Horsing Around — The Hair And Makeup At Vena Cava’s Fall/Winter 2010 Show

My absolute favorite makeup and hair look thus far were conceived for the Vena Cava Fall/Winter 2010 show held yesterday afternoon at Milk Studios in New York City. Once again this year, MAC key makeup artist Lloyd Simmonds masterminded the makeup worn by the models. According to Simmonds, the look was inspired by the idea of a woman who has been riding her horse all day in rather chilly weather, giving her cheeks (and her face, in general) a sun-kissed look that’s a bit harsher and slightly more jarring than the kind of bronzed glow you’d get from doing the same sort of activity on a warm summer day. And, of course, since the woman in this tale been exercising all day, her face looks a bit sweaty and dewy. Upon coming home, then, she decides to go into town and so, after her long day horseback riding, she dashes to put on some bright lipstick, and dashes back out.

To get the look, Simmonds and his team used MAC Taupe Pro Blush through the crease of the eye, then swept MAC Style Predator eye shadow over the whole eye, finishing the look off by adding MAC Pro Shine Wax on the center and inner corner of the eyes to give them a dewy quality and a healthy glow. Lastly, he applied black mascara on the lashes for volume and depth. Similarly, Simmonds used the same cream blush and shadow for the cheeks, but added an orange shade that will be released in the Fall, which is tentatively called October Sky. After blending these three hues together, he applied a bit to the nose, to the forehead, along the apples of the cheek, and a touch on the chin.Simmonds gave the models vermilion colored lips using MAC Pro Pigment in Red, applying the pigment very precisely so as to create that dramatic contrast between the precisely designed pout and the messy, sweaty quality of the face and eyes.

Ted Gibson, meanwhile, also worked to give the models an equestrian-inspired look. In Gibson’s story, this same women, who has been riding her horse all day, her long hair sweeping in the wind like Lady Godiva, then decides to go home and put her hair back, so she reaches for a leather band and ties her hair back in a low ponytail. But, since she’s got this downtown vibe, her hair has an unexpected touch — a streak of bold color. Gibson used hair extensions in emerald green, hot pink, and purple, picking one color for each model and weaving it into the long hair in the ponytail. To recreate the look at home, he suggests using Streekers and simply applying some of their bright, washable color to a section of your hair.

Lastly, the models wore a purple nail color custom made by Butter London for the Vena Cava show. The color is a mix of a dark vamp color, some purple tones, and a white pigment that gives the shade an interesting filmy quality. The Vena Cava team dubbed the color “Marrow” and, while there’s no official word on whether it will be available for customers come Fall 2010, Butter London founder Nonie Creme told us there’s a good chance she might produce it as a limited edition. Score!

Check out the photos below!

Want more? Peep this video of Ted Gibson discussing the hair looks for the day, and this clip of Nonie Creme talking about how she worked with the Vena Cava designers to create the unique nail color used in the show.

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NAILS