New York Fashion Week Fall 2008 - Backstage Beauty with MAC at Nanette Lepore, Milly, Carlos Miele, Richard Chai, & Temperley

NANETTE LEPORE | We’ve seen a lot of new looks for fall this week; colour on the eyes, purple lips, gradient eye makeup, and eye colour that goes from lid to brow. But there are plenty of New York designers who still love the “clean, modern, fresh” girl of New York who doesn’t try to look good — she just does. Polly Osmond gave Nanette’s wavy-haired women a pale pink lip with tinted moisturizer, and a very groomed brow with Brow Set and pencil — and went for the cat eyes with dark grey shadow at the upper and lower corners of the models’ eyes — giving them those far apart eyes that became so trendy a few years ago. “Nanette wanted them to be modern pretty,” said Polly. And they were.

MILLY | The clothes at Milly are always très femme — this time in a palette of black and white and grey — but the hair for fall was highly stylized; tight, almost frizzy, Edith Piaf marcel waves. So Romy Soleimani matched the Parisian hair with a very soft red lip that was matted and made sheer to the point of being almost pale. Call it “modern red.” The only other facial element outside of concealer was a bit of black eyeliner at the edges of the eye, done with a pencil and pigment, and extended out. The cheeks were clean, and berets completed the jaunty Frenchy face.

BREAKDOWN | For a silky, clean finish, MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation was pressed onto skin with brush. Nude Crème Colour Base was applied lightly in the corner of the eyes and on the cheekbones to highlight.  MAC Studio Moistureblend Concealer was applied where needed. Smolder Eye Pencil was smudged into root of top and bottom lash lines with Eye Liner Brush. Top lashes were curled and both top and bottom were defined with a light coat of Zoom Lash Mascara.  MAC Desire Lipstick was applied from the center of the lips outward with a Lip brush. The lips were then lightly patted with fingers to create a slight stain.

“A cool French girl drinking a glass of champagne, watching a foreign film or walking downtown. Looking fabulous with little effort,” says Romy Soleimani.

CARLOS MIELE | Christian McCulloch went ultra minimal because, he told us, “Carlos Miele’s clothes are so glam, I wanted the clothes to speak for themselves.” So a groomed brow, grey eye liner and a sheer coral lip — neutral with just a touch of red and brown pigments mixed together — looked finished in the only show to feature ultra straight hair parted in the middle.

BREAKDOWN | For clean, beautiful, sheer skin, MAC Face and Body Foundation was applied with a brush, followed by a dust of Blot Powder Loose. Melon Pigment was sheered out on the cheeks to highlight. To create a smoky eye, MAC Greensmoke Eye Shadow was blended on the lid and applied to the lower lash line. Tealo Powerpoint Eye Pencil lined the upper lash line and Tarnish Eye Kohl was used to colour the water line. MAC Black X Mascara was coated onto the top and bottom lashes.  MAC PRO Lip Erase in Dim was patted onto the lips followed by a touch of Fresco Cream Colour Base to create a perfect pale, beige lip.

“Classic, sexy, cool, rocker chick – Kate Moss,” says Christian McColloch.

RICHARD CHAI | Wednesday was the day of minimalist makeup around New York. But then, James Kaliardos knows that Richard Chai does straight-ahead American sportswear in great fabrics. So he gave the models the “classic New York face”: a taupe cheek that sculpts and contours, nude lips — blotted out with tinted concealer — and a feline brow to match a feline eye, shadowed with a bit of tawny pink. It felt right with Chai’s more boyish aesthetic this fall.

BREAKDOWN | MAC Face and Body Foundation was brushed on to the face. A mix of Strobe Cream and Pearl Cream Colour Base was applied to the cheekbones and nose to highlight. Fleur Power Blush was placed high on the cheek for a touch of shimmer and color.  MAC Naked Lunch Eye Shadow was applied from lash line to crease. A line of Phone Number Eye Kohl and Print Eye Shadow was brushed onto the crease and shaded to break up the linear feel. Pale Yellow Eye Pencil was shaded into the inner corner of the eyes. MAC Hollywood Eye Shadow in Kitty was applied on the outer corner of the eyes. Lashes were kept bare. To pale down the lips, MAC PRO Lip Erase in Dim was patted on and 3N Lipstick was layered over.

“Graphic and precise – a design that feels new,” says James Kaliardos.

TEMPERLEY | There’s a strong “boy” aesthetic for fall — but you’ll never get that from Alice Temperley, whose pure Brit “frocks” could come straight out of Shakespeare’s”Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  She’s so very English that Charlotte Tilbury gave her English Rose pale skin with pinkish cheeks and a bit of highlight above them, a matte pink berry mouth — a combo of rose and coffee coloured lipsticks for fall and a shiny liquid eye dotted with rose, brown and gold, and lots of lashes, top and bottom. Very, very girl — no boys allowed here.

BREAKDOWN | Studio Fix Fluid was applied to the face. Using Brush 116, Matte Bronze was brushed lightly for a soft contouring and hint of colour. MAC Blackground Paint Pot was applied in the crease and pulled out in a straight line to extend the shape of the eye. Blackground Paint Pot was also blended out on the top lash line. Dark Brown Cream Colour Base was applied to the center of the lid, smudged into the Blackground Paint Pot with Brush 242. The inner corners of the eyes were highlighted with Silverfog Pigment with Brush 239, as well as layered lightly on the lid. Smolder Eye Pencil was applied to the bottom lash line and smudged with Brush 242. Top lashes were coated with Loud Lash Mascara. Browset Clear was used to comb the brows upward.  MAC PRO Lip Erase was applied to the lips, followed by Lip Conditioner for a light, nude lip.

“It’s a smoky eye. She’s a 70s woman playing poker,” says Charlotte Tilbury.