Day 3 at MFW included some looks that went for more drama, including the unique hairstyle and heavy eye makeup at Samuel Dong.

To go with the theatrical, royal collection from Samuel Dong was equally extravagant makeup look. The eyes were the main focus; Amelie Ducharme, Cover Girl Makeup Pro, created the look using Cover Girl Liquidline Blast in blue to draw in the shape. The line comes to a rounded outer corner, as though done with a blunt pencil so the look appeared as though the models had done their own makeup. Once the shape was penciled on, she applied eyeshadow in Shimmering Onyx overtop; it was also used on the outer third of the lower lashes, too. Lashes were played  up with 24 Hours Lash Blast mascara in black (top and bottom lashes). The brows, however, were downplayed by washing them out slightly using Simply Ageless concealer.

On the lips, Ducharme applied Lip Perfection lip liner in Sophisticated 220, followed by Lip Perfection lipstick in Embrace 335. Then to give the lips the look of more volume, she added a highlight in the middle of the lips in Lip Perfection lipstick in Hot 305.

As for the hair, Denis Binet explains that Dong often likes there to be two textures in the hair look, in this case controlled and sleek. To start this look, Binet applied Pantene Classic gel directly from the tube onto the scalp. Then, using a comb, he combed the gel from the roots into the first few inches of hair then pulled the hair into a high, smooth ponytail, leaving a triangular section of hair at the front out of the ponytail. Using a large barrel curling iron on low heat, he wound this section of hair around the iron and left it for 60 seconds. Releasing this curl from the into into his palm, he then sprayed the piece with Sebastian Shaper Zero Gravity, then inserted the plastic cap from the top of a can of mousse into the curl and bobby pinned it into place. It was placed there simply to hold the curl, but the label’s stylist saw it and insisted Binet leave the plastic tops in the front bang for the runway show, which had the hair team MacGyver-ing the hair product caps, slicing off the closes ends of mousse and hairspray covers.

What do you think of these looks? Would you wear your hair or makeup in this way?

Day 2 of MFW had us coveting everything from loosely swept up hair and icy cool makeup.

Martin Lim

The hair at Martin Lim was inspired by Egypt, with the hair pulled up into a loose swirl so as to highlight the profile of the chin and jawline. “The look is chic and glossy in a high updo but with the ends left natural,” says Denis Binet, Pantene Consulting Stylist.  The overall shape of the swirl, though, is not round, but more contemporary and loose. Using Pantene gel and hairspray for fine hair, Binet  pulled hair into a  high ponytail and then swirled the hair up and casually tucked in the ends, less fixed and precise than a bun.

For makeup, Amelie Ducharme, Cover Girl Makeup Pro, looked to the 50s for inspiration and gave it a sportier twist. “We wanted a strong lip, so we kept skin pure and very natural using Cover Girl Tone Rehab and Simply Ageless concealer adn the lashes just have some NatureLuxe mascara on the top lashes,” she says. On the lips, you can get a similar almost fluorescent coral-y shade by combining Cover Girl Lip Perfections lipsticks in Fairytale. Read the rest of this entry

With the first day of Montreal Fashion Week done, we highlight some of the key beauty trends that made it down the runway.

Marie Saint-Pierre

Hair
“For Marie Saint Pierre, the look is about texture, and it’s anti-commercial, more editorial,” says Denis Binet, Pantene Consulting Stylist. Using Sebastian Microweb Fibre, he worked the product into the hair at the roots but not the ends, to plump hair at the roots and give texture at the scalp. To the rest of the hair, he worked in both mousse and gel and let it rest in the hair for two hours. Then sweeping hair to one side, he started the beginnings of a braid, only doing two to three weaves and then tied it with a black ribbon, leaving the rest of the hair loose and textured. The result? Pretty and undone, as though the models woke up late and quickly tied hair to the side as they rushed out of the house.

Makeup
To emphasize the mix of strength and femininity found in the clothing, Amelie Ducharme played up femininity by making the skin appear Photoshopped. She applied foundation, and before the foundation set, she swept on some Cover Girl Smokey Shadow Blast in white to the skin at the nose, cheeks and lips to add highlight, blending it into the foundation. “It makes them look almost unreal, like mannequins,” says Ducharme of the effect this creates. For a bit of contouring, she used Cover Girl Clean pressed powder. To the lips, she went avant garde, filling them in with two dark shades of Liquiline Blast (in Black and Grey). Read the rest of this entry

At David Dixon, hair and makeup was both very pretty, and very wearable.

Hair and makeup at David Dixon. Image by Noah Lehava

For makeup, skin was matte with some highlight at the cheekbones using eyeshadow in Morning Light (a favourite of Eddie Malter, Official Makeup Artist with L’Oreal). Eyebrows were made bolder with Wear Infinite eyeshadow in 821, while the lids were gilded with a touch of HIP eyeshadow in 538. A bit of eyeliner on the lower lash line and a quick sweep of mascara finished the eye look. Cheeks were played up with a pink blush in Sweet Blush in 820 while lips were given a matte pinkish look using L’Oreal Single eyeshadow in Golden Sunset 820.

For hair, the look was created by Dixon’s creative team using just a bit of styling wax and hairspray. The hair was first side parted with it coming over the forehead just slightly, and then swept into a low side ponytail, with it kept a bit loose, almost gaping a bit. The resulting style is put together, clean and simple.

Which look from LG Fashion Week was your favourite?

The look at Denis Gagnon is perhaps one of the quickest hair and makeup looks we’ve seen come together at fashion week – yet it’s as stunning as the other looks.

Hair at Denis Gagnon. Image by Noah Lehava

For hair, Gagnon wanted it to have a slept-in look so he asked for no product be used, but Eric Del Monaco, Official Hair Stylish and Colourist for L’Oreal, snuck in using some Mineral Wax to rough up the hair and give it some texture. He then swept the hair to one side, took an elastic and loosely looped the ends into it. The effect is airy and easy, and messily chic.

Makeup at Denis Gagnon. Image by Noah Lehava

For makeup, a similarly simple look was created. Eddie Malter, Official Makeup Artist for L’Oreal, applied Visible Lift foundation to the skin and contoured a bit with a face powder slightly darker than skin tone. For eyes, he simply applied some eyeshadow in Morning Light to highlight beneath the brow and at the lash line., using Wear Infinite in 821 in the crease. The focus at Gagnon was the bold red lip, achieved with Colour Riche in Real Red Lipstick 301.

What do you think of this simple look? Leave your comments below!

With the VAWK collection inspired by architecture and insects, we knew to expect fun things when it came to the hair and makeup looks.

Image by George Pimentel Photography

For the face, Eddie Malter, Official Makeup Artist for L’Oreal Paris, started with Visible Lift Smooth Absolute foundation (applying some on the lips as well) for a dewy complexion. Brows were filled in to keep them thick and structured. On the eyes, Malter used Infallible eyeshadow in Time Resist White 001 on the middle of the lid along the lash line and on the bottom lash line, smudging it out. Then using the gold shadow from Wear Infinite Eyeshadow Quad 823 he applied to the middle of the lid and into the crease, followed by Wear Infinite Eyeshadow Quad 821 (only the bottom two brown shades of the palette) to the eye contour and in the crease. For the lashes, he opted for Voluminous mascara, focusing on the outer lashes, brushing up and out . The eye look was then completed with Lineur Intense in Carbon Black drawn on in a straight line to the other third of the lower lash line. To contour the face, a face powder in a shade darker was swept on and then the lips were completed by simply brushing on a bit of highlight using the eyeshadow in Time Resist White at the cupid’s bow. And for the runway, over-the-top insect-like lashes made of thin strips of paper were glued to the lash line.

(Tip: while this look, minus the paper lashes, can be worn by just about everyone, Malter suggests that if you have fine lines around the eyes, to use the white eyeshadow underneath the eye sparingly and to opt for more of a matte shade – an iridescent one will highlight your wrinkles). Read the rest of this entry

Fresh and clean is what you can expect from the hair and makeup at Joe Fresh and the look last night was no exception – which we love as it’s totally wearable.

Fresh and easy hair at Joe Fresh. Image by Noah Lehava

Eric Del Monaco, L’Oreal Paris Official Hair Stylist and Colourist, was asked by the designer to use no product to keep the look fresh and sporty, so hair was simply brushed back into a natural ponytail (not too high or low) with the front given a short side part. If doing the look at home, he suggests giving your hair a fresh blow dry first to smooth out the cuticle. Read the rest of this entry

Backstage was awash in a sea of sexy Brigitte Bardot-inspired beauties before the Pink Tartan show last night – and there was much buzz over Andej Pejic presence (the male model walked the show and closed it walking hand in hand with Pink Tartan designer Kimberly Newport-Mimran).

Bedroom hair at Pink Tartan. Image by Noah Lehava

“Dirty, bedroom hair,” is how Eric Del Monaco, L’Oreal Paris Official Hair Artist and Colourist, describes the look. To get this hairstyle, he parted the hair in the centre and used a large barrel curling iron and worked on each section (three in the back in two panels, two on each side in two panels) at midshaft, wrapping the hair only in one twist around the barrel. Holding the twist in the curling iron for only 10 seconds, he also says that a light spritz of Elnett hairspray before curling each piece and then quickly applying the curling iron will give the best results (“If you wait too long, the product will evaporate and won’t hold the curl as well.”). After each section was curled, he had the models lean over to toss their hair down and then finger-brushed it out using some Studio Fix Architect Shine Wax he’d warmed in the palms of his hands. To complete the soft and messy hair look, with some more wax, he rubbed in circular motions at the roots of the hair. Read the rest of this entry

Healthy, shiny hair at Attitude by Jay Manuel. Image by Sam Santos

“Fresh, simple and beautiful,” says Eric Del Monaco of the hairstyle he created for Jay Manuel’s show. Hair was left with a natural part and using a large barrel curling iron, he made four long sections of curls in the back of the head, with two sections on each side of the head – starting the curl at about eye level. “It should look like the model’s been wearing a hat all dar that she’s pulled off,” he says. The look is inspired by the 70s, “but not as feathered and brushed out,” he says, noting that the curls were loosely finger brushed out and finished with a light spray of Elnett hairspry. Read the rest of this entry

Clean hair at Amanda Lew Kee. Image by Noah Lehava

Inspired by the designer’s “global citizen” (clothes includes prints of major cities including New York and Toronto), hair was kept clean and fresh, says Eric Del Monaco, creative director for hair at LG Fashion Week. Using just Elnett hairspray, hair was pulled back as tight as possible with the hairspray helping to keep flyaways in place into a ponytail and then wrapped into a neat, pretty bun. Read the rest of this entry