FASHION Magazine

See the full backstage gallery from Tanya Taylor Fall 2013 »

If you’re a fan of loose curls and beachy waves, listen up. While backstage at the Tanya Taylor Fall 2013 show I witnessed an incredibly inventive way to add movement and texture to hair without relying on a curling iron.

Justin German, Pantene Pro-V’s consulting stylist, wanted “dropped out waves” for the ’60s-inspired look, which meant no structured ringlets were welcome. Instead, German added texture and movement to the hair by rolling pieces up into pin curls and setting them with a quick clamp of the flatiron. “To make it a little more random we [rolled] some one way and some the other way,” German explained of the technique. “We didn’t want it to look like it was done with a curling iron.” Finally, he set everything in place with a quick spritz of Pantene Pro-V Stylers Flexible Hold Hairspray.

See the backstage beauty gallery from Jeremy Laing Fall 2013 »

The makeup: “The cool thing about this look is the shape of the eye; Jeremy wanted to have a very hollowed out eye socket. He doesn’t like the girls to look too preppy, princess-y, or too done. Maybe a little bit androgynous. It’s all about the shapes; and you can tell his shapes are a little bit unusual. “ – Greg Wencel, Cover Girl makeup pro

To achieve this “Sleepy Hollow” look, Wencel custom mixed a shade of slate grey, using both shades from the Cover Girl Smokey ShadowBlast eyeshadow stick in “Onyx Smoke” on the back of his hand. The cream shadow was chosen because it would give a “lived in, glossy eye effect.” Wencel applied the majority of color is from the crease of the eye to the brows, leaving a slightly lighter wash of grey on the lid of the eye. To set the cream, a silver shadow was pressed over top, which also added a “hint of blue.” The lashes were kept natural with no curling or mascara. To keep models looking fragile, Wencel wanted a “pale veil of color” on the skin. He used a foundation one or two shades lighter than the models natural color then set it with an even paler shade of pressed powder. For cheeks, it was all about “hollowing and sculpting” with bronzer to exaggerate the contour. Finally, lips were almost devoid of pigment: Wencel applied a clear balm on the lips and then buffed foundation over the edge of the lip line for an ombré effect.

See all the backstage pictures from Jean Pierre Braganza Fall 2013 »

The makeup: “It’s a very structured eye. We’ve applied a black shimmery shadow over black liner and blended it out. There are two graphic lines [that almost merge near the inner corner of the eyes] creating a downturned feline-esque look. It’s very lioness and a little bit sixties.” — Greg Wencel, Cover Girl makeup pro

To achieve what Wencel deemed the designer’s signature eye (“[Jean Pierre] likes graphic shapes and contrast”), he dragged a black eyeliner pencil along the upper lash line all the way to the inner corner of the eye, splitting it into two lines. He used white liner along the water line and in between the two noir streaks to highlight the space between them. He blended the black liner up into the lids, layering a black shimmery shadow on top and blending it out “to diffuse the colour.” Wencel also brushed two coats of black mascara through both top and bottom lashes, and used a clear mascara to make brows look “clean and tapered.” On cheeks, “we created a soft sculpted look,” he says, applying blush really close to the hairline and contouring cheekbones. For a dewy complexion, he blended a highlighting serum into skin with a flat synthetic brush targeting the chin, the bridge of the nose and the cupid’s bow. The mouth was kept simple with just a swipe of a flesh-toned glossy lip pencil.

See the full backstage gallery from Jeremy Laing Spring 2013! »

While the details on Jeremy Laing’s Spring 2013 collection echoed the ’90s, the beauty was tinged with elements from the ’70s. “Jeremy wanted the girls to look really handsome and sort of have this ’70s-eqsue feeling,” explained Greg Wencel, Cover Girl makeup pro. Also at play was a mix of textures: glossy eyelids contrasted with matte skin, which had been prepped with Cover Girl + Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer ($18, well.ca) to keep shine at a minimum. Instead of eyeshadow, Wencel used Cover Girl Cheekers blush in “Iced Cappuccino” and “smoked it out on the eye and under the eye socket.” He then used the same blush to sculpt a high cheek bone but diffused it for a soft, modern effect. Because lashes and brows were left bare Wencel added some dimension to the eye with Cover Girl LiquilineBlast in “Brown Blaze” ($10, well.ca), but applied it by putting the product on the back of his hand and picking up some of the pigment with a fluffy brush. The final step was glossing up the eye with a dab of clear Cover Girl WetSlicks lip gloss ($7, well.ca) for what Wencel called “a ’70s high gloss shine.”

To coincide with FASHION’s 35th anniversary we’re taking a look back at some Canadian beauty trailblazers that have made waves throughout the country and abroad over the past 35 years. Brands such as M.A.C, Ojon, Moroccanoil and Cargo may have started small, but are now recognized around the globe and have been providing consumers with makeup products and tips for decades. Talent-wise, from Kristjan Hayden to Grace Lee to Greg Wencel (and more!), Canadian-born hairstylists and makeup artists have left their mark on top brands and stars—including Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gisele and Kristen Stewart. And the ever-growing green beauty industry is yet another area that Canadians excel at: brands like RMS Beauty, Consonant and Bite Beauty & Sula are getting noticed for their eco-friendly and all-natural approach.

See all the beauty trailblazers »

Jump to: BRANDS | HAIR & MAKEUP | FRAGRANCE | GREEN

See all the backstage beauty photos from Jean-Pierre Braganza! »

If you’ve been working on your braiding skills, good news! The popularity of plaits will continue through Spring 2013—however the variation shown at Jean-Pierre Braganza brings a whole new level of complexity to the style. Featuring a stark middle part and two braids—one interior, one exterior—the double look was described as “pretty, but weird at the same time” by Pantene Pro-V consulting stylist Justin German. After prepping the hair with Pantene Pro-V Normal to Thick Straighten and Smooth Crème ($6, at drugstores) he separated a section of hair at the crown for the interior cornrow braid, which ran down the back of the head.

See our gallery of backstage beauty snaps »
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Clean, simple and slightly androgynous was the idea for hair and makeup at Jeremy Laing. “It’s masculine, but with feminine tones to contrast the gender-bender look,” explained CoverGirl makeup pro Greg Wencel. Eyebrows were defined with a brow pencil, but the desired effect was for a full, soft brow—not a harsh or bold statement. Eyes were equally soft, with a light wash of CoverGirl Intense ShadowBlast in “Beige Blaze” and a dusting of warm eyeshadow on top. In a very Downton Abbey sort of move, no mascara was applied—this further impressed the idea of a masculine, androgynous look.

See our gallery of backstage beauty snaps »
View the full collection »
See all Toronto Fashion Week coverage »

One of the biggest challenges with The ShOws is the beauty: because the designers have already presented their Fall 2012 collections elsewhere, hair and makeup has to take inspiration from what was previously done. However, there’s always room for adaptations and change—which was certainly the case at Jean-Pierre Braganza’s show. “He wanted a smaller version of the hair,” explained Justin German, Pantene’s consulting stylist of the loose pompadour style. “There was trouble getting the clothes on over the hair in London!”

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As huge fans of the fishtail, we were very excited to see this braided style at Jean Pierre Braganza. Backstage, Pantene’s consulting stylist Justin German described the look as softer than what Braganza showed in London, with the braid stemming from the base of a very bob-like shape. To achieve this structure, German went through the hair with some volumizer, then blow-dried it into the desired shape. An elastic at the base kept it all together, which German wrapped with hair after the fishtail was finished.

View the backstage beauty gallery »
View the runway photo gallery »
View the runway video »

Soft and romantic, the look at Calla Haynes was a modern approach to ‘60s beauty—and if that brings to mind visions of fresh faces and at-home hot rollers, you’re on the right track. For hair, Justin German, Pantene’s consulting stylist, created two different versions of a rough half-updo, with a textured bump—“For lack of a better word,” he noted—on top and loose, brushed-out curls at the back. German pointed out that the finished look included visible bobby pins to make the hair look “almost like you did it yourself.”