Backstage DKNY: A Conceptual Look

We’re back in the NYFW swing of things. Backstage at DKNY we talked to some of our favorite beauty veterans and got the scoop on the conceptual beauty look they created. From the cobweby hat-hair created by Eugene Soueliman to Yadim's quirky graphic eye. See how they created these memorable runway looks.

Textured Cobweby Hat Hair

“We’re doing a hairstyle that’s as if a hat has been on it and it’s squished down," explains lead Wella hairstylist, Souleiman. And the key to getting this sans hat? Tension, which he created by French braiding two sections of hair beginning behind the ear and bring it down the back of the hairline. Then, using the small end of the back of a comb, he pulled out a thin layer on both sides along the center part, brushed them until full of static, giving the cobweb texture. After spraying them with dry spray, the static hair hung as a veil over the sleeked down flat hair. To keep it pressed down while backstage, the girls wore bandanas while finishing up backstage.

Quirky DIY-Looking Graphic Eye 

“When I talked to the team they said they wanted something quirky and eccentric,” Maybelline lead make artist Yadim explains. Well, he nailed it with the imperfect non-straight line around the eye replicating a shape found on the fabric on a piece in the collection. “It was a bit of a flower print but you wouldn’t really know it because it’s so abstract,” he explained.

Interested in how he created this squiggly graphic eye? He drew the lines using Maybelline Master Precise and Master Graphic, meeting the top and bottom on the outside corner. "You can't make a mistake because it's done purposefully." To get the lines this perfectly imperfect, smear them out with a makeup wipe and then go around and cleaned it up with a dry Q-tip. It still will leave the squiggly effect without initially creating it on purpose.

"The Fast Pass" Mani 

Keeping with the conceptual, DIY theme, lead Essie manicurist Michel Saunders gave each model what she called "The Fast Pass," manicure. It's simply one swipe of nude-colored polish called "All Eyes On Nudes" down the center of the nail. Also looking as if the model quickyldid it herself. "Leaving a little bit of the sides out to show that it's ok to be imperfect," explains Saunders.

Backstage Beauty Report: Zac Posen

Throughout my 14 seasons of reporting, I've never missed a chance to cover backstage Zac Posen.  The gowns are so beautiful it hurts.  This time, I followed Zac around backstage and watched as he inspected some of them one last time before they made their runway debut.  Special.  The look immediately reminded me of a modern day Marie Antoinette, delicate floral appliques placed into texturized updos and a soft ballerina inspired makeup.

Even though the look is very romantic, Kerastase's Odile Gilbert described it as, "f*ed up hair," explaining that no two updos were alike.  After loosely curling the model's strands, she used K Powder Bluff Texturizing Dry Shampoo to give it the texture it needed to artisticly pin it up with no rhyme or reason.  Finishing by pinning in the florals.

After seeing the clothing, Kabuki, MAC's lead makeup artist, knew the look was going to be romantic, but wanted to have one element of contrast, but have the feel of a ballet - a graphic element to the eye.  Using MAC's #43 lashes and Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara, his goal was to give the top lashes volume, but not length to add dimension to the eye.  "There's something very feminine about the movement of the eye," he explained. "It's simple, but holds up with proportions of the clothes."  An elegant, but precise line was also drawn on top and black pencil was smudged underneath to complete the eye look.  The face was kept nude and lip color was enhanced.

Two colors were used to create a faded nail look.  Morgan Taylor's Coming Up Roses and Polished Up. First Coming Up Roses was applied and then Polished Up was sponged on by rocking it back and forth to create the faded effect, lead manicurist, Gina Edwards explained.

The backstage scene is always my favorite.  Of course, I love covering backstage beauty, but there's something about Zac Posen that makes me want to stay. Here are some more pics I just had to share with you!

Backstage Beauty Report: Naeem Khan A 1920's Inspired Look Worth Talking About

Each year throughout my coverage of NYFW I can't wait to go backstage and get a look.  A look, meaning something worth talking about.  While every backstage glam squad has reasoning for 'leaving the hair down, straight and parted in the middle' or 'keeping the face fresh' for the runway, as a beauty journalist, it's boring!  Backstage at Naeem Khan today I saw a stunning 1920's inspired beauty look that left me in awe.

Bumble and Bumble created a beautifully structured, chignon with sheen and Essie's lead manicurist, Michelle Saunders layered two oldie but goodies, Licorice and Bordeaux to create a devil red shade that had more black than red to compliment the 1920's inspiration.

"The clothes have a lot of color and texture and the hair has a beautiful sheen, so I didn't want the makeup to have anything glossy, James Boehmer the Director of Global Artistry for NARS.  "It would be too much, so we played with other textures."

The look had a decadent feeling of the 1920's, focusing the strength on the brows.  Using NARS's new mechanical pencil (coming out in fall), Boehmer defined the brow shape and then layered Coconut Grove shadow over them, which is a very deep brown, to set it.  "I'm following the shape of the brows and then extending out and down forgetting about the arch," he commented.  "I don't want to make it high, but straight and low so it has a '20's feel and not a '90's feel."

Two coats of Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara and a bit of smudged shadow lining the bottom rims finished the eyes.  Inspired by the diffusion of the light in 1920's films, he shaded the cheeks to create a shadow and illuminated the corner of the eye with an eyeshadow shade called Alhambra Duo Eyeshadow.  Using the same color, he highlighted the bow of the lip like a thumbprint.   A dust of Zen Blush was swept on the apples of the models cheeks to give them a kick.

Backstage Marc by Marc Jacobs, Where Glam Squads 'Got Their Slap On'

"Makeup is about getting your slap on," remarks makeup artist, Dick Page for Shiseido.  Backstage at the Marc by Marc Jacobs show was surprisingly quiet, until I began speaking Mr. Page.  "Why not do scruffy eyes and a little bit of lipstick...  Why not," he questions.  His motto set the theme for the entire look, "Just do your f*cken makeup! It's not that serious." 

"I want to see that the makeup looks wrong enough before the models walk out onto the runway," comments lead makeup artist, Dick Page.

"It's left over makeup, not perfect," Page says.  "You can even do it in a dirty city bathroom."

The hair was kept simple, because Guido Paulo of Redken accessorized each of the models hair with two scarves.  "When wearing a hair accessory you want to play your hair down," he explains.

The hair was texturized to make it "gritty" and then it was twisted back in no specific  style or form making each of the model's a bit different.

Tibi's Backstage Glamour Had A Boyish Twist

Tibi designer, Amy Smilovic’s line, typically known for a feminine aesthetic, entered a new direction with a menswear inspired F/W 2012 collection. Lots of tailored silhouettes appeared on the runway, and the hair and makeup definitely had a 1960’s feel (the collection was a take on the Beatles). Kevin Ryan and Frank Rizzieri for Aveda created variations of messy updos on the models. Basically, the hair was pulled back with a little lift on the crown, to look like the girl just threw her hair back into a bun. They recommend using two elastics when doing an updo, because if one breaks the other will still stay in place. A volumizing tonic was used to give a little oomph to the look. A men’s product called Pure-Formance Grooming Clay was also applied to give hair some hold and chunkiness. They wanted the hair to appear undone and not too precious.

Kim Soane for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics created a cool, effortless look. The statement was a strong brow, keeping the rest of the makeup super clean and natural. The wind burnt cheeks stood out the most. Pink Truffle creamy color for cheeks and lips was applied in a 1960’s way—it was highlighted in the cheekbone, not the whole cheek, giving it a dewy effect. To finish off the look, nails were painted in an opaque white hue by Dashing Diva called NYC Fleet Week. The overall look was understated chic, what any girl aims for!

Playboy Glam at The Blonds

  The Blonds are amazing designers known for their eccentricity. This year, the look was all about Playboy. The clothes were magnificently intricate beaded corsets and the nails even moreso.

The nails, by Kristina Estabrooks for CND, took over 100 hours of manual labor to make and it definitely paid off. There were nails of every imaginative design. Hand painted bows, Swarovski crystal made fishnet, 24k gold leaf foil, and my personal favorite; crushed glass atop silver polish. The crushed glass matched the geometric shapes on the corsets. They were insane and glittered so much more than the standard rhinestone."It's not nail art, but nail fashion," remarked Estabrooks. Totally agreed.

To keep the nails and clothes as the focal point, the makeup and hair accentuated the Playboy vixen vibe. The makeup, by Kobuki for MAC, was described as a futuristic sex kitten. Kobuki created a "false eyebrow" by using two different eyebrow pencils, "Lingering Brow Pencil" and duck power point pencil and brushing concealer through the real eyebrow hairs. Then using a darker pencil to cheat the outer arch of the brows. The real treat was the eye makeup. I fall in love immediately with anything resembling a cat eye or winged tip and this one was no exception. Kobuki made a lightning bolt out of the eyes with Black Fluidline Liner.  He made wings as usual, but then added an eyeliner flick on the bottom and the top. Stunning and so easy to recreate.  To finish the look, Kobuki contoured the face and added Woo Me Kissable Lip Color for a juicy, glossy finish.

The hair was huge and bombshell! Dennis Lanni for Bumble and Bumble wanted a Jessica Rabbit look for the models as they walked down the runway. He teased the hair and set it in big rollers. The rollers, secured with Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray, were left in for quite some time. After the rollers are taken out, the curls were brushed out. Dennis did not want ringlets in the hair. The overall effect was a cross between Priscilla Presley and Marilyn Monroe.

I've been loving the sixty looks that have been coming down the runway this season! The nails were fierce and I feel like I'm in desperate need for "nail fashion."

Betsey Johnson's Backstage Beauty Bonanza

I had been told earlier by Jeannine that backstage at Betsey Johnson was one big party and I was not disappointed.   The day finally came for me to cover her show and I was ecstatic! There were colorful signs everywhere made by the designer herself, champagne flowed and mini cupcakes by Baked By Melissa were abundant. Models and makeup artists alike were almost too busy dancing to the bumping music to get ready for the show. Somehow they managed. Sarah Lucero was the lead on makeup for Stila Cosmetics and the watchword for the show was "glam" (sexy and bombshell were also thrown around). The skin was kept very simple using Stila's Perfect + Correct, Brighten + Correct, and Sheer Pressed Powder. The cheeks were contoured with Stila's Sun Bronzing Powder to create some vavavavoom! The eyes were kept fairly simple with a bold, black cat eye (which stayed put thanks to Stila's Prime Pot and Smudge Pot in black) and loooong jet black lashes. (Sarah's tip for those at home is to apply the mascara and then make the cat eye.)

The main focus of the look were the lips; a bright, glossy, neon pink made with "giggle" luxe lip gloss. The finished product was definitely bold without being too much.

The hair, by Peter Gray for Cutler Redken Salon, was based off of Jerry Hall and Betsey's theme for the evening; "tits and ass". To make the hair as curvy as the motif, Peter used Redken's Number 12 Versatile Working Spray and curled 3/4 of the head all over. The curls were held with pins and sprayed again (I felt the top of the curls, there was a lot of shelac there). The other side of the head was a deep, sleek side part that went all the way from the front of the head to the back of the ear. After the curls were set, using Redken number 7 full frame protective volumizing mousse, the curls were brushed out into gorgeous waves. The finished look was as opulent as the collection.

The most intricate part of the show was definitely Nonie Creme, of Butter Londons nails. They were insane! Nonie said her inspiration came from Betsey's let loose and rock on attitude. The nails were a reverse half moon. She started by painting the nails with Union Jack Black and filing the tips to points. Then putting on a "stair step holographic glitter tip" (If you're confused, don't worry so was I. The stair step bit means that the fake nail sat above the real nail so it was on two different planes). Then, "Of course since it's Betsey," said Nonie. There was a diamante applique on each of the nails at the curve. The most interesting part of the already amazing and innovative manicure were the pinkies. Each pinky was pierced with a baby black safety pin. The safety pin was unbelievably cool and has made me stop biting my nails so I can grow them long enough to get them! Nonie's at home tip for this crazy manicure is to lay all of the fake nails on the table and paint them before you apply them. That way you can put nail polish everywhere and not worry about messing up your manicure.

Betsey's backstage party was amazing and I never wanted to leave. When I finally did, rocking a pink, glittery hair extension that smelled like Betsey's new fragrance, "Too Too", I danced around my room in my favorite Betsey dress listening to '80's music. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Betsey keeping it cool with her own hair extension!

Spring in Full Bloom at Tracy Reese

The Tracy Reese collection for Spring/Summer 2012 is full of flowers, pastels, and ladylike skirts. The nails, hair, and makeup enhanced the clothes, giving it all a polished look. The makeup was done by Mally Roncal, the creator of Mally Beauty. She wanted the look to be fresh and youthful (which worked great with Tracy's pretty play suits). She gave all the model's skin a satin finish, "No translucent powder!" she repeated twice. She then set the skin with Mally's Face Defender. Keeping the brows strong, Roncal went kept to a natural arch. She made the eyes very special.  She described the style of eyeliner as that customized style that the coolest girl in class could pull off, but you couldn't, thin with a small kick up at the end. (Everyone nodded in agreement and nostalgia when she said that). The lids were kept naked and the lashes long and spiky. The blush, in 24/7 medium, was placed high and strong, well above the apples of the cheeks. The lips were the most interesting of the entire look. They were very glossy and in two different shades.  The top lip was a color called Life is Fuchsia pink and the bottom was Be a Peach orange. The models were instructed very carefully not to roll their lips, but to marry the two colors by going "MA MA MA". Mally's advice to those wanting to try the look at home, "Just go for it!"

The hair was by guru, Jeanie Syfu for TRESsemme. To go with the floral print of the clothes, Jeanie created a soft, romantic hairstyle that showcased the best of the '30's, '40's, and '50's. She created a windblown effect by adding texture and waves to the models hair using TRESsemme's 24 Hour Body Mousse and lots of heat. The hair was first rolled into sections and clipped the the head, then ironed. Finally it was finger combed out and finished with high heat. TRESsemme's Curl Activator Spray was used to help with the heat styling so that the final product was touchable, not fried.

The front of the hair was absolutely gorgeous! There were one to two rolls off center on the top. Lucky for us, the rolls are easily created! Using a chopstick, roll the hair from the end of the hair to as high as you want and pin.  Jeanie emphatically stated after giving me the directions to "tease the hair first." Got it Jeanie!

The nails for this show were particularly special. Jin Soon Choi for Sally Hansen did the manicures, but it was Miss Tracy Reese herself that designed the color. The colors were inspired by "pure delight."  Tracy created a collection of seven different polishes for Sally Hansen that will be available in April!  The color used for the show was "Temptation," a beautiful pink that is light enough for Spring and will be sure to stand out on your fingers. The best part is that the line is part of Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure, an all in one formula that has the base and top coat in it.  As a nail polish junkie and a lover of all things Sally Hansen, I can't wait till April to get my hands on the collection!

Tracy couldn't wait until April either and got a "Temptation" manicure backstage.

Walking Mannequins at Custo Barcelona

Models are sort of like live mannequins and Custo Barcelona took that literally!  As he had models in minimal makeup and über glossy side ponytails for his Spring 2012 show.  Maybelline Makeup Artist Gato wanted to create a modernistic appeal with a full eyebrows, porcelain skin and juicy coral lips.  Quick tip from the pro himself, use an eyebrow pencil to fill in the gaps between hair following the shape of the brow and comb with brush in an upward direction for perfect brows.

Neil Moodie for Bumble and Bumble wanted to create a ponytail with an edge.  By flat ironing the hair pin straight and tying it at the nape to create a tom-boyish appeal when looking at the models straight on.  Literally, painting on the high gloss to almost look like plastic off the reflection of the lights.  However, the ponytail remained dry forming two different textures.   To take this runway look to the streets just use a shine spray like Bumble and Bumble's Shine on and on Finishing Spray.  Don't forget, start at the ends and work your way up to the roots or else it will just make hair look oily instead of glossy.

Backstage Erin Fetherston Was A Wonderland

Though a product of the '90's, I've always loved the style of the sixties. The voluminous hair, the bright colors, and all of the eye makeup! When I stepped backstage at Erin Fetherston, I knew I had walked into a personal fairytale land. Esther Langham for Alterna on Beauty.com created four hair looks to complement Erin's Spring/Summer collection; a french twist, low side ponytail, low middle ponytail, and braided top knot.

All of these styles started with creating volume by backcombing the hair and spraying with Alterna's Bamboo Volume Uplifting Root Blast. Then it was tousled to give it a natural feel. To help style, Esther used Alterna's Bamboo Volume Weightless Whipped Mousse. Each look was finished with Alterna's Bamboo Smooth Anti- Humidity Hair Spray.

Though each look was beautiful, the one I know I will be copying is the ponytail. Start by backcombing the hair and creating a two inch center part. Secure the ponytail at the nape of the neck and wrap a section of hair around the elastic. In minutes you've got the perfect Sharon Tate style hair.

The nails by Nonie Creme of Butter London were super special. Nonie and Erin collaborated to create a custom color for the collection. They blended "Tea with the Queen" and "Pink Ribbon" to create a subdued and simple manicure.

The make up by James Kaliardos for MAC was absolutely stunning. Mia Farrow inspired, the look was youthful and whimsical. The skin was left bare except for Match Master Foundation and Peach blush on the cheeks. The eyes and the lips stole the show with their dramatic finishes. The eyes, like the nail polish, were custom made for Erin's show. The false lashes were cut on the ends and longer in the center (Like Mia Farrow's haircut in Rosemary's Baby for the eyes!). The lashes were then coated in many layers of Opulash Black Mascara. For the shadow and liner, James used Blacktrack as a base with Carbon on top to create a very dark look. To highlight and make the eyes bigger, he put SuperSlick in silver under the eyes and smudged Luna in the corners. To really emphasize the fun, bright style, James finished with lipstick in either Flamingo (light pink), orange, or dark pink.

Makeup artist Caitlin Callahan's tip to try the look at home (which I did as soon as I got back to my apartment) was to do the smoky eye in just one color as opposed to the tri-color most of us are used to. Make sure the lashes are curled and use extra mascara in the center. Most importantly, don't shy away from the bright lip! Erin showed us that it IS possible to do a smoky eye with a lipstick that isn't nude!

^Even Erin had her makeup done like the models!

Helmut Lang Creates A Head Banging Party

As soon as I stepped into Pier 57 for the Helmut Lang show, I knew I was in for a treat. The studio looks like an abandoned warehouse and Helmut Lang took full advantage of it. There was loud music blaring before any of the guests walked in to set the tone for the day. The hair and makeup played right into the very cool atmosphere. The makeup look was thought up by Lisa Butler and executed by Cory Bishop, both from Temptu. Their watchwords were "sporty chic."  The duo wanted to create a face forward aggressive girl with attitude. To make the brow and eyes strong, they airbrushed the girls from the eyebrow (blonde) to the eyelid (brown).

They finished the eyes with black, waterproof mascara. To keep up with the active feel, they kept the face and lips dewy with sunset glow on the cheeks and a hydrating lip balm in VIP.

Paul Hanlon, the adorable hair genius for TIGI, wanted to invent a look for the girl who had spent the whole night headbanging at a concert. Definitely a little bit sweaty and greasy with plenty of spunk. The finished product was an unkempt, deconstructed knot. He began by spraying the whole head with TIGI Session Series' Salt Spray to take out the softness. Then, section by section, he ran Session Series' Styling Cream through the hair (an entire bottle per girl!). The hair was then fingercombed back into a messy ponytail. From there it was split into two big sections and tied like a shoelace. Right before the girls step foot on the runway, they got sprayed with Session Series' shine spray.

Definitely a fun look to try, especially on humid days when my hair won't do anything right. Word to the wise; to avoid looking dirty instead of cool, skip the styling cream and use mousse instead. It creates the same look without being too greasy.

Bohemian Sophistication Backstage at Jill Stuart

Jill Stuart is known for her girly, youthful clothes and this season is no exception. The overall look was described as "bohemian sophistication" by Lead Makeup Artist, Diane Kendal for MAC. She wanted to add to the softness of the clothes by creating a simple, yet sexy face for the girls. Using some Jill Stuart products and some MAC products, Diane began by keeping the skin matte except for a pink/peach blush to give it a warm glow. She played up the eyes by smudging black kohl on the inside of the lid. To keep the kohl from being too harsh, she used black cream liner to soften and MAC brown grease paint to contour. The lips were kept simple, yet colorful without competing with the eyes. First, foundation was applied to them and then a hint of MAC's eye pigment powder in pink and orange. This look is so easy to recreate and perfect for going out to dinner! Just be careful not to overdue it on the lips or you'll end up looking more Bozo than beautiful.

To play up the easy, flirty look, Odile Gilbert for Kerastase created a hairstyle that screamed Spring. She started by parting the hair in a deep side part and scrunching the with Kerastase Lotion Densitive using a blowdryer to create texturized waves. To execute a coy, innocent feel, she created the illusion of bangs. (It looks way more difficult than it is, just bring hair to the front, twist to the side and hold with bobby pins.)

To make the style really stand out, every girl had a braid under the hair that popped out on the runway. The hair was held in place with Kerastase's double force hairspray.

I loved this look because it is so simple to do at home, and works on every hair type. Even those with painfully thin hair can make it work by using Kerastase's Mousse Volume Active.

Band of Outsiders Pulls Inspiration from A '70's Film

As I checking out the backstage scene for Band of Outsiders all I kept hearing was "Are you a boy or a girl?" Huh??  Dick Page, Artistic Director for Shisheido, quickly clarified how there was a 'girl' girl and 'boy' girl look for their shows.  The girl is feminine and lady like and the boy is androgynous and tougher. Inspired by the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock, Page wanted to showcase the natural looking beauty from the film.

The 'girl' girls makeup were dreamy with flushed cheeks using Shisheido's Accentuating Color Stick in S3 and nothing on the eyes.  The 'boy' girls had the rosy cheeks but made the look edgier with black eyeliner (nothing like a good eyeliner). Page used a lip brush to apply the cream eyeliner inside the eye since it's not too pointy and can pick up a lot of color.

Didier Maliage, Lead Stylist for Aveda, wanted to recreate the romantic looks from the movie where the 'girl' would have undone, loose waves just on the ends.  No rollers necessary, all that was needed was the Aveda Brilliant Retexturing Gel applied throughout the hair, then rolled into two buns on the sides of the head (think Princess Leia) and let the gel dry.  It's as simple as that.  For the 'boy', with a slight side part and some loose strands, the hair was pulled back and held together in a low messy bun.  To create that texture once the hair was up Maliage lightly backcombed to get that natural, messy look.  Topped off with a fedora and the look was complete.

Vivienne Tam Creates A Japanese Garden with Retro Twist

Clean, natural hair and make up complemented the Japanese garden inspiration backstage at Vivienne Tam.  Lead Maybelline Makeup Artist, Andy Koh, incorporated a modern twist to 70's retro style by using metallic tones.  Koh shared how foundation was key for a fresh face using two different shades - a lighter shade for the t-zone and darker shade around the face for a structured look.  For the eyes instead of using a harsh line with an eyeliner like you would see on Twiggy in the 70's, Koh used a copper tone for that line on top of the gold base.  Another modern twist was to have natural looking lashes, although he used Maybelline's Falsies mascara, which builds thick lashes, he wiped the brush to remove the excess mascara and lightly applied to the eyelashes for a more natural effect.

Simple, organic and undone were the words used to describe the hair by Lead Stylist, Leon Gorman for Redken.  A deep side part and low ponytail twisted into a quick messy bun, held up by a combination of bobby and french pins, topped off by a light spritz of Redken Fashion Work 12 was all it took.  Gorman also shared for those with greasy hair to use dry shampoo to build that texture.

For a quick manicure, Incoco provided grey nail strips that were applied to the nails with no drying time needed.  It probably took as long as reading this sentence to apply them to the nails.

Calling out teens from the 90's - remember 7th Heaven?  Well, talk about an awesome flashback Beverly Mitchell, currently starring on The Secret Life of  the American Teenager, dropped by backstage and I had to ask her what was the essential beauty item in her kit.  Her answer: blotting papers!  A total lifesaver.  Trust, I had to use a couple today with this humidity.

Castello Tagliapietra Created A Walk Through the Rainforest

 

A quiet sophistication blended with romanticism while strolling through a dewy environment like the rainforest was the theme for Castello Tagliapietra's Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week show.  To complement the collection all it took was minimal make up, wet nails and sleek hair.

Nail guru, Deborah Lippmann for Beauty.com wanted to create a neutral feeling with a point of a view for a sophisticated, chic woman.  Combing two colors Fashion and Waking Up in Vegas to create a perfect nudish-grey hue with a high gloss top coat to create that wet look.  During the interview I confessed a beauty sin... I sometimes skip the base coat when I do my own nails.  Deborah simply stated how it's imperative to use both base and top coat for a manicure to not only protect the nails but not to allow color to seep through and for a longer lasting manicure.  My new beauty promise to myself is to not rush and start using base and top coat - thanks Deborah!

I use a lot of different colors when applying makeup especially for my eyes (you should check out my makeup case!).  When I saw that there was only one, yes just one, color used to create this romanticized look I was floored!  Lisa Butler, Lead Makeup Artist for MAC Cosmetics, wanted to emulate an elegant, romanticized look that reminded her of the 30's.  All she used was a cream based eyeshadow in Burnt Coral for eyes and cheeks.  She dabbed on the cream shadow all around the eyes and the apples of the cheeks.  For the lips she used a big, fluffy brush, as opposed to the pointy ones typically used for definition, to dab on the lips and wiped off the excess for a clean edge.  You don't need to be a professional to recreate the look, but make sure you don't use powder since it's harder to correct if you make any mistakes.

Lead Stylist, Nelson Vercher for Redken may have found a solution for the humidity challenged hair calling sleek, wet hair chic.  He used a layering tecnique in this order - cream leave-in conditioner, silicone based product such as Redken's Glass and lastly with thickening lotion.  To create the elegant bun in the back by separating the hair top and bottom and created a french twist on the bottom and one on top.  A great addition to your rainy day 'do arsenal.

Viva La Mexico at Mara Hoffman

 

Bold, bright prints were all the rage backstage at Mara Hoffman and the inspiration –Mexico. To compliment these eye-catching patterns Nick Irwin, TIGI's European Creative Director, incorporated colorful material by weaving it into high top knots that elongated the models faces.  To make it runway worthy, he added texture with crimped synthetic hair, braided with the patterns weaved right in.

To create the look at home, place your hair in a high ponytail wrapping a piece of ribbon into it and braid it using the ribbon as the third strand.  Wrap the braid into a top knot and voila!  For hold you can use Work It Hairspray from the Catwalk Sessions Series by TIGI.

For the makeup, Lead Makeup Artist Lottie for Make Up For Ever wanted to showcase strong powerful women, in this case Mexican mothers.  By focusing on the contours of the face and creating strong brows like artist, Frieda Kahlo (sans the unibrow).  Lottie showcases the contours by brushing Make Up For Ever Shadows in #76 and #98 in the hollows on the cheeks in a circular motion moving outward.  She highlighted and illuminate complexion using Star Powder in #902 and #974.  Lottie shared a great tip for girls at home, to create depth and a sculpted wet look you can use Vaseline on your eyes by dabbing on the eyelids up to the brow.  Can't wait to try it at home!

Tough Girls Wear Floral at Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley’s Spring/Summer collection was filled with colorful, floral pieces. To balance out the femininity and poufy dresses, the hair and makeup went in the opposite direction. “Tough” was one word that Lottie, lead makeup artist from Makeup Forever, used to describe the look. Despite the fact that the girls are wearing these clothes, they’re not to be messed with. While it seemed like the models weren’t wearing a lot of makeup, their faces were full of contoured shadow with the appropriate amount of shading. Lottie began with Makeup Forever’s Invisible Cover Foundation and contoured the cheeks with eye shadow in #76 and #98 (instead of using bronzer or face powder like you’d expect) to give the skin a flawless look. The key to the look however, was to create a shadow beneath the eyebrows. She used eye shadow #17 and #98 depending on the model’s skin tone. Their lips and lids were left bare with just a hint of lip balm.

Shon, the lead hair stylist, thought this girl should have a beautiful wave in her hair, but look natural with a “sweaty” front. He started by curling each model’s hair with a triple barrel curling iron in various sizes. To hold the waves, he combed them through and sprayed with Amika’s 2 in 1 Styling Agent. He then took the hair into sections and used Amika’s Curl Defining Cream to create the “greasy” effect. To soften the look and make it seem natural, he finished by finger combing the hair. Though everyone else at Fashion Week had the sweaty hair naturally, Shon’s tip to remake the hairstyle without looking like a hot mess is to use the Curl Defining Cream starting at the top of the head at the hairline as opposed to the front. The show was beautiful and the hair and makeup added an edge to the zig zag floral prints coming down the runway.

Backstage Beauty Secrets from The Glam Squads of NYFW

One of my favorite parts of covering backstage New York Fashion Week is picking the brains of some of the most talented hairstylists, makeup artists and manicurists in the world. The glam squads behind the Fall 2011 fashion shows of Carolina Herrera, Betsey Johnson, Carlos Miele, Rag & Bone, Monique Lhuillier and other designers filled me in on some of their latest backstage beauty secrets that I’m definitely going to try. The eyebrow tip is already in full effect!

Check them out:

• Use eye drops prior to doing your make up to help clear your eyes and make them appear well rested. • Instead of rubbing your facial moisturizer on, press it into your skin adding a bit of pressure like a gentle massage. This will increase the blood flow in your face and help plump out fine lines. • Brush your brows upward in a 45-degree angle towards the temple for an added eyelift. • After applying lipstick, blot it with a tissue to suck out moisture and shine to create a lip stain finish. • When doing a DIY mani, make sure to cap the edges of your nails with polish for longer lasting results. When polish dries it shrinks and if the edges aren’t capped, it’s more likely to chip. • When applying eye shadow, make sure you use the right brush. The bigger your eyelids, the bigger the brush. • Preparation is key to creating a chic ponytail. Make sure you blow-dry the roots in the direction that you ultimately want your ponytail to sit.

What are some of your favorite beauty tips?

Intern Receives A Model Mani, Backstage Vivienne Tam

I was really excited for my intern, Ashley, when I found out she got an extra unheard of perk backstage at Vivienne Tam this week.

Ashley reports:

New York Fashion Week is like Christmas to me and this season I got an extra present. I was covering backstage when all the models had to go to rehearsal when the lead manicurist Katherine Kim of Incoco asked me if I would like my nails done the way they were doing them for show. I answered “Yes” in half a second and was so excited. This never happens at NYFW!

First, she cut my nails straight across to make them square and filed. Then, she prepped them by buffing each for about 10 seconds to make sure their surfaces were smooth. Kim was using stick on nail color from Incoco Dry Applique in Ruby Slippers, which she applied just to the tips of my nails. Once applied, she filed the remaining stickers off.   I couldn’t believe how great my nails looked and how fast and easy it was for her to do!

Nymph-like Dolls, Backstage Elie Tahari

The hair and makeup for the Elie Tahari fall 2011 show was soft and innocent, and I couldn’t help but want to emulate it myself! Esther Langham was the lead for Moroccan Oil, and she set out to create a clean and sleek ponytail. She began by dabbing the hair with a cocktail of Moroccanoil treatments mixed in with about a quarter size amount of Hydrating Style Cream, and rubbing into hair from roots to ends. Then, she blow dried with a paddle brush to get hair nice and flat, and used a large, round brush to smooth the ends.

All of the models wore a center part, hair was finger combed down so that it wouldn’t be too severe, and finally secured with a hair tie as low as possible. Some of the models had hair wrapped around the face of their ponytails, and others wore leather hair bands or pretty lace and feather hair accessories. Before they went out on the runway, hair was spritzed with Glimmer Shine Spray.

Kimberly Soane from Bobbi Brown was the lead on makeup, and she wanted to create a very wide-eyed, pretty girl look that was almost “youthful Victorian nymph-like.”

Lots of Lash Glamour Lengthening mascara was used and warm, pink shimmer to highlight the inner corner of the eye (Champagne Quartz Metallic Eye Shadow).  She made a cupid’s bow by taking the burnt red color “Slopes” and pressing it in the center of the lip to give a doll-like effect. A very sheer blush “Pale Pink” was put on cheeks for a matte finish—and this shade works great on all skin tones. She wanted that “no brows” look as well.

Dashing Diva did the nails in an orangey nude hue called “Trust Fund.” A matte topcoat went over the color called “Make-It Matte.” Most of the models wore gloves so very few actually wore polish.