At Prabal Gurung's fall 2013 ready-to-wear show, women’s empowerment and what that means across several cultures—from the recent decision to open combat positions to female troops in the U.S. to Ukrainian female fighters challenging human trafficking—informed the mostly army-green collection and the beauty—right down to the fingertips.
Makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury conjured a fresh-faced complexion to make the models appear as though they “have been out in the country air.” “This is a gorgeous look to juxtapose with Prabal’s strong, military female,” she explained. Skin received a light touch, with MAC Studio Finish Concealer applied only where needed. Tilbury created a youthful flush by dabbing equal parts This Is Autumn, Red Statement and Rich New Mood lip hues from the MAC Fall 2013 Forecast Lip Palette onto the tops of cheeks using her fingertips and then blending outward. To make the cheek “ruddier,” she brushed on MAC Paint Stick in Deep Brown to “cut down the pinks and blue—it’s more natural-looking.” She accented eyelids with Deep Brown Paint Stick and kept lips practically bare with a blotting of MAC Lip Conditioner.
Hairstylist Paul Hanlon took his cue from the Ukrainian fighters, noting, “They’re hardcore; they’re very active women. They wouldn’t care about having their hair done.” Such a woman would sport a quick, spontaneous mane—something she tosses up out of necessity. To lend hair a weathered, lived-in appeal, Hanlon prepped it with Schwarzkopf Professional Osis+ Grip Volume Extreme Hold Mousse. “Then we’re power-drying the hair,” he said. Each model's entire head received a full bottle of Osis+ Dust It, which made hair “very powdery, matte and pliable." "It’s like she’s been sleeping outside and now has this wild texture,” Hanlon explained. For that organic, spontaneous feel, he used his fingers to rake hair back into a ponytail, tied the tail into various “shoelace knots,” and then sprayed the entire look with Osis+ Elastic Flexible Hold Spray. As a final subtle detail, Hanlon blasted the hairline with a blow-dryer so that the models appear “aerodynamic." "It looks like a photograph of a woman caught in motion,” he explained.
Manicurist Jin Soon Choi said of the nail look, “We want a design that shows power and strength, but also some vulnerability.” For strength, she painted a sharp, graphic chevron, yet whittled its shape into a skinny, more feminine triangle. “It’s more dramatic than the typical nail art chevron,” she said. To get the look, she first lacquered nails in one coat of flaxen gold Prabal Gurung for Sally Hansen Coat of Arms (available in the fall). Then she painted Prabal Gurung for Sally Hansen Loden Green (also available in the fall) in a diagonal swipe from the moon to the tip on both sides, creating her thin chevron.
Photos: Karie Frost
