Drenched hair and skin, cheeks flushed from exertion—with clear eyes and full hearts, Kari Molvar contends this season’s beauty can’t lose.
Gearing up for fashion week is always a sport in itself, but this
season designers and backstage beauty pros went for a literal
interpretation. With slicked-back hair and rosy cheeks flushed as if
they’d just come in from a run, models strode athletically down the
runways in mesh tracksuits, neoprene zip-ups and jerseys ticked with
racing stripes. But even if you’re not in training mode, the look is
just as chic. With that in mind, we asked the elite hair and makeup pros
to give us a few pointers on pulling off the trend.
HAIR
Hairstylists put their blow-dryers on low speed this season, leaving
models’ hair damp or dripping, like surfers fresh from the ocean. But
achieving the glamorous wet look involved more than dunking heads in
water. At Alexander Wang, Guido Palau created the wettest of the wet
manes by coating hair in mousse from roots to ends, then saturating it
in argan oil for a “sexiness and sense of ease” that complemented the
aerodynamic collection. For a less drenched interpretation at BCBG Max
Azria, Neil Moodie slicked the roots but left the rest of the hair dry,
mimicking the way hair looks a few hours after coming out of the sea.
The look picked up on the fluid, sporty tone of the clothing. “It’s one
step beyond the beachy waves we’ve seen before,” Moodie says. “And the
great thing about this new wet look is that it works on any length or
texture.” The versatility factor was tested at Victoria Beckham, where
Palau created a dual-texture style by combing a generous amount of gel
through a section of dry hair from the forehead to the crown before
clipping it in place with a simple gym barrette. He finished by
smoothing serum over the top for a lacquered effect and leaving the
remaining strands loose to air dry. “The key is to make it look
effortless,” says Palau, adding that the effect is best achieved when it
complements the clothing “without taking attention away.”
This carefree attitude also caught hold of the ultimate athletic ’do:
the ponytail. At Diesel Black Gold, Palau channelled an ’80s-era French
girl who had just bounded off the beach. Ample amounts of volumizing
foam lent a glistening finish, while wavy, wind-swept texture was
achieved by scrunching up the hair. A bit of shine serum patted on
strategic spots, such as the tips of the hair, kept things raw and
untamed. The look was played out further by Eugene Souleiman at Missoni,
who did half-pulled-through ponytails, slicked down at the roots as if
the models had been sweating while flamenco dancing until dawn. “There
is something very minimal yet strong about the wet hair trend,” says
Souleiman. “It’s all about being natural and just going with the flow,
but it can still be elegant and severely chic.”
SKIN
Athletic feats also inspired makeup artists to give skin a
post-workout glow. At Christopher Kane, Lucia Pieroni wanted the models
to look “flushed and almost sporty, as if they’d been running up a
hill.” She achieved the cardio-rush effect by applying a combination of
three different blushes in varying tones of peachy pink.
At Alberta Ferretti, makeup artist Diane Kendal swept silver
iridescent powder on the apples of the cheeks, the centre of the nose
and the bow of the upper lip to create a glossy effect, while at
Missoni, Pieroni relied on a gold cream shadow swirled over the upper
cheekbones, nose and chin to mimic hot, sweaty skin. “I love this moment
because, as a makeup artist, I like to see the skin and its natural
texture glowing through,” Pieroni says. “By exaggerating the face’s
highlights with creams or even glosses to catch the light and illuminate
the skin, you create youth and light. It’s a very flattering finish.”
So why stop at the neck? At Helmut Lang, makeup artist Lisa Butler used
an airbrush gun to glide liberal amounts of champagne highlighter over
models’ arms, legs and décolletage to extend the high sheen on the face.
Still, moderation is important. Pieroni advises applying “a lightweight
loose powder down the centre of the face. This is one area where you do
not want to shine, as it will look sweaty.” After all, as Pieroni
reminds us, the goal is to look “sport-luxe, not literally out of the
gym.”
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In a seemingly Sesame Street move, there’s been a progression through the alphabet from the BB creams of yore
to the newest iteration, CC creams. Like BBs, CCs first rose to
popularity in Asia and there are just a few on the market stateside at
the moment. One of those is Juice Beauty's Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream,
a veritable wealth of the natural and the effective. The organic line
of makeup and skincare products was founded by wellness entrepreneur
Karen Behnke. After she became pregnant with her first child at the age
of 40, Behnke was shocked to learn that there were few healthy personal
products that worked well. Her concern that skin absorbs over 60 percent
of what is placed on it, and a frustration with the lack of options
available on the market led Behnke to launch her own range of products.
Juice
