Estee Lauder for Derek Lam's Urban Cowgirls Fall RTW 2010 - Love this!

EVERYTHING about this collection and its runway show is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! The outfits, the details, the shoes, the coats (OMG, the coats -- big this season, by the way, for many designers), Tom Pecheux keying makeup ... could hardly get much better. I'm in love with Derek Lam Fall RTW 2010, uh huh, yep, I am!

The collection is being nicknamed Urban Cowgirl or Wild Wild West, however Lam's muse was Julie Christie in the seventies film “McCabe & Mrs. Miller”. She played a British expat in the Robert Altman Western. So what we see is cowgirl style done ultrapolished and with a distinguishable European glaze. The structured outerwear, the coats, jackets and vests, proved a high point. Here, leather inserts added a cool edge while precise lines displayed architectural restraint.



The handbags, shoes, fabrics, and accoutrements ... must be seen! The use of leather, ribbed fabric, fur accents and fringe enhanced the western appeal with a sence of city-chic flair.



Believe it or not, Estee Lauder cosmetics made its New York Fashion Week debut backstage at Derek Lam. Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux (and all around cosmetics creative genius), who was named to CMD at EL in November, created a strong, monochrome eye using two metallic blue shades on the top lid and a metallic copper shade on the bottom lid. He chose to debut products from Estee Lauder's Fall 2010 collection for this show. He also applied Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in a shade called Midnight Blue, as well as the brand’s TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara in Black.

“I’m playing with a dual color, covering the entire [eye] lid, from the lashes to the eye brow,” said Pecheux, noting that he combined a bright blue and a dark blue on the top lids — shades that were being tested backstage prior to their introduction this fall — and added an extra blue arc on the top of the lid to impart a feeling of power. The colors chosen complimented the colors in Lam's collection beautifully.

On the lips, Pecheux applied a product called Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Beige as a primer before the metallic copper shade used on the eyes was added, creating a matte finish. The use of the copper shade on both the eyes and the lips served to “balance out the entire face,” according to Pecheux, who added that he was inspired by an earthy American Indian with a look that was “twisted into a more urban woman.”

“The skin is a pretty, matte finish,” said Pecheux, adding that the idea was to have “respect for [models’] skin tone.” Cheeks were left virtually bare, given just a slight contour, he added.

Nails, which were done by Jin Soon Choi (yes, the same one who just did a collection for MAC) for Estée Lauder, were given a pale, very sheer pink color that was being tested backstage.



On the hair side, stylist Orlando Pita, who was working on behalf of Moroccanoil, said, “The look is more about texture — ethereal, airy [and] wispy.” The down dos featured parts to the side and in the middle of the head. “We talked about how the hair was going to move on the runway,” he said, “rather than any particular inspiration.”

To achieve the look, Pita employed a process of spraying the hair with Moroccanoil hair spray, then drying it and brushing it out. He repeated this process over and over until the hair on each model reached the desired amount of texture. Just before the girls hit the runway, their hair was “fluffed up,” said Pita.

Create the Look

EYES
Apply Double Wear Stay-in-Place EyeShadow Base to lids. Smudge Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Midnight Blue over eye area. Apply Pure Color EyeShadow in Nautical Matte over lid using a fluffy shadow brush to blend from lash to crease. Apply shade Ivory Box under brow to highlight. Buff out to soften. Then apply shade Amber Metallic along lower lash line in short, firm strokes to create a line of thick definition. Finish with TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara in Black on upper lashes.

LIPS
Prime lips with your foundation to even out color and create a neutral surface. Apply Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Beige using a lip brush. Blot lips with tissue and pat Amber Metallic shadow to lips for the same effect from the show or finish with High Gloss in Bronze for a less dramatic look.

images/source: nymag, style.com, wwd, estee lauder

Lancome for The Row Fall 2010

The Row, the collection designed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, had its Fashion Week debut yesterday at a gallery on New York’s west side. The line has earned a following for its simple yet sophisticated structured pieces and the new collection continued beautifully on that theme.

Makeup artist Aaron de Mey for Lancôme created the look around a strong, defined brow and a dewy facial complexion. “It’s about studying the architecture of the face,” he said. “Eyebrows are naturally defined, but slightly exaggerated.”

The neutral color palette meant that skincare played an important role. To prep, Aaron used Lancôme Eau Fraiche Douceur Micellar Cleansing Water and followed it with Lancôme Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate massaged generously into the skin; this duo gave each model a luminous complexion. Lancôme Le Crayon Poudre filled and defined the brows—a focal point of this look. To finish, Aaron dabbed Lancôme Effeacernes Concealer on the lips, a trick that removed the natural lip color and kept the focus squarely on the brows.

le vernis in Untamed Plum

Referring to the brows, de May said: “It’s individualistic, because every girl’s brow is different. It’s more noncosmetics-looking.” Everyone backstage and front of house were obsessed with the braided black Louboutin sandals made exclusively for the show. (a break for the models from the skyscraper heels!) Mary-Kate and Ashley chose a deep wine colored polish – Lancôme Le Vernis in Untamed Plum – for the toes, but kept the fingernails clean and shiny with a coat of clear nail polish.

Inspiration for the long, free-flowing strands of hair? That's right, you guessed it, Ashley and Mary-Kate themselves. Hairstylist Jimmy Paul for Bumble and Bumble ensured hair had a dry, non-sleek texture by working in a touch of Surf Spray and Thickening Hairspray with his hands and a blow-dryer. “It’s very flyaway with a little movement,” he said. To create some added texture, he either curled sections of the hair or pinned it in small bunches. After the curls and bunches were let loose, he used a bit of Tonic Lotion to “calm it down and kill the curl a bit.”

images: style.com, lancome-usa, wwd

Dramatic Eyes with Lancome at L'Wren Scott Fall RTW 2010

Earlier today, L'Wren Scott paraded models dressed in elegant, ultrasexy silhouettes down the catwalk showing her Fall RTW 2010 collection. Tophat, pencil skirts and tuxedo influences abound, mainly in greys and black, sprinkled with a bright green and snowy white here and there.

I loooooove this look! The eyes, the nails, the skin, the cheeks, the lips ... absolutely gorge!

Lancôme Artistic Director for Makeup Aaron De Mey once again teamed up with L’Wren Scott, designer and stylist extraordinaire, to do the makeup for her seasonal presentation at the all-white Gagosian Gallery on Manhattan’s West Side. The makeup look Aaron created was decidedly glam rock and complemented Serge Normant’s cotton candy brands and L’Wren’s sexy, structured silhouette.

After prepping the skin, Aaron applied a layer of Teinte Idole foundation with his fingers, then added a layer of Shu Uemura loose powder for a matte finish. Teinte Idole is my aboslute favorite foundation Lancome makes. It applies smoothly, yields great coverage, is great for oily or combination skin type, and has a beautiful matte yet fresh appearance.

Aaron used Blush Subtil in Shimmer Mocha Havana on the apples of the cheeks and along the cheekbone, all the way to the hairline. The result was a major cheek.

Next came the most dramatic element of the beauty look - the eyes. Aaron used Ombre Magnétique in Black from his upcoming Fall 2010 collection all over the lid and all the way up to the brow bone. Then he used the silver Ombre shade around the tear duct to catch the light and add impact. (Ombre Magnétique, a gel-like shimmery shadow, was Lancôme’s standout product for the fall shows. The artists at Chris Benz and Victoria Beckham also used it.) Le Crayon Khôl in Black Ebony was used along the waterline. Multiple coats of the new Hypnôse Drama mascara on upper and lower lashes completed the look. (Hypnôse Drama was also used at Chris Benz and Victoria Beckham, making it THE Fall 2010 fashion week mascara!)

Aaron kept the lip color neutral so as not to distract from the hypnotic eyes. He used L’Absolu Rouge in Rich Cashmere over which he put La Lacque Fever in Sensation, a glossy nude shade coming this fall.

The most fun part of the look was the models’ blue-grey manicures with a special color that Lancome customized just for L’Wren. I want, I want, I want! Will we be seeing this color on counters soon? Stay tuned.

THE LOOK

Glam rock eyes
Nude lips
Statement cheeks
Matte skin
Blue-grey lacquered nails


THE PRODUCTS

Lancôme Teinte Idole Foundation
Shu Uemura Loose Powder in Colorless
Lancôme Ombre Magnétique in Black (coming Fall 2010)
Lancôme Ombre Magnetique in Silver (coming Fall 2010)
Lancôme Le Crayon Khôl in Black Ebony
Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Mascara in Excessive Black
Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Rich Cashmere
Lancôme La Laque Fever Gloss in Sensation (coming Fall 2010)

images: wwd, lancome-usa

CND Rocks an Eclipsed Moon Manicure at Ruffian

CND

The so-called "moon manicure" is nothing new for Ruffian's Brian Wolk and Claude Morais. Changing things up ever so slightly for their Fall RTW 2010 collection's planetary theme, they still managed to work in the 40's era nail design.

“Instead of a moon, I did an eclipse,” CND’s Roxanne Valinoti told the press yesterday, explaining how she essentially turned the classic technique on its head. Starting with an opaque gold polish, Valinoti applied a layer of navy on top, so the sliver of metallic lacquer that remained visible curved toward the nail bed instead of away from it.

I'm in love with the soft look of the makeup and those hot pink and fuschia lips. Gorgeous!


Backstage at Ruffian

images: nymag, Exit Art, NYC

Gucci Spring 2010 RTW - Naural Cover Girl

A girl is the picture of modernity when she's wearing neutrals in white, black, gray and brown with smattering of brights in angled and swirled geometric patterns of orange, royal blue, and hot pink fucshia. Such was the collection Frida Giannini showed for Gucci Spring 2010 RTW in Milan.



Makeup artist Pat McGrath was the creative artist behind this look of beauty, "It's much lighter for Gucci. Lightness in makeup is a trend for spring." She used a light brown powder on the eyes and a narrow brown liquid liner to define the lash line. Brown mascara was added to the lashes and a nude pink cream Cover Girl blush swept on the cheekbones.


Luigi Murenu achieved pin-straight hair, with a flat iron and comb, and tied into low ponytails with a deep side part. "It's very precise and a little bit futuristic," said Murenu. He smoothed John Frieda Frizz Ease serum on to the top and sides of the hairstyle and then spritzed John Frieda on the tail.



Details of the collection? Well, how about a smidge of S & M, futuristic athletic wear, a touch of chic femininity and laced up goddess. Remaked one reviewer, "There's a lot of stuff going on." Cutouts, lace-ups, harnesses, gadgets, mesh inserts -yes, all part of the show, yet wielded in such a way as to blend in a cohesive collection depicting a daring, modern woman (yet with girlish ponytail in tow). Of course, no Gucci collection would be complete without signature wide-rimmed shades.


image: elle, wwd, style