Lead artist Diane Kendal created a look that focused on luminous skin and contoured cheeks.

The inspiration for Thakoon Spring 2010 came from the idea of “samurai-meets-surfer.” The collection consisted of so many sharp edges and aqua-blues that Thakoon wanted the girls to look like warriors so that they could really wear and carry the strong clothing. With such bright colors, the goal was to keep the face a bit more monotone overall but still to impart strength around the eyes and cheekbones.

A very strong and luminous face is the key to getting this look right. “It’s a beach warrior look – surfer girl meets Seven Samurai,” explained Kendal. She used a minimal amount of makeup everywhere, but contoured the cheeks and kept the eye deeply set to convey an image of power through minimalism.

Are you feeling the face of Thakoon?

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Always among the hottest shows of the season, the Spring 2010 collection felt very punk rock and ’80’s with bright splashes of color.  So, Page focused primarily on the lips for the beauty look.

Models’ lips were prepped with Aquaphor (which I heart as a bedtime treatment!) before applying color to the lips. Next, Shiseido’s Perfect Rouge Lipstick in Fuschia (RS320) was applied, followed by a high pigment bright pink powder. The lips were completed with a dusting of Translucent Loose Powder.

Eyes were left completely natural. Page finished the look with Shiseido’s Natural Eyebrow Pencil if needed.

What do YOU think? Are you digging the M by MJ look for Spring 2010?

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For Spring 2010, the designer introduced a clean and sleek collection comprised of neutral, solid colors with post-modern touches. Lisa Butler’s approach to the makeup was to create a soft, subdued, and fresh look to complement the collection’s uncomplicated sophistication, “We wanted the girls to look as fresh and natural as possible,” said Butler.

To achieve this level of minimalistic elegance, Butler used the TEMPTU AIRbrush Makeup System, with the AIR Pod Highlighter in Champagne to add light and sheer accents underneath the brow bone, around the sides of the eyes, on top of the cheeks, and on the lips with a touch of clear mascara to lift the eyebrows. “Using airbrushing as an application technique really pulled the essence of natural beauty together,” said Butler. “It provides light, natural-looking coverage while adding dimension to the face.”

I must say, this look leaves me a little cold – it’s a bit too bare for anything but the runway.  Do you agree or am I totally off base?  Tell me what you think in the comments!

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The theme behind the collection was collage, with inspiration springing from the late works of Picasso and the Cubism period. The pieces look different from every angle leaving a sense of mystery to them, while remaining timeless. The same idea was applied to the makeup. An abundance of different textures- matte, sheer, shimmer and shine- were portrayed differently as the model moved around. The clothes, like the makeup, were meant to stimulate the senses, be emotional, and also to sympathize with current times.

The 3.1 phillip lim look was clean and textural, giving a sense that makeup is there but not detectable from the plain eye. “The idea is not to be harsh. The look is part sheer with shades of green, brown and lilac fading into each other” said Butler.

The key points include highlights of iridescence and gold to the cheekbones, light liner (almost invisible) and peach lips. “There is some shimmer so when the face moves around, the light really captures it. But there are no lines- no eye lines, no lip lines.”

What do you think of the 3.1 phillip lim face?

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The inspiration behind the collection came from Madame Butterfly. “I wanted to capture the real look of Japan, create layers and bits of origami,” said Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman. The whimsical creations based in sculpted layers balanced the soft, bare faces that were accentuated with long lashes.

Very simple, romantic and beautiful skin contoured with varying formulas. “We contoured the skin with matte and shimmery textures and added feathers to the eyes to provide dimension to the face,” explained Shobrook. A matte face was illuminated with a bit of shimmer. Feather lashes, custom created by NARS from the feathers on the Marchesa dresses, gave excitement to an otherwise simple look.

What do you think of the Marchesa Spring 2010 look?

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The models skin for Narciso Rodriguez was left as pure as possible, using very light foundation where needed.

For the eyes, Dick first applied a makeup remover around the eyes with a fluffy brush to give a wet base and slightly glossy effect around the eyes. He then blended two shades of the Luminizing Satin Eye Colors from the Fall 2009 Collection, Squirrel (BR303) and Cavern (BR708). He applied the combination of shadows around the eyes (on top and bottom), right into the lashlines. He then used this color on the lids to create “dirty looking eyes.” No mascara or liner was used.

To create a matte lip, Dick blended two shades from the new Perfect Rouge Glowing Matte line from the Spring 2010 collection. Whisper (RD722) and Wink (BR323) were combined to create a flat mauve color, ultimately yielding “smudgy lips”.

What do you think of the Narciso Rodriguez look? Is this too minimalist or just right?

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Image via Coutorture.com

The face of Erin Fetherston for Spring 2010 focused clearly on the eyes and was created by makeup artist Lucia Pica for MAC. I was lucky enough to be backstage at Milk Studios during the test (which is when the first model’s look is created as a template for the other artists) and Lucia shared her techniques in detail. Check out the YouTube video below and let me know what you think!

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Deborah was nice enough to chat with me for a few minutes about the Lela Rose look as well as some more general nail care tips. Check out the YouTube video below and let me know what you think!

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Here’s how you can get the look at home:

Doll Play: Big lashes are the look for Spring. Tina used Nyx Professional Makeup’s Doll Eye Mascara in Volume to create, big open eyes. For extra definition, the model’s eyes were lined with Nyx Professional Makeup’s Felt Tip Eyeliner in Black, with a sexy cat-eye swoop.

Candy-Colored Eyes: For eyes that popped on the runway, Tina created a colorful, fresh look using Nyx Professional Makeup’s Single Eyeshadows in three steps:

1) Eyelid – Sweep the White Pearl shadow up to the crease to make eyes pop

2) Crease – Use the Golden shade to highlight and add shimmer

3) Contour – Add definition above the crease to the brow bone with shadow in Burgundy Pearl

Get Cheeky: For a youthful, flushed pink cheek, Tina mixed Nyx Professional Makeup’s Rouge Cream Blush in Glow and Hot Pink to apples and contours of the cheek.

Bright Lips: To set off the playful look, Tina selected Nyx Professional Makeup’s Black Label Lipstick in Volcano – a bright, sunny coral shade.

What do you think of the Whitney Eve face for Spring 2010?  Would you wear this look in “real life”?

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1: Even the mightiest makeup warriors among us must battle shine at times.  The best weapon in my arsenal for this issue are Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets.  These are cheap and as far as I’m concerned, they perform better than all of the high end versions. Snag them at drugstores or via drugstore.com.

2: Brows are important on any given day but during Fashion Week, they’re essential to a polished look.  While I do leave my unruly Italian brows to the professionals (I heart Ramy and Damone Roberts), I also feel more secure with a trusty pair of tweezers in my bag.  A stylish option are the new special edition Tweezerman, featuring Agatha Ruiz De La Prada designs. They’re whimsical and fun but most importantly, they get the job done (hey, that rhymes!)

3: Pucker up, New York Fashion Week involves lots of kisses – hello and of course, goodbye.  A gorgeous colored balm will keep your lips happy AND pretty.  Try tucking a wee tub of Korres Lip Butter in your Balenciaga.  These lippies deliver a nice dose of shine, color and moisture, with no mirror necessary for application!

4: Horror of horrors, Fashion Week involves many of these unusual gatherings called PARTIES.  They frequently end in the wee hours and yes, champagne is served.  For those early morning backstage appointments (call times are frequently at 7:00 am for 9:00 am shows!), snag a bottle of Rohto Eye Drops. These cooling drops alleviate redness and soothe eyes, a worthy expense.

5: Last but not least, concealer is always an essential. My recent love is tarte’s Dark Circle Defense. It blends easily and provides fab coverage.

I hope it goes without saying that regardless of whether you’ll be joining me in the Tents, the picks above are great choices to keep in your car, your desk or your purse for quick touch ups.

Tell me, what are your makeup bag essentials?

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