bobbi Brown cosmetics, focused on creating a slightly bronzed complexion and overall natural look.

Strong brows, softly smudged eyeliner, and cream shadow provided a neutral eye; a pop of lip color came courtesy of Bobbi Brown Hot Cocoa and Salmon lip colors. Simple? Maybe. Sexy? Definitely.

View 4 Photos ›

To see a face chart from the show, just read more.

2010 Fall New York Fashion Week: Doo.Ri

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:34:44 PST

"Usually, people go for rock, romantic, or hippie," makeup artist said of Doo.Ri Chung's design philosophy. "But she's making everything for the modern girl today." The same could be said for Pecheux, who led a team of MAC artists in creating a sparkling, colorful runway look. Inspired by Chung's beaded collection, the makeup featured light contouring and no mascara. But the focal point was a matte red lip coated with glitter. ("It's green and blue, thanks to Avatar," he revealed.) To complement the look, manicurist Jin Soon Choi tweaked the current cement-colored nail polish trend by adding shimmer; the result, she said, was "chic, modern, and sophisticated."

The same could be said of the hair, which featured face-framing fishtail braids on each side of the head. The look was loose - realistic. "I look at the clothes and do a hairstyle that a woman would actually do," said lead stylist Orlando Pita. "If she did the braids herself, they'd be looser." To get the look, he sprayed hair with his Elevate volumizer, then straightened it with a T3 450 iron. Two fishtail braids (learn how here) and a ponytail elastic later, the models were runway ready.

View 5 Photos ›

Five Beauty Secrets of Fashion Week

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:00:19 PST

Phew. It's been a long two weeks of fashion shows, but I'm definitely invigorated by so many of the hair and makeup looks. I'm also excited to share some behind-the-scenes secrets with you-the kind of stuff you don't usually hear about.

Fashion Week Fact #1: Runway hair isn't always expensive.
The Sari Gueron show (pictured) was running an hour late, so I had plenty of time to watch the hair and makeup teams prepare. Herbal Essences sponsored the hair for this show, and I was curious to see if the stylists actually used the drugstore brand's products, or whether they sneaked some high-end stuff in there. To my delight, the stylists used only Herbal Essences, proving that it's skill, not price, that lets you create a gorgeous look.

Fashion Week Fact #2: Model complexions vary.
You'll be glad to know that models, like the rest of us, have the occasional blemish, blackhead, and other skin problem. You just don't see it easily because their makeup is so professionally done. Then again, about 30% of the models had flawless complexions. Seriously, I couldn't even find a pore on this girl. Moral of the story: Models break out, too, except for a lucky few.

For two more secrets, including the $7.49 mascara that I spied at more than a few shows,

read more. Fashion Week Fact #3: Yes, you really can go cheap on mascara. I went to three shows where a drugstore mascara was being used. The winning formula: L'Oreal Voluminous mascara ($7.49). Fashion Week Fact #4: Using your fingers isn't such a bad idea. While every makeup artist I saw was using brushes to apply eye color, some used their fingers to pat on cream blush, lipstick, and concealer. Yes, makeup brushes will improve your application of most products. But with some products, fingers are just as useful. Fashion Week Fact #5: Thinking outside the box is key. Lipstick used as eye shadow. Rosebud salve used as blush. A dot of Vaseline on the eyelids. All of these things worked on the runway, so they can work for you, too. Don't be afraid to experiment a little bit by using your favorite lipstick as a blush, and see where you go from there.

Backstage Beauty: Inbar Spector

BellaSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:30:02 PST

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.

View 7 Photos ›

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 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."

View 7 Photos ›

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.

Backstage Beauty: English Eccentrics

BellaSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:00:54 PST

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.

View 7 Photos ›
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.