FASHION Magazine

Usually when you picture a ‘downtown girl’ you imagine mussed hair, probably toped with a black toque and slept-in eyeliner that somehow only looks better as the day goes on. Kaelen Haworth’s eponymous line—known for its effortless-yet-edgy aesthetic—usually stays away from such a look, keeping her models fresh faced. But for Fall 2014, the Kaelen collection had a distinctly more feminine feel, which called for a beauty change up.

For hair, this meant a subtle updo that had DIY appeal. It should “look like she dragged [the hair] back herself,” said Pantene consulting stylist Justin German of the half-updo style. After prepping hair with Pantene Pro-V Volume Root Lifting Spray Gel and a soon-to-be-released dry shampoo from Pantene, German teased the top section slightly before pulling hair back into a ponytail, securing it in place with a couple of exposed bobby pins. Tightness was not the name of the game, as per the designer’s desire for ease and edge.

If Bellavance designers Nolan Bellavance and Ava Hama had told us that of-the-moment pop star Lorde was the beauty inspiration for their Fall 2014 show, we’d make no objections. At last night’s presentation at The ShOws, dark lipstick à la the New Zealand singer’s signature look was the biggest beauty statement. “She’s kind of this girl that’s breaking out from the mould—so instead of that classically beautiful like bare face, she’s gonna go strong, deep with a colour that you’re not naturally drawn to,” said Cover Girl makeup pro Veronica Chu of the deep-plum lipstick with a distinct brown undertone.

See Rita’s top nail trends for Fall 2014 »

Now that fashion month has come to a close, one thing is clear: the nail polish. (See what we did there?) While bright colours and crazy patterns have dominated runways season after season, this year it seems that nail trends are starting to lean in a much more minimalist direction. Helping lead this neutral nail charge is Essie Canada’s lead nail artist, Rita Remark. She’s not only responsible for all the upcoming nail looks at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, but just returned from doing nails at NYFW for designers such as DKNY and Jill Stuart. So who better to advise on the colours, textures and top coats you’ll want to wear come fall, as well as what’s on trend right now? Read on for Rita’s backstage intel—and if you’re like us, you’ll most likely be reaching for a nail polish bottle before you get to the end!




It’s all about the statement eye in Paris. Leading the charge—as usual—is Pat McGrath, whose latex-painted eye launched a thousand Instagrams from backstage at Dior this morning. If you’re as obsessed with glitter as we are, you know that the beauty at Dior is the place to be (hello, lover) and the two eye looks she created for Fall 2014 certainly surpassed our expectations.

The first was a shimmering assortment of “urban khaki” shades, applied heavily to the upper lid with just a trace trailing down from the inner eye. But the second look—the blue!—was the standout. According to Allure, McGrath traced the shape first with eyeliner, then applied latex makeup paint topped with a shimmer. Eyelashes were also painted with a matching blue mascara. This thick, vibrant-blue look makes us want to start mixing our own makeup mediums, pronto.

However, if bright blue glitter isn’t your thing, you can still get in on the statement eye trend with the looks from Dries Van Noten and Lanvin.

See the top beauty trends for Spring 2014 »

Ready to refresh your makeup bag? The beauty trends for Spring 2014 are all about colour, texture and letting your skin shine. Gone are last season’s moody berry shades, deep lips and velvet skin finishes. For Spring 2014, the top beauty trends include popsicle-orange lips, eyeshadows in every pastel shade under the sun and a whole lotta love for gold pigments. For those less inclined to pile on the product, good news: the no makeup makeup look is also trending this season.

Spring’s molten-gold eye makeup trend is moving in a different direction for Fall 2014—like, literally moving across your face. It started in London at Simone Rocha, with M.A.C makeup artist Sam Bryant applying gold leaf to models’ foreheads. The look was intended to be haphazard, with some models getting “gold sweat beads” and others having more of a “full-on effect.” Should you want to try this look at home, proceed carefully: “Bryant said the leaf is so delicate that no one can breathe on it, and if the girl’s skin is too hot it won’t stay,” reported WWD.

A more DIY-friendly approach to the forehead-anointing trend was spotted this weekend in Milan. Ten models at the Emilio Pucci Fall 2014 show were given a splash of gold above their brows and down the bridge of their noses.

Some of New York Fashion Week’s best beauty moments have come from the models themselves—here are the faces that stood out backstage this season.

Seeing Redheads
Redheads always stand out but they’ve been extra visible this week. We saw tomato ketchup-redhead Natalie Westling at Vera Wang, Prabal Gurung, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs—the 17-year-old skater told us she’d dyed it for the spring Marc Jacobs campaign, which she appears in alongside Miley Cyrus. (The red was covered up at the actual Marc Jacobs show, though, under one of the pale, “off-colour” wigs dyed to resemble an “old-lady rinse” by colourist Victoria Hunter of Whittemore Salon in New York, and cut by Guido Palau).

One of the best things about going backstage at New York fashion week is seeing what the top makeup artists and hairstylists are using in their kits. It’s often a sneak peek at products not yet on shelves, or uncommon tools they’ve found on their travels. Here, five of the best products we’ve spied backstage this week at the Fall 2013 shows:

The eyes, hair and nails have been making most of the beauty statements so far on the Fall 2014 runways at New York Fashion Week. Here are our favourite looks and the top beauty trends so far:

Russet lipstick as eyeshadow at Helmut Lang
Helmut Lang’s textured, masculine collection was complemented with a simple, pared down face punctuated by a soft wash of lustrous burgundy on the eye. “It’s very minimal and clean but with a hint of punk,” said lead artist Hannah Murray, who painted Nars lipstick in “Deborah Audacious” (coming this fall) onto the eye and pressed “Heat” bronzing powder over it to set. She skipped eyeliner, mascara and brow colour, and kept the under-eye area clean to avoid a “pink-eye” effect.

See more backstage photos from Chanel Couture Spring 2014 »

The return of glitter makeup is a beauty trend we’ve been eagerly anticipating. While it may never again be as ubiquitous as it was in the ’90s (thumbs up emoji for the scented glitter rollerball glory days of Claire’s Accessories) whenever glitter comes down a runway, it’s GAME ON for the tubs of iridescent goodies we’ve been secretly hoarding for years.

As such, cue the beauty look from this morning’s Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2014 show. It’s glitter makeup at its best: a perfect mix of translucent silver, opalescent and rainbow-tinted pieces. Paired with a heavy cat-eye liner (courtesy Ligne Graphique de Chanel in “Noir-Noir” and Le Crayon Khôl in “Clair”) this glitter look is very editorial and totally easy to emulate. Basically, it’s going to be on our faces in a matter of days and no one will think we’re going to a rave.

See the backstage beauty report for Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 »

For Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013, the divine beauty look complemented the religious iconography that inspired the collection. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana blessed their designs with elaborate motifs from the mosaics in Sicily’s Cathedral of Monreale. “We love the contrast it creates with the sensuality and the passion of the Dolce & Gabbana woman,” says Gabbana. Hair was backcombed for extra volume volume and gathered at the nape of the neck for what Guido Palau described as “natural Italian allure.”

The allure continued with the makeup, inspired by the country’s iconic screen siren, Sophia Loren. Pat McGrath paid homage with a classic cat eye and bold brow. As for the ultra-rich red lips, two shades of lipstick were mixed to create a custom hue and applied overtop a base of ruby-red pencil. Finally, the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 beauty look became a complete sensory experience with a few spritzes of the label’s latest scent, Intense. “Every time we go to Sicily, we are overwhelmed by the smell of the land,” says Dolce. “Flowers of every kind mix with the notes of the sea to create a unique bouquet.”

Given the bone-chilling temperatures of late, a reminder of what’s to come in spring is always welcome. At last night’s Greta Constantine Spring 2014 presentation the beauty look had warmer weather in mind—but with a slight après-ski twist. Models had glistening skin and wet hair, designed to look like they had just stepped out of a steamy hot tub.

The man behind the hair was, believe it or not, one half of the Greta design duo: Stephen Wong. After completely drenching models’ hair with water he applied a handful of Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam ($17, at salons) to the roots and raked it through to ends. This step was repeated twice to give hair a very product-heavy, flattened appearance. To further emphasis the slick, wet look, Wong applied a quarter-size of Redken Diamond Oil Shatterproof Shine Intense hair oil ($40, at salons) directly to the roots. He then brushed hair back and pinned the sides flat to the head. A heavy coat of Redken 23 Forceful Super Strength Finishing Spray ($17, at salons) kept everything in place. Before the show began, Wong removed the clips from the sides of the hair and gave it another spritz to complete the fresh-out-of-water look.