Cleopatra-Esque Afro Bobs And Blinged-Out Nails At The Blonds Fall 2011
Call their fashion shows theatrical, over-the-top, outlandish, glamorous or even gimmicky, but Phillipe and David Blond won’t stand for you to describe any of their events as “safe” or “boring.” True to form, then, The Blonds‘ Fall 2011 show incorporates more glitter and Swarovski crystals than RuPaul’s stage garb, more psychedelic hues than a rendition of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This season, the duo derived inspiration from 1970s disco, the theatrical makeup seen in traditional Chinese opera, and the classic 1975 Diana Ross film Mahogany.
To accompany the glamorous-but-oddball fashions showcased, CND’s Kristina Estabrooks designed 22 different manicures, each corresponding to a specific look. One look consisted of glossy black nails with three googly eye details in a vertical row adorning each nail’s center (as shown above, fourth from top), while a different look featured coppery, rust-colored Swarovski crystals and crushed glass atop nails, followed by a decorative hand piece involving a swirling Chinese dragon that extended from the thumb to the pinkie (featured above, last). Some models even sported white nails with black lettering to spell out the phrase “You don’t have to be blonde to be a Blond,” positioned so as to resemble the strips of paper inside fortune cookies.
Models also sported glittery wigs shaped like blunt Cleopatra-style bobs and aerodynamic Afros, along with dramatic makeup ranging from fuchsia-colored cheeks to concealed brows for an alien-like effect, winged black liner, and brown lips with gold glitter at their center.
Makeup artist Kabuki led the MAC Cosmetics team backstage, creating three distinct looks, all heavy in color and sparkle.
The standout look of the three involved purple and fuchsia lids (as shown second from top) with winged liner for a bit of a Cleopatra, walk-like-an-Egyptian vibe. To create this look, Kabuki applied MAC’s Select Cover-Up Concealer to models’ brows, hence making these catwalk divas appear brow-less. Next, she applied MAC Lipmix in Fuchsia above the crease in a “C” shape, with more color deposited along the inner area, where the C’s arch began and less color brushed along the outer areas of the eys. Violet Pigment was then pressed onto lids. To finish the eye look, Kabuki applied MAC’s Fluidline gel liner in Blacktrack through the lashes, winging it out at the outer corners, and followed up by using the Engraved Power Point liner along the waterline of the lower lashes. Lips were a dramatic reddish copper color thanks to a combination of MAC Lipmix in Crimson and Lip Pencil in Mahogany. The theatrics came courtesy of the MAC Pro Red Glitter and MAC Pro Gloss Texture pressed onto the center of models’ pouts.
Another bling-y look created (shown in the picture at top, at far right) involved jeweled golden lids. For this particular look, Kabuki again started by using MAC’s Select Cover-Up Concealer to camouflage brows, making them appear non-existent. Next, she applied the Select Cover-Up Concealer as a foundation, brushing it onto the face the the 190 Foundation Brush and setting it with the MAC’s Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder and bending Mac Pro Lipmix in Fuchsia over cheeks. On eyes, Kabuki blended the NW45 concealer with MAC’s Embark Eye Shadow and swept these colors across the crease. Next, MAC’s Fluidline gel liner in Blacktrack was used to line eyes, with a winged shape created at the outer corners. To highlight eyes and add the necessary disco element, Kabuki applied MAC Pro Gold Metal Pigment mixed with MAC Pro Water Based Mixing Medium all over lids, providing a contrast between the gilded lids and the brown color along the crease. On lips, Kabuki used MAC Lipmix in Crimson and blended it with the Lip Pencil in Mahogany. The resulting reddish brown cream color was applied to lips in a rounded fashion to create a doll-like mouth.
Cue Chic’s “Le Freak” and let your inner diva shine with an attitudinal cross-pollination of James St. James flash and Cantonese opera drama.
