Carefree Wavy Hair, Glowing Skin, and Galactic, Glittery Lips at Rodarte AW14
I’ve been starving to behold some truly innovative, exhilarating beauty looks during New York Fashion Week AW14 — and, after countless shows in which models wore no lipstick, only a touch of eyeliner, and sheer pink or beige nails, I finally got my wish with the cosmic-inspired makeup at the Rodarte AW14 show. Designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy unveiled an extremely personal collection on Tuesday, February 11th, one informed by memories of their upbringing in the early ’80s, of the fashions they flaunted as children, the posters plastered on their bedroom walls, the TV shows and films they referenced in conversation, and the accessories they swooned over in delight. There’s an inherent nostalgia to the designs and a childlike sense of whimsy — evident in the variegated turtlenecks they layered under striped off-the-shoulder tops with peplum hemlines, the glittery shawls and berets that accentuated so many looks, the smocked dresses they made feel more grown up via batwing sleeves or long skirts made of delicate chiffon, the trousers with paper bag waists, the metallic coats with shearling collars, and the sci-fi-gone-glam gowns that closed the show, all of which incorporated classic artwork from the original Star Wars films.
To bring home the carefree innocence of childhood, renowned hairstylist Odile Gilbert, working on behalf of John Frieda Hair Care, created a look that emphasized youthfulness but also felt vaguely nostalgic. Models had long manes, their strands sweeping the bottom of their backs for a Lady Godiva-worthy effect. The wavy look of the hair hearkened back to the scenes of Princess Leia on the forest moon of Endor, when she finally removed the elastics and pins, ditched the donut buns, and let her mane down. Considering the role George Lucas’ films played in the Mulleavy sisters’ design process, a hairstyle that subtly referenced 1983’s Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi seems brilliant.
When creating the look, Gilbert started by coating models’ hair with the John Frieda Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner to hydrate strands. Next, she pulled the hair into two sections and created two long braids, blow drying the hair while it remained within these braids so as to create a wavy texture. Once hair was dry, Gilbert undid the braids and worked the John Frieda Frizz Ease Unwind Curl Calming Crème through strands so as to give the waves a less structured, more relaxed feel. She then took a piece from the side, twisted it, and pulled it to the back of the head, securing this twisted section of hair with pins and with a butterfly-adorned barrette created by the Rodarte designers. Last, she spritzed the John Frieda Luxurious Volume All-Day Hold Hairspray all over the hair so as to give it flexible hold.
The makeup look for the show, meanwhile, was nostalgic in a completely different way, one that emphasized the exuberance of the ’80s and which seemed to convey a cosmic magic. James Kaliardos led the NARS Cosmetics team backstage, creating a look that emphasized glowing skin and high-impact, glittery lips.
To create the look, Kaliardos prepped the skin by infusing it with moisture, massaging the NARSskin Luminous Moisture Cream onto models’ faces to give their complexions a dewy glow. Next, he applied the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in the shade corresponding to each model’s skin tone. To diminish the appearance of any dark under-eye circles and erase any blemishes, he dabbed on the Radiant Creamy Concealer. Next, he mattefied the skin by dusting on the NARS Pressed Powder. To give the cheeks a flushed look, he brushed on the NARS Unlawful Blush (new for Fall 2014), a warm coral hue with a golden shimmer to it. He then worked in the NARS Anguilla Multiple .
On eyes, Kaliardos used the chocolate brown color within the NARS Dolomites Duo Eyeshadow (new for Fall 2014) all over the lids, extending the color all the way to the brow and brushing a tiny bit of color underneath the lower lash line. To give lashes more depth, he brushed on two coats of the NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara. Brows were given greater definition by brushing on the chocolate side of the Dolomites Duo Eyeshadow into any sparse areas and then brushed brows upwards and locked them in place with the NARS Brow Gel.
Two different lips were created for the show: one a shimmering metallic pink and another a shimmering maroon-ish hue. To create the lighter lip look, Kaliardos used the NARS El Agua Velvet Lip Liner Pencil (new for Fall 2014), a warm rosy shade, and followed with the Dominique Audacious Lipstick (new for Fall 2014), a pink guava hue. He then dabbed the Anguilla Matte Multiple atop the lips. For the darker lip look, Kaliardos started by filling in lips with the NARS Mambo Eyeliner, a rich chocolate brown, and then layered the NARS Deborah Audacious Lipstick (new for Fall 2014), a neutral pink chocolate, atop it. He finished the look with the NARS Rouge Tribal Larger Than Life Lip Gloss, a super shiny, metallic burgundy gloss.
