NYFW Rebecca Minkoff
THE BEAUTY LOWDOWN AT REBECCA MINKOFF NYFW
Rebecca Minkoff’s spring 2016 collection was inspired by Marianne Faithfull and the beauty look couldn't have been more on point. Minkoff shared that she admires the singer and actress for her sweet but rebellious personality, and this admiration was reflected in her collection with a neutral color story that mixed Mod and bohemian styles beautifully. Faithfull’s signature beauty look is all about straight, tousled hair with eye-grazing bangs accentuated by thick lashes. Backstage, makeup artists, hair stylists and manicurists worked tirelessly to recreate this look and we went backstage to give you the lowdown on how to achieve the full look at home. The best part: it's totally easy and the end result is show-stopping. Check out tips straight from the pros below.
HAIR
Inspired by Marianne Faithfull’s hair and the bohemian elements of the collection, celebrity hairstylist, Marco Peña, along with the TRESemmé styling team, clipped and brushed hair all morning to achieve a matte, fluffy blowout for each model. Hair that was voluminous, but not over styled — textured, but still straight — complimented with bangs made up the look. Peña added that clip on bangs are a great alternative for those who don’t want to commit to cutting real bangs just yet. “Bangs are going to be back on trend,” he noted.
Lead TRESemme stylist, Jeanie Syfu, showed us how to recreate the look and gave us some tips about blowouts. To achieve the matte look, she prepped hair with TRESemme Perfectly (un)Done Sea Foam and layering Perfectly (unDone) Sea Spray on top — both products contain sea kelp which plumps and mattifies hair.
When you start to blow dry hair, reach for a thermal brush, but don’t apply too much tension or you will lose the natural fluffiness at the roots. Syfu added the importance of using the right brush for your hair, stating that a thermal brush with nylon and natural bristles (which grip the hair) are better for thicker, coarser hair. Those with medium to fine hair that flattens more easily, should stick to a brush that only has nylon bristles and avoiding adding too much tension when blow drying.
To clip on the bands, Syfu added two small ponytails at the temples and secured them with tiny elastics. The mini ponies are used to anchor clip-on bangs. When using faux fringe, opt for a full crown clip-on bang that goes all the way around to create a nice fullness to the hair. Finish the look off with dry shampoo to blend the two textures together.
MAKEUP
Inspired by the glamour of Studio 54, it was all about lashes for the Kevyn Aucoin makeup team working backstage. Long, defined lashes paired with thick eyeliner created a bright, wide-eyed look for the models. Wanting to keep all attention on the eyes, Director of Pro Artist Relations for Kevyn Aucoin, Viviana Martin, kept the rest of the look natural and bright. “The focus was mascara. It’s all in the eye, very clean, but visible lashes. Every girl has about seven layers of mascara,” Martin said. To tone down the look, a luminous glow gleamed over models' complexions, and rosy undertones kept the look youthful and fresh.
The trick to those lovely lashes? We'll have to wait until 2016, when the brand releases the Full Glamour Lash Mascara used backstage. But according to Yvelissa Muñoz, a Kevyn Aucoin makeup artist, the trick is to use a small fan brush and paint the mascara on downwards, instead of using a mascara wand. Doing so will will keep the lashes separated and defined. “You’ll get a perfectly clump free lash line,” she said.
NAILS
As essie’s Global Color Designer, Rebecca Minkoff chose to get her fans involved in the New York Fashion Week fun by letting them decide which nail look would walk down the runway this season. Out of the three designs, fans voted on “lucite sunset," an ombre style created by nail expert, Michelle Saunders for essie. Saunders was inspired by the chunky lucite heels found in the collection in an array of pretty pastel shades. Saunders says “lucite sunset” is super easy to mimic.“You just take a makeup wedge, tear it in half. You’re literally just layering the polish on — your ombre is already done for you on the spot.”
The best part about this nail art, is that it’s super easy to mimic and you don’t even need to worry about keeping a steady hand when applying the polish. Layer the sponge in thin, horizontal lines starting with tarte deco, followed by marshmallow in the center and a mixture of beach bum bluand midnight cami at the tip of the nails (you will need to repaint the sponge after every other nail). To soften the look and give it that hazy, sunset glow, apply one coat of spaghetti strap.