Prabal Gurung Fall 2014 On the heels of
last season’s preserved beauty, I rolled up my sleeves in anticipation for the beauty look at
Prabal Gurung this season. Which is actually a lie as it’s pretty freakin’ freezing down here in NYC, so much so that people are still wearing their toques backstage even as they’re being blasted by hair dryers. Nonetheless, the designer was feeling inspired by his home and native land, Nepal (which also tends to be quite chilly at times). After a recent trip there, he felt inspired by the windburned cheeks and the smooth hair texture of the local women. Hairstylist Paul Hanlon created drapey ponytails with a "natural straight" texture with control around the roots. He wanted the hair to have a touchable quality when it was coming down the runway. To achieve it, he used CHI Volume Booster and dried hair with the DURA CHI Professional Dryer (launching later this year) to flatten the hair. He followed with the (classic) CHI Silk Infusion from mid-length to ends for moisture and shine, then tucked hair behind the ears and twisted into a loose knot. Some of the models had their hair tucked under the loop of the stunning saber tooth necklaces; others wore a loose ponytail.  
 
Over in makeup land, Diane Kendal (above) for M.A.C Cosmetics told us Gurung was also inspired by the painter Cecily Brown (particularly her colour palettes) which lead her to execute a "beautiful flushed cheek" uding M.A.C Full Coverage Foundation. She brushed up brows, "filling them in slightly" and applied M.A.C Coffee Walnut Sculpting Cream in the contour of the eye with a fluffy brush. She finished by curling the lashes the lashes and tracing the inside of the eye with a white eyeliner. Lips were dabbed with conditioner and a touch of foundation to tone down the models’ natural lip colour. Kendal referenced "raw beauty", a phrase she tends to use quite frequently—likely because it’s become part of her own personal brand as a makeup artist. She manages to make girls look dewy and flawless with very little makeup.
photo (5) Here’s Malaika Firth, with her makeup freshly touched up by Diane Kendal (all models must go through the lead artist for approval before they change into their clothes). She’s one of ELLE Canada’s favourite models. Check out our March 2014 Trend Report for more details on this Kenyan beauty queen. For more backstage scoop, follow me on instagram at
instagram.com/kflemming.