BellaSugar

Five Beauty Secrets of Fashion Week

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:00:19 -0800

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: Marchesa

BellaSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:00:57 -0800

Ever since seeing Dita Von Teese in a feathered Marchesa dress, I've been amazed by the intricate beauty of the designers' creations. There's an elegant extravagance to their creations, balancing luxury and refinement. At last week's show, the hair and makeup teams created a simple and flawless look for the models, and because it's something that anybody can wear, I thought I'd share a few tips.

A team of stylists from Rita Hazan Salon wrapped the models' hair into simple ballerina bun. "It's very simple and easy," said stylist Juan Carlos. Nothing is too fussy-hair is just slightly teased a little bit to create a little flyaway and softness so the hair can flow as the girls walk. The bun is more or less a classic ballerina, but in an undone way."

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To find out about the makeup look, read more.

Makeup artist Talia Shobrook used Stila on the models' faces. Ever since Stila's founder, Jeanine Lobell, sold the company, I haven't thought of Stila as a line so closely linked to fashion. But it was a lot of fun to see the new spring colors being used on such a high-style show. The skin was matte, the smoky eye was soft, and the lips and cheeks had a natural flush (thanks to Cherry Crush lip and cheek stain. One tip I wouldn't have thought of: Shobrook used brown mascara on lashes, then applied black Major Lash on just the tips. Check out the makeup chart:

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Fashion Week: Where's the Diversity?

BellaSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:38:22 -0800

Every time I go to Fashion Week, I keep a little tally at every show, counting the women of color who appear on the runways. And at almost every show, my notepad has disappointingly few marks. Jezebel has also noticed the diversity void, noting that black women appeared on only 5% of the runways. Asian and Latina women didn't get much catwalk time, either.

I talked about the diversity issue with designer Wenlan Chia, whose Twinkle by Wenlan presentations are consistently among the most multicultural. She said that she doesn't cast models with any quotas in mind, that instead, she looks for models that reflect the world around her:

"We have an open casting, all the girls come in, and I choose the girl who I think will work the best with the clothes. Eventually I always end up using different girls from different backgrounds. I think that's what actual life is. I work with Asians, I work with black people, so this is our environment. It's very natural to me. So if I had a runway show that was all white, it's not very natural to me. It's not my real life."

It's not my real life, either, and judging by your thoughts on the issue, you'd also like to see a little more variety. Just look through this gallery of models; I know if I were casting for a fashion show or beauty campaign, I'd have plenty of gorgeous faces to work with. What do you think it would take for things to become more inclusive?

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Love It or Hate It? The Modern Cornrow at Custo Barcelona

BellaSugar — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:00:22 -0800

We'll get to the hair in a sec, but first let's take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous, dewy skin on this model backstage at the Custo Barcelona show. Her braids remind me of cornrows (or over-braids), only they don't start at the scalp. I really like how there is a few inches of shiny smooth hair and then about a dozen or so individual braids flowing around the head. What do you think of this modern cornrow look?

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Backstage Beauty: Temperley London

BellaSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:00:22 -0800

Temperley London's Fall collection was sexy siren times twenty. With a feisty mix of leather, chains, and zippers, alternated with flowing silk gowns, the looks were fit for a mafia princess. And that's precisely what Charlotte Tilbury, lead makeup artist for MAC, channeled with the hair and makeup. "The hair was very Michelle Pfeiffer," she said, "silky and thick from the '70s. So we came up with a smoky eye with raw, clean skin, and a slightly patted-down mouth. It's what a cool girl would wear today."

Cool girl indeed - who didn't secretly want to be the devastatingly sexy, effortlessly powerful Pfeiffer in Scarface? To learn how to re-create this smoldering look at home, check out this MAC guide.

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Trend Alert: Sleek and Chic

BellaSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:00:22 -0800

Break out the pomade, ladies, because hair is getting a smooth and shiny makeover at this year's fall New York Fashion Week. Styles of all kinds got the sleek treatment, making for some unique and rather formal looks. Check out the slide show for a rundown of these sophisticated styles.

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Backstage Beauty: Behnaz Sarafpour

BellaSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:00:03 -0800

Gucci Westman has been one busy woman this week. I've seen her at Miss Sixty, Rag & Bone, and then at Behnaz Sarafpour, where she worked with MAC. Here she is applying makeup to Canadian model Lisa Cant, who is almost always the first model to arrive at a show. Punctual, that one.

Gucci's team colored models' eyes with gray, yellow, or purple shades - all of which popped on their otherwise nude faces. The makeup artists used brushes to apply the color, of course, but they also used airbrushes to spray it directly on eyelashes. And in the case of the purple eyes, they got creative by smudging MAC lipstick in Violetta around eyes. Unfortunately, that particular shade of cream makeup is available only to makeup artists, but if you'd like to know which products were used for this show's yellow eye, this guide from MAC has the details.

Backstage Beauty: Brian Reyes

BellaSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:00:22 -0800

Not much can rouse me before the crack of dawn, but yesterday I had a great reason to be up with the roosters. I had a 7 a.m. appointment to see makeup maestro Bobbi Brown create the runway look for Brian Reyes.

Inside the Plaza Hotel, Bobbi and her team of makeup artists worked to create a natural, windblown look. (Even the eyebrows were meant to look tousled.) Watching her work was amazing - she's so quick, so focused. Many of the colors are from an upcoming color collection, so if you like the look of the Brian Reyes show, be ready for some marvy mauves this Fall.

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To read my interview with Bobbi, and to see my behind-the-scenes photos, read more.

How did you come up with the face for the show?
[laughs] We're still coming up with it!

A work in progress, then?
You know, often the look you do for a makeup test works for that second. Then, when you get to the venue, especially when you do a makeup test on someone who isn't in the show, it changes. So it's a work in progress. And it was really a collaboration. My job is to intrepret Brian's vision, using the colors of the moment. So it's gone from a healthy, nude-y face with strong brows to a outdoorsy, in-the-country powdery look - the opposite of the look I did yesterday, which was all gloss everywhere. So, are there any trends? No. [laughs]

Are you using existing products from your line, or are these new colors for Fall?
A combination. We're using some from our Fall collection, which has mauve-inspired tones.

I've been seeing a lot of shows that have fresh, clean skin. Are you using concealer alone, or foundation as well?
I'm using a light foundation all over. Especially in this venue, where the lights are really strong, you need foundation all over. But the ultimate goal with foundation, when I do makeup, is that it doesn't look like they're wearing it.

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Backstage Beauty: 3.1 Phillip Lim

BellaSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:00:29 -0800

Ever want to know what a sardine must feel like? Most of the people backstage at last night's 3.1 Phillip Lim show could tell you. Luckily, I was able to duck in and speak with Nars makeup artist Ayako and the gifted hair stylist Odile Gilbert, who was working with Aveda.

While taking a break with her adorable (and very well-behaved) doggy, Ayako explained the inspiration for the look of the show's heroine. "She's very strong and confident in a very modern way," she said. "Eighties eyebrows and '30s lips meet together for Phillip's collection." To create the look, Ayako used a Botan brush to give a very light dusting of powder foundation only on models who needed it. Then, eyebrow hairs were drawn on individually for a manga effect. Eyes were completely bare, as were cheeks, but lips got a pop of red with semi-matte lipsticks in Fire Down Below and Scarlett Empress.

In the hair-styling section, everything smelled like Aveda-such a calming encounter in the whirlwind of the backstage area. Lead stylist Odile Gilbert had a simple explanation of the hair, which softly snaked around in the back of the head. "There is not a past inspiration," she said. "It's a girl from 2008. Super-simple."

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Trend Alert: Bold, Bright Eyeshadows

BellaSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:00:22 -0800

Nothing makes an outfit pop like a splash of color, and the designers showing at this year's fall Fashion Week in New York are taking that to the extreme. By using bright, exotic colors on the eyes, they're keeping the otherwise subtle, muted collections fresh and fun. Check out a rundown of the daring looks in my slideshow!

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