Thursday, February 7th, 2008
THAKOON | Makeup artist Gucci Westman and designer Thakoon Panichgul partnered for the fourth season to create yet another inspired look for Fashion Week. Gucci wanted makeup that was sweet but tough to complement Thakoon’s extensive color palette of greens, burgundies, yellows and fuchsias and interesting layers and patterns.
Gucci focused on a beautiful wash of color that when seen on the runway blossomed on the models’ faces. “As a makeup artist, I love the look of artists’ pastels,” says Gucci. Using a mixture of pink and lilac blushes, Gucci created a soft cheek. Placement of the color was important as she didn’t want a traditional blush look. After applying the color higher up than normal, just below the eye, Gucci made sure the blush was not too severe or too low on the face by blending with a foundation brush.
Working her way up to the eyes, Gucci layered and blended deep gray light gray, white and soft purple shadows on the lids. Gucci curled the lashes and lightly dusted them with powder. Everything about the look was matte except the lips. Combining cream blushes and a boysenberry gloss from the Fall 2008 collection, “Maharani Jewels,” Gucci created a mauvey lip stain with a bit of sheen, which perfectly complemented the pale palette of the face.
Look Breakdown | [By Lancome] Chic Cassis and Retro Rouge Color Design Cream blushes, Maharani Jewels Juicy Tubes (Fall 2008), Statuesque and Ciel du Soir Color Design Shadows, Foundation Brush #2
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008
BABY PHAT | Skin was concealed with Select Cover-up in appropriate shades. Mineralized Skinfinish Natural was applied with 129 Brush. MAC Blushcreme in Sweet William was touched over high planes of cheekbones using fingers and MAC Pink Swoon Powder Blush was lightly dusted on top. MAC Eye Shadow in Hand Written was buffed onto lids and bottom lash line using 224 Brush. Reflects Glitter in Antiqued Gold was pressed onto lids and bottom lash line as a second layer with 242 Brush. MAC Lip Pencil in Redd was applied all over lip and Lady Danger Lipstick was layered on top.
“1920s Clara Bow, flapper kind-of-a-look,” says Christopher Ardoff.
NICOLE MILLER | MAC Moisture Lush Cream was applied to the skin and Face and Body Foundation was then layered on top. Blot Powder Loose was dusted over face where needed and Sculpting Powder in Sculpt was brushed onto cheeks to contour. Loose Beauty Powder in Daisy Dust was dusted over cheekbones to highlight. MAC Sketch Eye Shadow was blended all over eyelid to create a soft shape. MAC Blue Brown Pigment was applied to the outer eyelid and Reflects in Blackened Red was layered over. Old Gold Pigment was applied to the center and inner corners of the eye and Reflects Antiqued Gold was layered on top. Blooz Eye Kohl was blended out onto top and bottom lash lines. Deep Blue-Green Pigment was layered on top inner lash line and bottom lash line and Reflects Purely Purple was layered over top, outer lash line. Lips were lined with MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl and conditioned with Lip Conditioner.
“80′s Glamour – soft, pretty, drama with a modern twist,” says Romy Soleimani.
JASON WU | MAC Studio Moisture Fix was applied to the skin and MAC Select Moisturecover was pressed on top. Sculpt and Shape Powder was brushed onto the face for carved-out looking features and a polished, perfect complexion. MAC Eye Shadows in Smut and Print were washed over the lid with a 217 Brush. Reflects Glitter in Gold was pressed onto the inner corner and the outer corner of the eyelids. MAC Lipstick in Media was pressed onto moisturized lips to create a stain with soft edges. Lillicent Blushcreme was placed on top to finish off the perfect, mauve, everyday lip.
“A modern day Jean Seberg going to a fabulous party downtown,” says Romy Soleimani.
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
CAROLINA HERRERA | “Eclectic” is a way to describe the new fall aesthetic, but “texture” is also coming into play along with “color.” At the show, Diane Kendal went for a big pop of color on the lips to get a “really dark stained mouth.” She started with a brown base with a burgundy base layered on top, dusted lightly with powder, and then coating with a brown-burgundy lipstick. Finally, she dotted black pigment on the center of the lower lip for a “bitten effect.” She then used the same burgundy base to smudge onto cheeks and finished with a flourish of mascara. “It’s all about a strong mouth. It’s sophisticated, but playful at the same time,” says Diane Kendal.
Look breakdown | MAC Studio Tech Foundation was applied where needed for fresh, moisturized skin. Burgundy Paintstick was blended onto the apples of the cheeks with fingers. A small about of MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack was applied to the lash line with Brush 210. Eye lashes were curled and coated with Plush Lash Mascara in Black – heavy on the top lashes and light on the bottom lashes. A mixture of MAC Lip Pencils in Nightmoth and Chestnut were sheared out on the lips and Media Lipstick was layered over. A touch of MAC Créme Colour Base in Black was blended into the center of the lips with Brush 316.
MALADRINO | Tom Pecheux went with green eyes to keep with the show’s theme of green and organic. He used a dark green, lime green, and moss green to create a rounded eye up to the crease of the eye. The models had bare cheeks and a matte nude lip that was created by MAC’s Lip Erase that Pecheux described as “it’s like a concealer and lipstick in one.” “Very organic. Very green. Reminiscent of leaves,” says Tom Pecheux.
Look breakdown | For very matte skin, MAC Studio Fix Fluid was applied to the face, followed by Blot Powder Loose. Using MAC Brush 224, Bitter Eye Shadow was applied very lightly all over lids and softly in the crease. Velvet Moss Eye Shadow was brushed onto the lower lash line, followed by Tealo Powerpoint Eye Pencil layered gently over lower lash line. Using MAC Brush 224, Bitter Eye Shadow was applied very lightly all over lids and softly in the crease. Velvet Moss Eye Shadow was brushed onto the lower lash line, followed by Tealo Powerpoint Eye Pencil layered gently over lower lash line. Lips were conditioned with Lip Conditioner to help with texture, followed by Lip Erase.
LUCA LUCA | Again, Tom Pecheux created a look that represented the Luca Luca lady who is “cash–and sass,” so he opted for gold on the lid and crease. The lips were a sheer coral so keep the emphasis on the eyes with everything else more understated. “Sophisticated glam rock,” says Tom Pecheux.
Look Breakdown | MAC Studio Fix Fluid was applied where needed on the face, followed by Select Sheer Loose Powder. MAC Carbon and Ground Brown Eye Shadows were blended from lash line to just above the crease for a smoky eye. Satin Taupe Eye Shadow was placed in the corners of the eyes brushed out and up towards the brows with Brush 224. MAC 7 Lashes were applied, followed by MAC PRO Lash in Black. A sheer lip was created with applying MAC Lust is Lush Lipgelee.
PORTS 1961 | Isabelle LaPage created a look that represented the pink skin of a Scottish girl, only she went with played down lips using burgundy pigmented mixed with MAC’s Matte Gel. She kept eyes glossy with high shine by using a berry lip gelee. She placed clear plastic pieces on top, “so it was little like a cherry popsicle highlighted the eyes.”
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Monday, February 4th, 2008
GREETINGS EVERYONE! I just got back, and I’m recovering in California after spending a couple of days in New York City for Fashion Week extraganza. I did manage to write a few detailed posts while away, but I thought I would do a bit of a “recap” kind of post and just walk you through what I did from beginning to end.
THE BEAUTY BLOGGERS I met had to be a definite highlight of the trip, because they are truly a group of independent, incredibly intelligent, and interesting women. There just isn’t a boring one in the bunch; everyone is beyond successful in their lives, whether it is with an envy-inspiring career or an amazing family. I had a chance to chat with Shannon from A Girl’s Gotta Spa, Michelle from All Lacquered Up, and Lianne from The Makeup Girl Blog because they all sat right by me. I also was able to gawk (seriously, she’s so gorgeous!) at Kristen from Beauty Addict (and talk with her a bit), and exchange beauty blabber with a whole slew of other bloggers who attended.
I attended a dinner hosted by MAC Cosmetics on Saturday evening at Indochine, and I saw some familiar faces from the night before. I got a chance to figure out that Amber from Beauty Blogging Junkie is a prettier Kate Hudson (seriously, they could be twins), talk shop and everything else under the sun with Amy Focazio (who works with print media for MAC) who is so fab and FUN, as well as with Henna from Canadian Beauty and Jen from DeLush. I saw my girl Heather Park (who handles online media for MAC), not to mention Victor Cembellin (MAC Senior Artist).
After dinner, I caught up with Erika from Makeup Bag, Julia from All About the Pretty, and Daneen from Spoiled Pretty before heading up to chit-chat with Teri from Aging Fabulous, Christina from eBeautyDaily, Elke from The Beauty Blog Network, and Shannon. Loved them all!
NEW YORK CITY was surprisingly better than I thought. I say this because I really am not a city girl; I love the suburbs, and I love driving everywhere. I only just took my first mode of public transportation two years ago in D.C. (subway there), so I really am quite spoiled. I can definitely see why people love the city, though, because it would be tough to get bored for long in a place as busy and active as NYC. It’s not a place I would want to live in, but there is a certain appeal it has even to those who thought they would loathe it!
FASHION WEEK was an amazing experience, and I’m glad I was able to go to it. It is truly an event that has something for everyone with the celebrity sightings, barrage of events, dinners to go to, runway shows, and backstage opportunities–there’s no shortage of entertainment. I’m really happy that I didn’t cram my days with shows and events, though, because it gave me a chance to see and do things throughout without being stressed or fearful I would miss my next scheduled appointment, you know? It felt sort of low-key, and I think that was a good way to go as a first-timer. I also really loved to watch the makeup artists in their element, prepping and priming faces, painting them, and perfecting them. I found it all quite exciting to just watch, let alone interact with the artists by asking them questions.
Get a minute-by-minute run down of my three days in NYC, just Continue reading →
Monday, February 4th, 2008
HERVE LEGER | “She’s mean,” is how Val Garland described the tough sexy woman who prances in Herve Leger bandage dresses. “The Leger lady is severely sexy — not obvious sexy.” She threw out the smoky cat eye and instead did a liquid sparkly gold eye with a very chalky pink matte lip complimented by a matte cheek with a subtle shine like wetness.
DKNY | Charlotte Tilbury opts to go for a fresh, wide-eyed kind of look. She used MAC’s to-be-launched mascara for dazzling lashes, while the lips were a mixture of Lush and Rapturous mattene lipsticks. Cheeks were sculpted and painted a soft pink.
PREEN | James Kaliardos went for a colorface that is reminscent of Kim Basinger in “Nine and a Half Weeks.” He created a grey, taupe rounded eye using regular powder shadows in combination with cream shadows, and he contrasted it with a red lip. It wasn’t a scarlet or blood red, but more like a blue based red that borderlines fuchsia with a touch of gold opalescence.
TULEH | Polly Osmond thought of Charlotte Rampling in the 70s for inspiration, which meant a shiny metallic eye that dominated. She used bronze pigment on the eye with a chocolate shadow in the crease. Emote blush was used to shade and sculpt the cheeks. Polly went for tofee lips using 4N lipstick with 2N lipglass.
JOHNATHAN SAUNDERS | Val Garland mixed and layered warm wine tones; claret, tawny port, merlot — and even a little champagne — to add to the list of fall 2008 faces that are romantic, flushed, wind-touched, with both matte and shiny elements. She calls it “sexy texy.”
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Monday, February 4th, 2008
SARI GUERON | “Sari’s clothes have a lot of volume this season,” explained makeup artist Gucci Westman. To counteract this, she opted for “Grey, smudgy, and slept in – very real girl” eyes with nude pink lips. “She’s the girl we all want to be,” laughed Westman. “She doesn’t take hours to do her makeup and she still looks good.”
RUFFIAN | It was all about the eyes as James Kiliardos designed the look for the show. He smeared eyes with a pale gray mixed with violet, followed by gloss “for a hollowed wood nymph effect.” He did focus on the lips by adding a bright pop of a semi-matte red and purple that showed up as a shocking fuchsia. He skipped mascara as well as sculpting the cheeks, so the lips could stand out even more.
THREEASFOUR | Gordon Espinet describes the fall look as “radiance,” which inspired his look for the ThreeAsFour show. The skin is no longer powdered or shiny, just flawless. He applied MAC’s new mineralized blush to give a look of “faces on a cold winter day” and used a rose lip color that was high glossy in finish and yet not at all frosty. He used MAC’s #20 lashes along with Royal Winkd fluidline to make the eyes really pop.
ALEXANDRE HERCHCOVITCH | “Think Bauhaus and pop art,” Philppe Chansel said as he described his inspiration for the looks of the show. He used bright pops of colors in various uses from blue to green or pink or orange from MAC Chromacakes. They were created in dome shapes with black liner and false lashes. He went for a beigey pink gloss on the lips and natural cheeks.
COSTELLO TAGLIAPIETRA | Makeup artist Kabuki was responsible for the makeup seen at the show, where he layered burgundy, pink, and beige pigments to give faces a romantic appeal. “Think Mary Shelley and Frankenstein,” he described as influences. “She’s a little bit witch, a haunted woman straight out of the 19th century romanticism.” She used MAC’s Burnt Burgundy paint stick around the eyes with Taupe over it and adding a coat of gloss.
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