FACE

Lead makeup artist, Valerie Hernandez, of Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics created the looks at the Magalis Garcia fashion show. She kept the skin sheer using Mineral Primer, Loose Powder Foundation, and Rice Mineral Setting Powder, and applied a gold liquid shimmer on the cheekbones, a creation that consisted of Vitamin E oil, and Lunar Dust bronzer. Hernandez used the Halo, Coco, and the Vintage Eyeshadow Quad on the eyes for a muted, warm mulberry shade. She combined two lipsticks with eyeshadow to achieve a soft raspberry lip color. She applied Vivid and Vixen Lipstick and Bistro Lipstick mixed with Heather Smoke, Kasbah and Moonstone Crushed Mineral Eyeshadow.

“I was inspired by 40’s Hollywood – Veronica Lake and other silver screen sirens,” said Michael Pierce, who did the makeup using Hourglass Cosmetics for the La Perla show. “The focus is on a gorgeous, strong red lip, but a red that every woman can wear. To add to this look, the eyes are light with tight black eyeliner.”

Pierce used Veil Fluid Makeup for medium coverage, setting it with Oxygen Mineral Powder for a modern, semi-matte approach to 1940’s skin. He then applied Illume in Bronze Light, using the bronze to contour the cheekbones and the highlighter for strong definition. For glowing luminous eyes, he used the natural sand shade from Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Gypsy from the lash line to the brow. This was followed by Calligraphy liquid eyeliner in Ebony, which he winged out in an upward direction for a thin lined look, and finished the eye makeup with Film Noir mascara for an intense and dramatic black look. Finally, he traced the lips with Trace Lip Liner in Message, filled it with Raven lipstick, and added a dab of Prodigy lip gloss in Hypnotic in the middle to create the perfect pout.

HAIR

Hairstylists David Cruz and Odile Gilbert created the looks for 3.1 Phillip Lim, Andy & Debb, Elise Overland, and Catherine Malandrino using Phyto products.

At 3.1 Phillip Lim, Gilbert was inspired by Blondie. Hair is light, wispy and flows with a center part, loose texture and easy nod to the 70’s. He first applied Phyto Professional Intense Volume Mousse to create a dry but voluminous, matte texture. He then curled hair with curling iron, and ran fingers through hair. Gilbert sprayed Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray to the roots and added heat. He flipped out bangs, sprayed Phytolaque soie hairspray, and finished with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray. Finally, he had the models turn their heads upside down and flip the hair.

Cruz created a beautiful, perfect texture that’s shiny and healthy, but with very little volume at the Andy & Debb fashion show. Hair was center parted and tucked a little behind the ears like a young girl. He prepped hair with Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray with a mix of Phyto 7 daily hydrating cream. He then flat ironed ends, section by section, and smoothed from root to tip with Phyto Professional Glossing Cream to tame fly-aways.

Since the Elise Overland collection was strong, yet feminine, Cruz used that inspiration on the hair to show off the clothes. He started off by applying PhytoVolume Actif to roots. After blow-drying the hair, he parted hair on the right side of the head, in line with the right eye. He then teased the front in small sections for some lift, and pulled hair into a ponytail and teased the tail for fullness and hold, and sprayed Phytolaque soie. Cruz twisted the ponytail clockwise like a “figure 8″ and pinned the tail up, and then pulled small, airy pieces out to soften the look. He set the look with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray.

The clothes in the Catherine Malandrino show had an urban Mongolian and Tibetan feeling, which inspired Odile to create rough-textured ponytails on top of the head. ”I wanted the hair to look like a dry little tree,” she said. “It should be fresh but have the touch of a barbarian girl.” Odile applied Phyto Professional Intense Volume Mousse and Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray to create a dry, matte texture. Hair was rough dried with hands aggressively massaging the roots to create volume. She then used Phyto Professional Fiber Paste to give hair more texture before sweeping it on top of the head. Odile finished off with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray for a strong hold.

At the Women’s Mafia fashion show, where collections were showcased by emerging talents Jonathan Kayne of Project Runway, Ardistia and Shantele, the Philip Pelusi team created a look that worked for all three designers, resulting in a versatile “Baroque” chignon. First, he sprayed hair with P2 Refresh Hair to give hair texture. He then divided hair into two ponytails: perimeter and crown, and pulled the perimeter ponytail into a high nape. Once again, he sprayed hair with P2 Refresh Hair, and finally pulled a hair net over the ponytail and fashioned it into “petals.”

NAILS

Dashing Diva’s head nail tech Pattie Yankee and her team showed off the Fall nail trends at Brian Reyes, Nary Manivong and Trias.

Yankee used 57th & 5th, a sheer nude/pink shade for nails to compliment the Brian Reyes Fall collection.

Since the designer for Trias wanted a subtle grey/brown shade for the nails to go with the natural earthy theme of the show, Yankee mixed the grey Astor Place with the taupe West Village to create a hot mushroom Shitake shade.

Stylist Ally Hilfiger and designer Nary Manivong collaborated with Yankee to create an ultra sleek and modern oval nail, using No More Alimony, a shiny, nude metallic color.

New York Fashion Week starts September 5th, but here’s a sneak peek of the Twinkle by Wenlan Spring ‘09 collection now! Twinkle designer Wenlan Chia says the collection is inspired by the free spirit of actress Jean Seberg. “There are idealistic school girl and bohemian details that exist both in her and in my spring line. Jean’s grace, beauty and whimsical nature set the tone for this collection. The blend of colors, textures, vintage inspired prints, and tailored silhouettes give my collection a classic, romantic quality—reminiscent of Jean Seberg’s legacy.”

L.A. Fashion Week gets high! High heels, high shine, and high-waisted clothes ruled the Spring 2008 runways. When it came to shine, gold was the color of choice for Joseph Domingo, Jenny Han, and Candice Held. Domingo used the bold color in his men and women’s collections on tops and bottoms, belts, shoes, and earrings, while Han & Held models sported wedge and high heel shoes in the same hue. Coco Johnsen shined with crystal embellishments and sequins on her bathing suits, jackets and dresses. Samora and Monarchy raised waistlines on their pants, skirts, and shorts.

Skinny jeans and leggings – still in. Oligo Tissew and Monarchy paired skinny jeans with high heels, and celebrity favorites Bird of Prey and Christian Audigier showed off metallic leggings, taking a break from boring black.

Straight hair – out. Flat irons can finally go back into the bottom drawer. Wavy to curly and somewhat messy (bedhead) hair is back – it’s soft, natural, and easy. Pin it up like the Jenny Han models, wear it long and full as seen at Tart, or tie it in a low ponytail like the Coco Johnsen girls.

Comfortable chic. Feel comfortable in your own skin or at least in your clothes from Ecoganik, Tart and Voom by Joy Han. Ecoganik went a bit slouchy and loose, almost hippyish. Their accessories collection included thong sandals and little booties made out of sweatshirt material in soft pastel and neutral colors. Voom showed a little more personality with checkered and striped patterns, black and white outfits, and tops, skirts, and belts splashed with fuscia. Tart showcased flowing, racerback, and turtleneck dresses of varied lengths, perfect for the L.A. girl.

Silky smooth. Gregory Parkinson used silk in his dresses and gave it a twist with tie-dye prints. Candice Held showed off silk dresses that were cut out beautifully in the back while Jenny Han went beachy by pairing her silk chiffon dresses with flip-flops.

Find your inner goddess. Pistachio green, aqua blue, yellow, and earth tones were seen at Samora. The dresses were feminine without being overly flirty, maybe because the collection was inspired by Bellona, the Roman Goddess of War. Joseph Domingo’s “Goddess” collection was inspired by goddesses-divas throughout the ages that includes Aphrodite, Cleopatra, and Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe. Domingo made an impact by opening the show with two Adonises in gold swimsuits escorting a female model and continued with the goddess theme.

Read the fine print. Sue Wong went wild with bright geometric prints and zebra prints, drawing inspiration from the works of Modern Art masters such as Joan Miro and Alexander Calder. Kevan Hall turned to his African roots to create tribal print pieces using fabrics and jewelry from his homeland.

Like a day at the beach. With Swarovski crystals, Mother of Pearl, lace trims, gold chains, and translucent beading details, Beach Bunny swimsuits are meant to be worn at the beach and not in the ocean.

Going green. The Gallery produced The Green Initiative show with collections from designers that promote organic lines and send positive messages about sustaining the environment. The six collections and two accessory lines showcased included Peligrosa, Protect the Element by Roshi Salim, Wet Cement, Vintage China, Rene Geneva Design, M The Movement, ArteSania jewelry, and Demano handbags.

New York Fashion Week

Men. Perry Ellis and Nautica played it safe by showing traditional menswear collections. Perry Ellis carried solid colored pants, shorts, shirts, and blazers in white and grey while Nautica stuck to its classic white and navy sailboat style, but went outside its boundaries with some bright yellow and blue pieces. Adventurous souls may seek Duckie Brown for his bold colors that includes a yellow trench coat, red pants, and an orange jacket, but he also showcased some navy and white pieces for when he feels subdued.

Ethnic Influence. Vibrant reds and gold and the balance of black and white was evidence that Chinese culture played a strong role in Jayson Brunsdon’s Spring collection. Sabyasachi was influenced by India as models covered up in head scarves and hoodies, and wore long dresses and skirts, and loose fitting slacks.

Silver Springs. Lela Rose and Toni Maticevski shined in silver dresses, skirts, belts and gowns while Yeohlee included the trend in her poncho, tank dress, long skirts and slim pants. Peter Som and Marc Bouwer showed off metallic sliver tops and dresses for evening.

Yellow fever. Yellow-green pants, bead necklaces, and chunky pumps were seen at the Willow show while a golden-yellow hue was seen on silk dresses and tops offset with purple in either the garment itself or with a purple belt at Reem Acra. Yellow tops added a pop of color when paired with grey or khaki coats and suits at Nanette Lepore, livening up the outfit.

Bold face. Vibrant blues on dresses and skirts and a splash on tops were present in Jason Wu’s collection. Nanette Lepore used fuscia, orange, and yellow on dresses and tops in solid and floral prints. Tuleh displayed fuscia, orange, red, and green satin wrap and sheath dresses and suits for a fun day at the office.

Shift into chiffon. Romantic and elegant, chiffon was the fabric of choice at Chris Han, Venixiana, and Anne Bowen. Han’s designs focused on beautifully exposing a woman’s neck and collarbone in basic black, white, and grey. Venexiana included a floral print chiffon gown for evening and a blush colored chiffon dress for day. Bowen’s eveningwear collection featured gowns of varied lengths in pearl white satin, marshmallow white chiffon and metallic tissue in a gold hue. Standing out was the rose shredded chiffon evening gown coupled with suspended crystals and rouched chiffon flowers and hand-crafted beading.

Swimsuit season. “Brazilian-Bond Girls” was the name of the Spring 2008 Gottex collection. The swimwear line was divided into 12 categories that included Highlight, Margarita, Black Tulip, Iris, Romantic, Moonstone, Creation, Terra, Finale, Carnival, and Bride with one and two-piece suits, plunging halters, bandeau tops, asymmetrical cut-outs, floral prints, and vibrant colors.

Buns. Worn high or low, buns dominated the runways. At Lela Rose, hair was parted in the middle and the buns were twisted and worn low; at Terexov, a high chignon rested on pulled back hair with no part; and Yeohlee exaggerated the trend by parting hair in the middle from the front to the nape of the neck with buns on both sides of the head.

Put it on mute. Designs from Terexov, Temperley, and Lela Rose made bold statements by toning down colors to give a soft and pretty feel. Terexov’s color palette of grey, khaki, black and white looked simple yet elegant in his daywear and eveningwear collections.Temperley’s designs included smaller tiered ruffles in neutral colors like grey and beige. Oranges, yellows, blues, and greens were seen on dresses, skirts, and tops at Lela Rose, but they were subdued for the woman looking to stand out without drawing too much attention to herself.