Wavy Strands, Wine-Stained Lips, and Pale Pink Nails at Naeem Khan SS15
When Naeem Khan was conceptualizing his Spring 2015 collection, the lauded fashion designer kept picturing his late friend, the husky-voiced, sultry actress Lauren Bacall. As the collection evolved, however, it grew into another phenomenon, but there were still tinges of that original Bacall inspiration — and the makeup and hair looks created for the accompanying runway show similarly paid homage to the screen idol. As such, both the hair and makeup nodded to old Hollywood glamour but modernized these notions by being a bit more undone and relaxed. The slightly more laid-back version was meant to mimic some of the slightly sportier clothes Khan incorporated into the collection — among them separates like blazers and tank tops.
NARS Director of Global Artistry James Boehmer, then, created a makeup look for the Naeem Khan Spring 2015 runway show that involved a fleshy eye look with a touch of gloss, fresh skin, and a stained lip. First, Boehmer applied the NARSSkin Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-Free Moisturizer to make skin look dewy and supple, then applied the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer to cover up under-eye circles and blemishes, and proceeded to smooth on the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer to offer natural-looking coverage and make skin look glow-y and healthy. Then, to sculpt the face ever so slightly, he used the Cappadoce Matte Multiple across models’ cheekbones and then, on cheeks, he brushed on the darker shade in the NARS Fervor Dual Intensity Blush (new for Spring 2015), a dusty plum rose hue, just to create a slight flushed effect, keeping the color on the center of the face. Right before models hit the runway, he dabbed on a bit of Smith’s Rosebud Salve along the high point of the cheeks, as you would a highlighter, to give them a gleamy finish.
Eyes were sculpted with the Cappadoce Matte Multiple, a golden bronze hue, and then topped with the NARS Zen Blush, a neutral beige color, to give the lids a fleshy look that was just a bit darker than the models’ natural skin color. To give the eyes a bit more definition, Boehmer used the Coconut Grove Matte Eyeshadow along the outer corners of eyes and also lightly brushed the color under the lower lashline. Numerous coats of the NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara were applied to lashes until the mascara looked a bit lived-in and slightly dirty. Last, when the models were ready to walk down the runway, Boehmer dabbed a the NARS Triple X Lip Gloss atop eyelids to give the eyes a bit of shine.
As for the lips, Boehmer created a stained look using the Ingrid Audacious Lipstick, applying the wine shade only to the center of the pout and using an eyeshadow brush to diffuse the color and smooth it onto the outer edges, patting the lips with fingers until the color seemed to seep into the skin.
Celebrity hair stylist Sally Hershberger complemented the smoldering but subdued makeup look with soft waves reminiscent of old Hollywood sirens. Hershberger wanted to create a young and sexy look, slightly evocative of Brigitte Bardot, by letting hair down and creating a center part, which she felt emphasized youthfulness. To achieve the look, she applied the Sally Hershberger Shagg Style Primer, a mousse, to models’ strands while the hair was still wet so as to give it more grip, then rough drying strands. While hair was damp, she sprayed the Sally Hershberger Supreme Lift Root Spray at the root of each section of hair, thereby giving strands more volume, and blow dried each section. The hair was then carefully divided into sections and each piece was curled with a 1 1/4″ curling iron so as to give strands a nice bend instead of a seamless wave. Each section was then clipped in place in order to set the desired shape. Last, she sprayed the Sally Hershberger Major Body 3-in-1 Volumizing Spray to give the hair hold and just a touch of shine, removed the clips, and brushed out the strands to create the downtown-y waves.
Nails, meanwhile, were manicured to look pretty and neat without being too glamorous or uptown. Julie Kandalec, in collaboration with Essie, created the nail look for the show, which involved two coats of the Essie Fiji nail lacquer, a creamy pale pink shade.
Check out our behind-the-scenes interview with James Boehmer (embedded above) and browse through all the photos for more backstage action!
