NY Fashion Week F/W 09
ALU at NYFW – Backstage at Thakoon
 Backstage at Thakoon was a madhouse. We all played the hurry up and wait game to get our interviews in but it was worth it. The designer’s “it” factor has been on the rise after dressing the First Lady for the Democratic National Convention last year so it’s no wonder. His designs brought Anna Wintour, Nina Garcia and Amanda Peet down to the Meatpacking district to check out the line.
Of course, CND was on the scene with another fab custom tip design. We’re talking french-inspired moon manicures. |
The base color is a custom blend CND is calling “Beige Kiss” with Voodoo hand painted on top. That’s right, I said hand painted. Instead of taking the easy way out with an airbrusher, Kristina Baune and Shelena Robinson spent 6-7 hours at the CND production suite to create all the tips. Beige Kiss Recipe: Really strong eyebrows were paired with a soft, smudgy brown/black eye. Skin was left dewy (Sheer Glow foundation) with warm coral blush (Gilda) and muted, moisturized lips. No mascara. Strong yet soft and pretty. Eugene Souleiman created the hair which was all sleek, smooth and shiny in the front, messily pulled up in the back. After creating a deep side part, the hair was gathered into low side pony. He then teased, twisted and pinned it low on the back of the head, roughing it up to give the look texture.
CND’s Wanda Ruiz told me that the look they were going for was “Late 30s, early 40s when ladies were very glamourous.” They brought the look up to date with a more three dimensional, architectural look using the deep black as contrast.
A little more than half a bottle of Romantique
A 1/8 of a bottle of Cocoa
A little less than a 1/8 of a bottle of Retro White
6 drops of Hot Pop Yellow
The makeup look was created by Diane Kendal for NARS. She was given the direction, “40s, 80s and a little bit rock n roll,” so her focus went straight to the eyes. Diane believes in the adage that you focus on one feature, eyes or lips, so for Thakoon it was all about the eyes.
#NYFW
ALU at NYFW – Backstage at Vena Cava
 Unlike traditional runway shows, presentations give you the opportunity to examine the clothes, makeup, hair and nails up close. We were fortunate to be able to attend the Vena Cava presentation at NYFW after our visit backstage. As much as I love getting the opportunity to check out the pre-show action and learn about the products and techniques used to create the models’ looks, it’s amazing getting to see the finished creations in person.
Like my FW blogging partner in crime, Jamie, I loved everything about the Vena Cava show. The sleek sided poufed-up hair, the downtown edgy vibe of the clothes, the bold pop of eye color and most importantly the GREEN nails. Get all the deets after the jump! |
Nonie applied a custom solution over the polish to mattify the color, giving it a murky look. It’s not a completely flat finish, it just reduces the sparkle. I wonder if this “solution” will eventually appear as a matte/satin top coat in the butter London line. Hair guru Ted Gibson gave the girls what he calls a “rockabilly chic” hairstyle. It’s an update on what you think of as an 80s pompadour. He used his own Fix It gel to slick back the sides, a little backcombing and Tame It shine lotion to create texture on top and Beautiful Hold hairspray to keep it in place. Don’t forget to check The Beauty of Life for more New York Fashion Week coverage. #NYFW
The fabulous green tips are the creation of Nonie Creme, Creative Director of butter London. To complement the hunter green fabric in the collection, this new butter London polish, dubbed British Racing Green, will be released this fall.
Vincent Longo created the bold makeup concept highlighted with a vibrant orange lined eye.
ALU at NYFW – Backstage at threeASFOUR
 One of the most unique nail looks I spotted during NYFW was at the threeASFOUR show. Wanting something abstract, CND’s Roxanne Valinoti worked with the designers to conceptualize a geometric and unique nail look to complement the otherworldy look of the line. These nails aren’t for the faint of heart. They’re definitely more catwalk friendly.
Get the look: Apply 1-2 coats of CND Ridge Out under one coat of Serenity. Use a #000 (i.e. very fine) nail art brush and black polish (paint was used for time) to draw a precise triangle at the nail base (lunela). |
ALU at NYFW – Blow Salon, A Fashion Week Savior
As I type this, I am sitting in the O’Hare airport in Chicago. My two hour direct flight home has been turned into a ten hour debacle that now has me cursing American Airlines. I’m sick as a dog; chills, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, etc. My feet have mutinied after a week of trekking all over New York (I only took cabs when absolutely necessary). The only light at the end of this nasty day is that my hair looks fabulous! My nose may be red and sore but I’ve got shiny, bouncy locks working for me.
You see, a few days back I visited Blow Salon on the Upper East Side to treat myself to a blowout, the appropriately named Blow’s specialty. Considering how much I dread blow drying my hair (it takes forev & a day) and after listening to Jamie from The Beauty of Life rave about their services, I trucked on over for a little pampering mid-Fashion Week.
Hear more about my experience and see the fantastic results, after the jump!
After having my hair curled within an inch of my life at a fashion week beauty suite, I woke up Wednesday morning to some kind of Shirley Temple wig on my crown. It was not pretty. Unfortunately, we had an early morning backstage so I had to rock a ponytail that looked straight out of Bring It On. Way perkier than I felt. So on my way back from the tents, I decided to bite the bullet and call Blow to see if they could fit me in. Two hours later I was relaxing in a chair, having my hair shampooed, conditioned and blown out to perfection.
Seriously girls, as much as I love my stylist back home, I have never had a more fabulous blow out in my lifetime. I about died when I saw how fantastic it looked. Realize, I don’t mean that in an egotistical way, I just love hair and never feel like mine is totally perfect. On Wednesday, that magic moment occurred. Just check out the results.
I said I wanted shiny, bouncy, slightly wavy results and that’s exactly what I got. The only product used, a generous amount of Blow’s own Heat Is On protective styling mist. Oh and I picked up a fun trick as well.
Tip: Using a vented round brush, blow dry individual sections, like all the beauty experts tell you. Except right before you set the piece down, you wrap it into a spiral away from your face to give it a great wave. You’ll be amazed at the results!
Blow has two locations in NYC, Uptown at Lexington and 64th and Downtown on W. 14th St between 8th & 9th. Blow dry prices range from $40-60 depending on hair length and texture (mine was $50). If you’re in NYC or planning a visit, I highly suggest you check Blow out. #NYFW
ALU at NYFW – Backstage at Karen Walker
 For Fall/Winter 09, Karen Walker dubbed her collection “She’s Cracked.” Inspired by cracked china, CND created two dusty bluish grays for Karen to choose from. See both shades and get a close up look at the chosen one, after the jump. |
As you can see in the image to the left, there were two shades worked up for Karen’s collection. Both are made from Voodoo, Cream Puff and Hot Pop Blue but it’s the ratio of Voodoo to Hot Pop Blue that makes the difference. Karen selected the dirty gray over the dusty blue because it looks more like the cracked edge of a piece of china. Makeup artist Maxine Leonard gave the girls a clean, pretty not overly done face with a creamy coral/orange lip while Rolando Beauchamp for Bumble and bumble created a low slung pony with wispy side pieces.
CND Educator Angi Wingle was the team lead backstage at Karen Walker. She told us that even though a majority of the models would be wearing gloves, Karen still wanted all the nails lacquered. So Angi and her team relied on Speedy top coat to set the color without smuding.
#NYFW
Lisa N.
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Birdie
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