Known to inject a burst of energy into fashion week, The Blonds is known for outrageously amazing beauty looks.
mercedes-benz fashion week beauty: the blonds SS2013
mercedes-benz fashion week beauty: Zac Posen SS2013
In true Zac Posen form, his Spring 2013 collection evokes elegance but this time with a whimsical feel filled with flowery prints and delicate chiffon.
For his Spring 2013 collection, Zac Posen envisioned rich, vibrant hair color to make the runway looks truly pop. To do this John Frieda® International Creative Consultant Harry Josh used the brand’s Precision Foam Colour to enhance certain models’ shades. There weren’t any major overhauls and used tones that closely matched the models’ own hair colors. He used cool tones to neutralize and added warmth where needed. Browns were made richer and hair overall was made more vibrant. According to Josh, he’s seeing a return to solid hair color. For spring 2012, we saw a lot of ombre hair, colored tips but for next year, he’s envisioning women going back to solid, beautiful tones.
In order to enhance the richness of the color, John Frieda® Global Creative Consultant Luigi Murenu created a chic and elegant look that he described as a “modern Grace Kelly.” The look? A graphic style in the front and a soft wave in the back.
To keep the crown frizz-free, he applied a dime-sized amount of Frizz-Ease® Hair Serum Original Formula, smoothing hair downward from the top of the head to below the ear. Next he used Frizz-Ease® Curl Reviver Styling Mousse evenly through hair and brushed to uniformly distribute product. Creating a severe middle part, hair was completely blow dried and brushed aback and away from the face. With a 1” curling iron, he wrapped small sections of hair twice around the barrel to create a wave, stopping before reaching the nape of the neck in order to keep the crown flat. Hair was brushed and Frizz-Ease® Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hairspray was applied to keep style in place.
Over in the makeup chair I spoke to makeup artist Kabuki for M·A·C who echoed the glamour sentiment using Lena Horne ass inspiration. The look, he said, was reminiscent of a lounge singer, a woman strong yet feminine. It referenced the 60s but wasn’t too literal. Kabuki summarized this look as “mattified skin, defining cheeks, satiny lips.” The look was feminine and doe eyed, with one look used to adapt to all skintones.
To begin, M·A·C’s Fast Response Eye Cream was used to rejuvenate and hydrate model’s tired eye area. Then he blended Studio Sculpt SPF 15 foundation from the center of the face outward and finished with Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder to set. M·A·C Pro Bone Beige Sculpting Powder was applied to cheekbones to contour.
On the eyes, he and the team blended Must Have Brown from the Spring ’13 Forecast/Eyes (available spring/summer 2013) over the eye lid with fingertips. To set it he used M·A·C Pro Invisible Set Powder and later applied Deep Dark Brunette Brow Fluidline (available spring/summer 2013) through upper lashline to elongate eyes, finishing with
a delicately drawn triangle at the corner of the eye for a dreamy, doe-eye effect. Brunette Luxe Brow Powder Pencil (available spring/summer 2013) used to shape brows and define the outer lower lashline.
The D-R-A-M-A came with the lashes and as I stood and watched Kabuki and team meticulously apply lashes, I wanted to jump in the chair for my turn! Along the inner corners #44 lashes were trimmed and layered on the outer corners of the #36 Lash for an ultra winged effect to the upper lashline. The inner half of 44 lashes placed on top of a full 36 lash. “Mascara is all over the place,” laughed Kabuki, applying False Lashes Mascara before AND after lash application for extra glamour. Must Have Brown was used on the entire eye upper eye space (for darker skins it was topped with Concrete Shadow).
Stripdown Lip Pencil was used to define and contour lips, Forecase Nude and Talking Tan Lipsticks (from Spring ’13 Forecast/Lips, also available next spring) were mixed together and blended over the entire lip.
To finish it all off, the Haven Spa for essie team applied a coat of First Base base coat, followed by two coats of Not Just a Pretty Face. Lastly a coat of Good to Go topcoat was applied.
mercedes-benz fashion week beauty: band of outsiders SS2013
Some weight was also added to the brows with Shimmering Cream Eye Color in Sable (BR709) or Leather (BR306), depending on the model’s natural brow shade. Told you it was simple.
For nails, butter LONDON’s New Global Colour Ambassador Katie Hughes created gorgeous, freshly buffed nails and used the brand’s Nail Foundation. Hughes described this color as “BB cream for nails” since it’s a beautiful semi-matte nude.
mercedes-benz fashion week beauty: Imitation of Christ ss2013
Backstage at Imitation of Christ was definitely an experience. For the presentation itself, designer Tara Subkoff opted for an installation with real women of all ages instead of your typical fashion models. Visitors were first greeted with a chorus singing Carol of the Bells with new lyrics about the modern-day obsession with cosmetic surgery.
Backstage makeup artist Robin Black for Hourglass Cosmetics started with Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum to create a seamless canvas for makeup and treat the skin with an infusion of essential oils. Next she applied Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer the brand’s # 2 Foundation brush, for a glowing complexion. Any imperfections or dark circles were covered with Hidden Corrective Concealer. On the cheeks, she contoured and highlighted with Illume Crème-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Bronze Light as well as Aura Sheer Cheek Stain in Flush to the apples of the cheeks and blend with the fingers.
For the eye look, she applied the shimmering shell shade from Hourglass’ Vol. 6 Eye Shadow Palette all over the lid and the bone white shade (found in the same palette) on the inner corners of the eyes. Hourglass Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil (launching October 2012) in Espresso was applied from the outer corners of the bottom lash line to just short of the inner corner and smudged using the Hourglass #11 brush. Lastly, she applied two coats of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara on the top and bottom lashes. Brows were kept full and natural with the new Hourglass Arch Sculpting Brow Pencil (launching October 2012) in Soft Brunette.
The most exciting part of the look was the lips - an Amanda Lepore-esque look created with the new (and totally amazing!) Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick.
Nails, created by the maestros over at CND, were created “blown glass nails” designed to “accentuate the woman’s form” so a few were shaped like sharp stilettos. Layering CND’s Copper Pearl and Putty nail colors, they simply dropped the colors and pulled them up to create the swirl pattern you see in the photo above. Nails were finished off with Air Dry Top Coat.
mercedes-benz fashion week beauty: Tanya Taylor SS2013
Backstage at the Tanya Taylor runway show last week, I spoke to NARS’ International Lead Makeup Stylist and lead artist for the show, Uzo, who broke down the look and how to get it.
“First I applied NARS Sheer Glow Foundation on the skin. We’re doing a very highlighted look so I go in with Copacabana Illuminator and Copacabana Multiple and that will give skin a highlighted look but with a little color.
There’s very minimal eye makeup so we’re using All About Eve Duo Eyeshadow which is just a very beautiful slight pinky/champagney kinda shimmer. then we’re finishing of with lengthening mascara [Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara] because we want the lashes to look wispy.”
On working with darker skin:
“On darker skintones we’re switching out Copacabana multiple with Maldives. Obviously at NARS we have colors that work for all skintones so sometimes you have to tweak the look to make it read right on different skintone.”
On collaborating with the designer for the show:
“Well the designer always tells a story and the makeup artist takes the lead from there. We usually sit down and collaborate as to what look really works with the clothing because you never really want to take away from the clothing with a makeup look. The makeup look is to enhance the clothing. She said ‘Natalie Wood,’ ‘Summer,’ ‘Barbados’ and I already knew no a smoky eye. So that’s how you hope that you and the designer are on the same page and you get along and you can kind of read each others minds. Because the clothing has a lot of pattern and a lot of color, we wanted to keep the makeup minimal but for me as an artist that’s fine so long as we’re celebrating the skin.”
Before applying the eyeshadow, she used PRO-PRIME Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and on the brows she applied Bali, Bengali, or Blondie Eyeshadow. On the lips she used Tonga Lip Liner Pencil, Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil and Barbarella Lipstick.
“The nail look today we went with a classic French with a black tip — not too thick on the tip — we rounded the edge to make it still classic but we updated it by putting a matte top coat. For the base we used Au Natural and for the tip we used Licorice. The toes we’re just doing Au Natural with a matte top coat over it as well. It basically goes with the theme 70s, Natalie Wood, yachting on the boat but in elaborate prints.” - Gina Edwards for essie
