NYFW Backstage Beauty: Essie At Nanette Lepore SS15

Nanette Lepore's Spring/Summer 2015 collection channeled California and the south of France in the 1960's. Julie Kandalec for essie created gradient nails using two shades - a mint green & a sheer white. We can't wait to try this look come spring! 

How-To Steps:

1. Apply first base base coat to clean, filed nails 
2. Next, apply two coats of mint candy apple
3. Once dry, dip a makeup sponge in blanc and blot polish over the tip of the nail
4. Then, take the makeup sponge and gently press halfway up the nail creating an opaque gradient away from the tip; less blanc pigment should be applied the further up on the nail you go
5. Follow with good to go top coat

NYFW Backstage Beauty: JINSoon For Karen Walker SS15

JINSoon created the nail look backstage for Karen Walker's Spring/Summer 2015 collection. The nail look was inspired by a garden. Think vivid color, rich hues, and literal green thumbs. Jin Soon Choi chose a sleek, green shade from her upcoming collection to complement the looks.

How-To Steps:

1. File and clean nails, removing all traces of polish
2. Apply JINsoon Power Coat base coat to prep the nails
3. Apply two coats of a forest green nail polish (the shade Jin used was from her upcoming JINsoon Spring 2015 Collection)
4. Finish by applying a single coat of JINsoon Top Gloss

NYFW Backstage Beauty: Stila Cosmetics At Trina Turk SS15

The Trend: Pop Art Perfection

Lead Artist: Sarah Lucero, Stila's Global Director of Creative Artistry

Designer Inspiration: "Trina's collection was inspired by the iconic LA Flower Mart, so we chose makeup in a bouquet of colors. The hues are like the petals of a flower, with a soft finish but opaque in color." - Sarah Lucero

Step-By-Step To Achieve The Look:

FACE: 
10-in-1 Illuminating Beauty Balm

EYES:
Smudge Stick in Turquoise
Mile High Mascara

CHEEKS:
Convertible Lips + Cheeks in Camellia

LIPS:
Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Carina

TOOLS:
Stay All Day Brows

TIPS:
Use the #15 brush to buff the turquoise smudge-stick into an opaque eye shadow across the lid.

NYFW Backstage Beauty: Essie At Altuzarra S/S 2015

Essie created the nail look for Altuzarra's Spring/Summer 2015 collection at New York Fashion Week. Michelle Saunders kept nails chic & feminine nail by using the same nude shade on both hands and feet. The most popular trend of the S/S 2015 season is clearly naked, fresh nails, and Essie's Spaghetti Strap is one of the top shades we recommend. 

Step-By-Step To Achieve The Look:

1. Apply first base base coat to clean, filed nails 
2. Once the base coat dries, apply one coat of spaghetti strap
3. Follow with good to go top coat

NYFW Backstage Beauty: All About Braids At SUNO SS15 With Kérastase

Images via Kessler Studios

Kerastase Lead Artist Odile Gilbert created the hairstyle for yesterday's SUNO S/S 2015 show... and it was all about braids! We've seen a quite a few braids this fashion season. From Marissa Webb to Mara Hoffman, the braids are coming in all shapes and sizes. For this show, Odile created a glossy cage herringbone braid look using products from Kerastase's iconic Couture Styling Collection. Step-by-Step breakdown below:

1. On dry hair, create a deep part using a tail comb
2. Starting at the roots, apply a generous amount of Forme Fatale to the top half of the hair for a voluminous, wet look
3. Comb hair back in an upwards wave on each side and secure with clips
4. Create a cage herringbone braid by parting the dry ends into three sections. Begin crossing the lengths over each other and underneath
5. Loosely deconstruct the braid for added volume and a lived in feel. Spray all over with Laque Noire for hold
6. Finish with Gloss Appeal for instant shine

NYFW Backstage Beauty: JINsoon For Tess Giberson SS15

JINsoon created the nail polish look backstage at Tess Giberson's S/S 2015 New York Fashion Week collection. The inspiration was Palm Beach in the '70s. JINsoon opted for a simple, muted look by adding a soft matte effect to a neutral off-white.

How-To Steps:

1. File and clean nails, removing all traces of polish and oil residue
2. Use a base coat to protect nail; Jin used JINsoon Power Coat
3. Apply two coats of JINsoon Kookie White
4. Finish by applying JINsoon Matte Maker

NYFW Backstage Beauty: NARS Cosmetics At Tome SS15

Fashion Week kicked off in New York yesterday, and I headed backstage to cover the upcoming beauty trends for Spring 2015. Here's a closer look at Tome with NARS Cosmetics. 

LEAD ARTIST: James Boehmer, NARS Director of Global Artistry

LOOK: “The inspiration for the collection came from two Indian artists – Rukmini Devi, a classical dancer and Dayanita Singh, a contemporary photographer – who represent the richness and diversity of old and new India.  The look fuses traditional elements of the Indian culture and modern makeup. The skin is very matte, with a clean, liquid eyeliner on the top eyelid, no mascara. Some girls will have a pale, chalky-pink lip.”

Below are the key products used to create the look:

FACE:

Stick Concealer

All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (New for Spring 2015, for now try Sheer Matte Foundation)
Soft Velvet Loose Powder (New for Spring 2015, for now try Loose Powder)

EYES:

Black Valley Eye Paint

LIPS:

Silvia Audacious Lipstick

Santa Monica Boulevard Larger Than Life® Long-Wear Eyeliner (layered over lipstick and blended in)

#NYFW Backstage Beauty: Marc Jacobs Autumn/Winter 2014

NARS created the look for the Marc Jacobs AW ‘14 runway show. Lead artist François Nars said "The makeup look was really inspired by the collection, which is very "matte." There's nothing too silky and I wanted that to translate to the makeup. The models look like mannequins. The eyelid is a pale neutral grey and we made it look bigger by foregoing mascara. The lips have a touch of frosted metallic silver. We used a lot of powder for a matte, porcelain finish."

Get the look:

FACE

NARSskin Luminous Moisture Cream

Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

Radiant Creamy Concealer

Loose Powder

CHEEKS

Zen Blush

Douceur Blush

Sex Appeal Blush

EYES

Andromeda Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow (New for Summer 2014, for now try the silver side of Tokyo Duo Eyeshadow)

Sheer white shimmer side of Pandora Duo Eyeshadow

Sugared cocoa side of Kalahari Duo Eyeshadow

Sophia Single Eyeshadow

LIPS

Striptease Lip Gloss

Dione Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow (New for Summer 2014, for not try the shimmer side of All About Eve Duo Eyeshadow)

Kendall Jenner via Getty

 

#NYFW Backstage Beauty: Rodarte Autumn/Winter 2014

NARS created the look for the Rodarte AW ‘14 runway show. Lead artist, James Kaliardos said, "This is delicate and youthful beauty. The look is ephemeral and nostalgic creating a beautiful glow."

Get the look:

FACE
NARSskin Luminous Moisture Cream

Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

Radiant Creamy Concealer

Pressed Powder

CHEEKS

Unlawful Blush (New for Fall 2014, for now try Torrid Blush)

Anguilla Matte Multiple

EYES

Chocolate side of Dolomites Duo Eyeshadow (New for Fall 2014, for now try Sophia Eyeshadow)

Larger Than Life® Lengthening Mascara

BROWS

Chocolate side of Dolomites Duo Eyeshadow (New for Fall 2014, for now try Sophia Eyeshadow)

Brow Gel

LIGHT LIP

El Agua Velvet Lip Liner Pencil (New for Fall 2014, for now try Rosebud Lip Liner Pencil)

Dominique Audacious Lipstick (New for Fall 2014, for now try Biscayne Park Satin Lip Pencil)

Anguilla Matte Multiple

DARK LIP

Mambo Eyeliner

Deborah Audacious Lipstick (New for Fall 2014, for now try Pigalle Semi Matte Lipstick)

Rouge Tribal Larger Than Life® Lip Gloss

 

#NYFW Backstage Beauty: Helmut Lang Autumn/Winter 2014

There isn't much I love more than a sultry, soft smokey eye. Hannah Murray for NARS Cosmetics perfected this backstage at Helmut Lang's Autumn/Winter 2014 show. She said, "The Helmut girl this season is tough and masculine with a refined polish. I loved the idea of a rich burgundy wash on the eyelid giving a hint of punk in a very beautiful minimal way."

Get the look:

FACE

NARSskin Total Replenishing Eye Cream
NARSskin Luminous Moisture Cream

Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

Copacabana Multiple

CHEEKS

Orgasm Blush

EYES

Deborah Audacious Lipstick (New for Fall 2014, for now try Pigalle Semi Matte Lipstick)

Heat Pressed Powder

LIPS

Stick Concealer

#NYFW Backstage Beauty: More Nude Nails With Essie At Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang & More!

Backstage at Alexander Wang

One thing is clear this Fashion Week - it's all about the nude nails. Naked, fresh nails are dominating the runways and it's no wonder as a soft cream shade is perfect to compliment any outfit color. Let's start with Alexander Wang. Michelle Saunder for Essie created a chalky, soft beige nail by layering two classic colors under matter about you top coast.

Get the look: 

1. Apply ridge filling base coat to clean, filed nails 

2. Once the base coat dries, apply one coat of sand tropez 

3. Next, apply one coat of mademoiselle 

4. To finish, apply matte about you top coat

The nails for Helmut Lang stayed neutral to compliment the vibrant red, black and neutral colors of the new collection. Julie Kandalec for Essie created a chic nude by layering two nude shades.

Get the look: 

1. Apply one coat of adore-a-ball 

2. Once dry, apply one coat of ridge filling base coat 

3. To finish off the nude look, apply one coat of allure

Finally, Jill Stuart took her "it girls" of today to reformed rock n'roll ladies. Rita Remark for Essie created an updated nude nail that was soft with an edgy matte finish.

Get the look: 

1. Apply ridge filling base coat to clean, filed nails 

2. Once the base coat dries, apply two thin coats of allure 

3. Finish off the look with one coat of matte about you top coat 

Which nude look is your favorite?

#NYFW Backstage Beauty: Essie At Altuzarra Fall/Winter 2014

Ladies, the french manicure is back... at least that was the scene backstage at Altuzarra's Fall/Winter '14 New York Fashion Week show. The nails by Essie were elegant and perfectly complemented Altuzarra new collection, which included bold pops of color and contrasting textures. To create the classic french Essie first applied first base coat to clean, filed nails. Next, they applied one coat of ridge filling base coat to create a creamier, neutral shade. Using allure, brush on a neat arc across the free edge of the nail and let dry. Finish off the look with good to go top coat.

Viola! Soft, classic nails and a subtle french.

#NYFW Backstage Beauty: Rebecca Minkoff S/S 2014

Pictures of Bianca Jagger in Mexico and Frida Kahlo lead to the inspiration for Rebecca Minkoff's S/S 2014 collection. She channeled this inspiration by creating feminine garments in bold print florals, embroidery, and bright colors. This influence was literally seen from head to toe, from the criss-cross headband braid by TRESemme to the skull nail art by Essie.

Make-Up by Stila Cosmetics:

Brows: Stay All Day Waterproof Color
Eyes: Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner – Deep Burgundy (available Spring 14), Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Dark Brown, Kajal Eye Liner in Tigers Eye, and In The Know Shadow Palette.
Lip & Cheek: Convertible Color Lip & Cheek in Camellia

TIPS:
Surprisingly, start with mascara. The mascara will open up your eyes and giving you a point where you can stop your cat eye. For the perfect cat-eye, start with lightly getting tracing the outline of your cat eye by using a liquid eyeliner. Once you have your outline then you can darken the cat eye. Use a base eyeliner under the eye to connect with the top of your cat eye line. Then go over the bottom base eyeliner with the smudge eyeliner. To make a dramatic and undone look take a small eye brush and start to smudge under the eye.

#NYFW Backstage Beauty: Mara Hoffman S/S 2014

No one does boho chic better than Mara Hoffman, so it was awesome to go behind the scenes and get a sneak peek at the beauty look for this season! Her latest collection drew inspiration from color, light, happiness and the rainbow.

The first thing I noticed were these killer braids that the models were sporting. Catwalk by Tigi Global Creative were the hairstylists for this show and they created two super long (I mean, almost down to the ankles) french braids. Then they bound these two braids together by wrapping a bit of cloth around both braids and gluing the ends of the cloth together. The final result looked absolutely amazing!

The makeup look was very fresh with a pop of color in bright liner around the eyes. Makeup artist Alice Lane said that the Mara Hoffman woman is brave and fearless and these models certainly looked ready to take on the world. The beauty look was finished off with a playful orange sunburst manicure. Each nail was painted with a nude color first, then the lines of the sunburst were drawn individually with a thin striping brush. I love watching nail art in action and seeing the beautiful manicures they created is inspiring me to get back into nail art myself!

Products Used:

Hair

- CATWALK By Tigi Curlesque Strong Mousse

- CATWALK By Tigi Session Series True Wax

- CATWALK By Tigi Sleek Mystique Look Lock Hairspray

- CATWALK By Tigi Your Highness Weightless Shine Spray

Face

- Maybelline Pure Pigments in Buff & Tuff

- Maybelline Pure Pigments in Pink Rebel

Nails

- Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in Born With It

- Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in Orange Fix

Backstage At Charlotte Ronson Fall 2013 | New York Fashion Week

The beauty look backstage at Charlotte Ronson was very 60's mod. Lead makeup artist, Sara Biria of Sephora PRO gave the models a modern version of the classic cat eye by thinning out the line and using earthy tones on the cheekbones. Below are the products used to achieve the stunning look:

Backstage at Alice + Olivia's Fall 2013 Presentation | New York Fashion Week

Alice + Olivia's Fall 2013 collection is best defined as Fantasy Street Style. The collection can be described as sophistication mixed with whimsical. You'll see a lot of laying and mixing of textures and prints. Fall 2013 features lace, floral, patterned knits, simple suiting, embellished separates and even burn-out velvet, metallic distressed denim, plaids and chunky fur. Backstage beauty featured Stila Cosmetics, Moroccanoil, NCLA, and beautyblender. Keep reading after the jump for the breakout of each look.

Backstage With butter LONDON At Altuzarra | New York Fashion Week

butter LONDON’s Global Colour Ambassador, Katie Hughes, created the nail look for Altuzarra’s F/W 2013 Collection.

NARS Backstage Beauty Report F/W 2013 | New York Fashion Week

NARS is a legendary brand in the beauty industry and it's no surprise that they rein over New York Fashion Week working with some of the best designers. Here's a glimpse at all of the face charts from this past Fashion Week.

From left to right: Creatures of the Wind, Dannijo, Carmen Marc Valvo, Naeem Khan, Rodarte, Marc Jacobs, Douglas Hannant, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Thakoon, Helmut Lang, Alexander Wang

Backstage Beauty At Rebecca Minkoff's Fall 2013 Show | New York Fashion Week

Rebecca Minkoff has long been known for striking colors, so it wasn't a huge surprise to see the models wearing colorful, fun and loud makeup backstage for her Fall 2013 collection debut.

This season, Minkoff's collection was inspired by Neil Armstrong's trip to space, and featured strong silhouettes, offset with soft fluid fabrics in cosmic prints.

Power Nudes - Backstage With Butter London | New York Fashion Week