Indigo Eyes, Muted Lips, and Adorned Updos at Jason Wu Fall 2013
One of the most pervasive beauty trends identified during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2013 has been the abundance of bold, smoky, somewhat cat-shaped eyes in deep shades of indigo blue, cobalt, and violet. It was, of course, the defining aspect of the beauty look created for Jason Wu’s highly-regarded Fall 2013 show, which included a plethora of dresses and separates that oozed femininity and sensuality without being exploitative, instead exuding a sense of confidence, in a color palette that consisted mainly of black, white and gray, with the occasional pop of crimson red, golden bronze, or cobalt blue (as with the stunning finale look).
British-born makeup artist Diane Kendal led the Lancôme team backstage at the Jason Wu Fall 2013 show, held on Friday, February 8th, just as snowstorm Nemo began barreling down on the Northeast. Kendal’s vision worked perfectly with Jason Wu’s collection as it prioritized a smoky but vibrant indigo eye paired with muted cheeks and lips, a look that worked with Wu’s own designs, which included structured pieces like a black satin coat with fur-covered flap pockets or a waist-length satin jacket with military-style buttons and epaulets softened via fur trim along the waistline, a leather vest with overlapping, shawl-like flaps along the front and gray fur along the shoulders, as well as form-fitting dresses with pleated skirts for a distinctly feminine but powerful feel.
To create the look, the Lancôme teams tarted by applying the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation ($45 at Lancome-USA.com) to models’ skin for a lightweight, natural-looking coverage. Next, they contoured the face, using the Lancôme Blush Subtil three-part palette, which incorporates a bronzer, blush color, and highlighter. Kendal and her team relied on several Blush Subtil ($42 at Lancome-USA.com) color options (among them 323 Rose Flush and 126 Nectar Lace), applying the desired bronzer color beneath cheekbones, then sweeping a peachy pink hue along the cheekbone are, concentrating on the apples of the cheeks, and finishing up with a touch of highlighter at the top of the cheekbones.
The eyes were, of course, the biggest labor of love. To create the smoky indigo blue cat eye, Kendal and her team started by lining eyes with the Lancôme Le Crayon Kôhl in Purple Dusk ($26 at Lancome-USA.com), then filling in the entire lid with this shade and lining the lower lash line, connecting the lines drawn along the upper lashline and lower lash lines at the outer corners to create the desired cat eye shape. Next, Diane applied an indigo-colored powder eyeshadow from Jason Wu’s upoming Lancôme collection, sweeping the color over the pencil drawn atop lids and blending the outer edges to soften the overall effect. To add a bit of shimmer and make eyes appear fuller, she then applied the Lancôme Color Design Infinité 24H Eye Shadow in Vibrant Violet ($24.50 at Lancome-USA.com) to the center of lids and, using the Lancôme Liner Design Long Wear Calligraphy Gel Eyeliner in Violista ($24.50 at Lancome-USA.com), gently traced the upper lash line, creating as thin a layer as possible. Last, she curled models’ lashes using Lancôme’s Le Curler Effortless Lash Design Curler ($23 at Lancome-USA.com) and applied the Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Mascara in Excessive Black ($27 at Lancôme-USA.com).
Since the eye look was so vibrant and powerful, Kendal kept the lip look minimalist, choosing to neutralize lips by coating them with a touch of foundation and then applying a hint of lip balm to give them a healthy and moisturized appearance while retaining their muted, matte look.
The final makeup was dramatic and sultry but elegant, a feeling that was intensified by the utter sophistication of the hair look: an embellished updo created by Odile Gilbert of Kérastase.
To create the hair look, Odile and the Kérastase hair team started by dampening models’ tresses and creating a center part, then dividing the hair into three sections: two sections along the front of the head, on either side of the center part, extending from the ears to the hairline, and one large section along the back. The top part of the back section, meanwhile, was brushed back and gathered into a loose back section, then worked into a roll at the very bottom, pinning the ends to the anchor braid
Next, they grasped the section of hair along the back and divided it horizontally. Spritzing the Kérastase Ciment Thermique to the bottom section of the hair at the back, they then created a tight braid and wrapped it around the back of the head, pinning it so that it would serve as the anchor for the hair style. The top part of the back section, meanwhile, was brushed back and worked into a roll right at the nape of the neck, so that the hair ends were tucked underneath the anchor braid and pinned in place.
Working their way up to the front left section of the hair, the hair styling team again applied the Ciment Thermique and Double Force Controle Ultime Hair Spray and pulled this straightened, approximately 2″ inch-wide section toward the right side at a diagonal angle, pinning it into place beneath the anchored braid. The process was repeated with the front right section of hair, so that these two sections created a graphic “X” shape along the back.
To adorn this “X” shape at the top of the roll, stylists then placed two silver-toned barrettes to create a diagonal line atop one of the criss-crossed sections of har, Finally, they added a bit of shine to the front of the head with the Kérastase Elixir Ultime Moringa Immortel oil and sprayed the entire head with Double Force Controle Ultime to ensure long-lasting hold.
