Elle Canada - The Elle Word

The relaxation area at COMO Shambhala’s spa in Bali.

When I go to the spa, I rarely book a massage. I’d rather a deep cleaning facial, a scalp treatment, or a little extra TLC for my toes. But after a week traipsing through Thailand, I had a few days in the far more chilled out jungle of Bali, staying at the COMO Shambhala Estate, perched atop a lush mountain, and I needed a little relaxation. I was told that this was THE spot to experience a true Indonesian massage. Before I left on the trip, I still needed some convincing to get the massage. In fact, I contemplated changing it to my regular facial. Once I sank into the airplane seat, leaving Ko Phi Phi (the party island featured in The Beach the 2000 movie with Leonardo DiCaprio) and Bangkok far behind me, a full-body massage by a gifted Balinese therapist sounded like a slice of Indonesian heaven.

Here’s why massages and I normally don’t mix: I’m über ticklish and get nervous at the thought of someone lightly touching my side. That equals tense muscles and a lot of urging from my therapist to “relax.” That urging makes me even tenser as I have my face squished into the bed thinking, “But I AM relaxed!” After a Thai massage in Bangkok that my friends insisted I try, I was feeling more convinced than ever that massages and I weren’t destined to be BFFs. Read the rest of this entry

The modern boho at Jill Stuart. Image courtesy of ImaxTree.com.

Raise a hand if summer equals festivals, flowing dresses, wavy hair and barely-there makeup to you. You just might be today’s modern boho (I am!). There’s something so carefree, easy and simple about this effortless look that is quintessentially summer to me. Think Kate Hudson in Almost Famous, Nicole Richie at Coachella and Alexa Chung at Glastonbury. But this season’s take is fresh, youthful and easy to do. With a little help from European makeup artist Sarah-Jane Froom from BareEscentuals and Toronto-based hair and makeup artist Tony Masciangelo, we recreate this summer ideal.

BOHO MAKEUP:

“The Boho Chic look should be effortless,” says Froom. “Keeping it simple and making your skin flawless is the main focus. It’s about being sun-kissed and pretty.” Opt for browns, greens, golds, slates and bronzes – anything that mimics the colours of the earth, and make sure you focus on that dewy, bronzed skin.

Froom’s step-by-step guide to a modern boho look:

1. Prep skin with a primer for an even complexion. Then buff bareMinerals SPF15 Foundation all over.

2. Buff bareMinerals READY Bronzer in The High Dive onto outside contours of the complexion and also down onto the décolleté. You can pop a little on the bridge of the nose too, where the sun would naturally kiss the skin.

3. Smooth a primer along your lids before applying earthy toned shadows. Try bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow in The Truth to the eyes – buff the palest shade (Serendipitous) under brow bone, the medium colour (Fate) from lash to crease, the dark colour (Apropos) above and below top and bottom lashes around lash line, and finally the shimmery bronze shade (Magnetism) to highlight inner corners of eyes. Follow with a deep brown liner along the lashes.

4. Add a pop of colour with bareMinerals READY Blush in The Aphrodisiac swept onto the apples of the cheeks.

5. For radiant, dewy skin, lightly buff bareMinerals Pure Radiance onto the high points of the cheekbones and over décolleté – this will give you a luminous sun-kissed glow. And top with bareMinerals Tinted Mineral Veil to hide the appearance of large pores and fine lines and to soak up excess oil to impart a beautiful finish.

6. Finish the look with a swish of mascara and natural gloss. Read the rest of this entry

Image courtesy of Bumble and bumble.

I’m a sucker for all things Grace Kelly. Which is why I loved this hair style from Zac Posen’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection. It’s the ideal romantic updo for weddings, big events, or even as a primped and polished office look. I went to the source of this pretty creation, Jimmy Paul from Bumble and bumble, to help us interpret this hair style just in time for spring.

The inspiration
“I was looking at Zac’s inspiration board with lots of old photos and wanted to do something retro with a modern twist, so I came up with a slightly messy updo with finger waves at the front,” explains Paul. “It’s worn up, which is always good for the warmer months.”

Expertise level
If you want to recreate the look straight from the runway, you’ll need to be seasoned in DIY hair styles. But with a few alterations, you can have a slightly more casual and easier style. FYI, it’s easier to achieve if you have shoulder length or longer hair so it securely fits into a chignon at the back. If you do have shorter locks, adding in some extensions will solve the problem.

“A beginner could use the same center part, but just keep her natural texture before putting it up. If you want to be more advanced, you can blow dry the hair first for smoother texture and if you’re feeling bold, go for the Marcel waves at the front.”

Key products
“If you have fine to medium hair, start with a base of Prep and Thickening Hairspray. For coarser hair, I would recommend starting with Straight Blow Dry to help get a smooth texture.”

Paul’s step-by-step instructions on the next page …
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Grace Lee surrounded by media backstage.

Things are behind schedule backstage on Day 4 of Toronto Fashion Week. And it’s hot, buzzing with energy, with models running from hair to makeup to fittings. Then there’s the slew of flat irons and blow driers working overtime. Managing to keep their cool, Grace Lee, lead makeup artist for Maybelline, and Jorge Joao, lead hairstylist for Redken, still create two flawless looks for Pink Tartan and David Dixon. Here are the details on how to get the looks.

1. Dark lips and gold eyes at Pink Tartan
With Kimberley Newport-Mimran going back to her Pink Tartan beginnings (think lush fur coats, and gorgeous fitting blazers ideal for work wear), the designer wanted something very classic and clean in beauty and hair and the focus to be on a deep, berry-red lip.

MAKEUP: “Kimberley really wanted to emphasize a strong, ox-blood lip,” says Lee. “So we used Wine & Forever 14-Hour Lipstick. It’s like that perfect rich burgundy red lip.” With such a statement lip, the rest of the makeup was kept soft, but the eye was nearly as gorgeous as the lip. Lee created a dewy, shiny glossy lid by mixing Bold Gold Colour Tattoo eye shadow with clear Baby Lips lip gloss “I think they should patent this for me! I’ve been doing this [mix of Baby Lips and shadow] for everything!” she exclaimed. “It’s almost like a 24-karat gold on the eye.” The outer corner was dusted with a touch of nutmeg-hued shadow for definition and a couple of coats of mascara. “That lid is just perfection. It’s really about the lip and beautiful glow.”

HAIR: Hair was soft and simple—and as an added bonus—super easy to DIY. Newport-Mimran wanted a center part, so Joao created a super sleek, yet soft look by flat-ironing for pin-straight, Gwyneth Paltrow-esque locks. “We wanted something that was really timeless. We didn’t want it to look too contrived,” explains Joao. The team used Redken Argan-6 Oil for shine before ironing, then worked in a texturizer for a bit of grit. “It’s not just that soft, mushy hair, it gives it just a little bit of an edge.” After finishing with some shine spray, the models were set to walk the runway with their newly smoothed hair tucked into Newport-Mimran’s chic coats. Read the rest of this entry

Christopher Kane’s gorgeous spring blush. Image courtesy of ImaxTree.com.

If there’s one thing you cross off your spring beauty checklist, it should be a gorgeous flush. This season, cheeks should be rosy, fresh and youthful. The runways were filled with softly blushed cheeks at Christopher Kane, Mabile, and Giles Deacon, and dramatic takes at Anna Sui, Braganza and Philosophy. But before you sweep on that electric shade of hot pink, read on for our tips from M.A.C Senior Artist Caitlin Callahan, on blush dos and don’ts this season.

DO think natural
Picking a shade that will give you a true flush isn’t as hard as you think. “Clear (no brown) toned blushes in pinks, peaches, plums are to recreate a natural blush in the skin. Next time you blush, check out the colour that occurs naturally,” says Callahan. She also suggests choosing a cream rather than a powder, to create the most natural looking blush.

DO go bright
So, hot pink isn’t usually a shade in your beauty repertoire? Time to add it in. Those neon and fluorescent coloured blushes don’t dust on in the same saturation. I used to be wary of those startling vibrant hues, but now a bright pink cream blush is my go-to. Start light with just a hint of colour to the apples of your cheeks, and you’ll be surprised at how sheer it can be, and what a pop of colour will do for your skin tone.

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Gothic-inspired beauty at Chloé Comme Parris.

Backstage at Toronto Fashion Week, in the midst of clouds of hair spray, cameras and double-kisses, two key people—the head makeup artist and hairstylist—are busy working their magic. I caught up with Grace Lee, Maybelline’s lead makeup artist, and Jorge Joao, Redken’s lead hairstylist, to get the scoop on two of the most coveted looks that went down the runway yesterday.

1. Gothic grunge at Chloé Comme Parris
MAKEUP: Designers Chloé and Parris Gordon “have a bad ass, rebellion feel to their collection,” explains Lee. “It’s like a rich girl gone grunge.” Lee painted models’ lips  a matte rich burgundy to underscore the ‘20s, Gatsby inspiration. She created a pale porcelain finish by taking skin one shade lighter than the models’ natural hue, and added a soft touch of blush.

To enhance the doll-like effect, she kept the brows natural and played with a delicate wash of colour over the entire eye. “We actually used the same lipstick on the eye that we used on the lips [Colour Sensational in Mauve-lous] mixed with the Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Shadow in Pomegranate Punk and just made a light saturation of the colour of the lips on the eye.” Lee swept the sheer colour over the entire eye, wrapping it around and along the lower lash line, and then added just a touch of dark brown mascara. “It’s soft but it’s powerful, just because the lip is so powerful and paired against that pale skin and the hair with the soft braid – a little bit of rebellion but with that ‘20s vibe feel.”

HAIR: The look was reminiscent of the Valentino braid we saw for spring, but with a more roughed-up feeling. “We didn’t want anything too put together, too structured,” explains Joao, “but we wanted it away from the face. We went with a knot twist, which is a little more organic, what you see on the street.” Joao also backcombed and centre parted the fringe then pulled out some pieces to create a softer look. “Very elegant, very beautiful and a lot of texture.”

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Essie Weingarten backstage at Toronto Fashion Week.

No one captures how happy the perfect nail polish shade can make a woman like Essie Weingarten, founder of essie nail polish. With her nails gleaming (courtesy of a slick of shiny red A List essie polish) backstage at the Chloé Comme Parris show at Toronto Fashion Week, she’s getting her makeup touched up pre-show. The friendly energy buzzing around her is just as quippy, quirky and fun as her nail polish names. “I have to say, you have the best backstage,” she says excitedly. “It’s awesome!”

Since launching her first line of shades in 1981, Weingarten’s collections have set trends, created staples and helped make nails your best accessory. And I’m already dreaming about her fall 2012 collection. “Very rich, intense, I think they’re amazing,” she explains about her upcoming collection. “I think it’s the best collection I’ve ever done.” In my quick five-minute interview, Weingarten shares her thoughts on the latest nail trends.

The new neutrals
Gone are the days of translucents in plain old beige and pink. Today we pick from seafoam green, taupey grays, the palest blues, lavenders and more. “Neutrals are not sheer anymore. You have more colour, but in a subtle way, and they all become a classic, basic neutral,” says Weingarten. Take the latest essie wedding collection – the palest shade of green (Who is the Boss) could easily become your new summer neutral. “It’s just a dreamy, creamy green that’s gorgeous and universally flattering. You can wear it with any colour and it really just works.” I’m thinking the remaining wedding collection (out in April) will be equally as dreamy with a white polish (Instant Hot) and a milky lavender hue (Love and Acceptance).

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 Image by Savo Sok.

WHO: Michelle Gerrard, film student
STYLE ICONS: Taylor Momsen (for some pieces) and Rachel Bilson
TREND YOU’D NEVER TRY: High-waisted flared jeans because I’m short and could never pull it off.

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All images courtesy of Michele Li.

Lucian Matis is remarkably calm in a crammed room at the Royal York hotel, doing last-minute sewing and ironing. He only takes a moment to check in on the beauty look for for his Fall/Winter 2012 collection.

Just as calm is Smashbox makeup artist and Director of Global Pro Lead Artistry, Lori Taylor, who after blending in layer after layer of black shadow and liner on a model’s eye, gets word from Matis that he wants the look “darker and stronger to really frame the face.”

Is this not one of the prettiest hair styles you’ve seen in a while? It is in my books. As soon as I saw this picture of an update on the classic French braid, I instantly thought about how many times I could wear it in the summer. Weddings, the office, beach days, summer cocktails on a patio … and thank goodness I’ve decided to grow my hair out longer so I can actually try this hair style out! It’s the braid trend we’ve seen over the past few seasons (remember Alexander Wang’s messy side braid from spring 2010?) with a sweet and sexy spin thanks to this Valentino knockout originally created by Redken Creative Consultant Guido Palau.

Currently loving this pretty take on the French braid at Valentino. Image courtesy of ImaxTree.com

Our tips on how to recreate this pretty braid yourself come courtesy of celebrity stylist Susana Hong who is also a spokesperson for TRESemmé. If you’re not an expert braider (like me), you might need a bit of assistance until you get the hang of it.

“I love it because once you’ve achieved it, it’s pretty low maintenance,” explains Hong.

The look works best on long, straight hair with very few layers. “If you do have curly hair, just blow dry straight but do not use a flat iron because that will flatten the cuticles too much making the hair harder to grip for the braid,” recommends Hong. And nix the flat iron, since it can make hair difficult to work with. “Hair with heavy shorter layers might prove difficult to style for this particular do. Though it can be done, it will take more product and hand strength to ensure the layered ends stay put in the braid,” says Hong.

Short hair tip: “You can use extensions, but the traditional ones that are clipped in most likely won’t work. You can use ‘braid’ hair – hair that is not attached to any sort of weave, it’s just loose hair. You would add that at the start of your braid, but it’s pretty advanced stuff for the average gal. But the best thing about this look is that it doesn’t have to be perfect,” says Hong.

To get the step-by-step on this hair style … Read the rest of this entry