FASHION Magazine

Once temperatures skyrocket and that humidity hits, nearly every day can feel like a bad-hair day. And if you have longer tresses, forget it: Wearing your hair down feels like you have a blanket over your shoulders at best. To help ease your heat wave struggles, we’ve tapped two local hair experts for summer hairstyle […]

The post Summer Hairstyle Ideas For Hot, Sticky Days and Sweaty Workouts appeared first on 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.

Gender differentiation was of no importance at the Jeremy Laing Spring 2014 show. Which model—male or female—wore what was only a matter of sizing, according to Laing. The same went for the “not so pretty looking” beauty: Male and female models alike were given matte skin, courtesy Cover Girl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation ($9, well.ca). In order to ensure an on-trend velvet texture, Cover Girl makeup pro, Amélie Ducharme, applied the foundation with a heavy hand. (The more product, the more matte the finish!) Aside from skin, models’ eyebrows were the focus of the face. Ducharme filled them in with a dark shade of Cover Girl Brow and EyeMakers ($5, well.ca) and then brushed brows upwards to look “more manly.”

The clean, crisp look of Steven Tai’s future sport Spring 2014 collection was consistent with the hair and makeup for the show. Covergirl makeup pro, Amélie Ducharme, aimed to make girls appear “natural but still done”. First, skin was primed using Covergirl Clean Makeup Sensitive Skin ($8, well.ca) and blush was applied wider and lower than it normally would be to make models “look like they were shy,” explained Ducharme. Skin was then given a dewy finish using a rather unconventional skin product: lipgloss. Ducharme applied a pea-sized amount of Covergirl Wetslicks Lip Gloss in “Clear Radiance” ($7, well.ca) to the back of her hand and, using a sponge, dabbed it onto cheekbones and well as a little on the temple, nose, and top of the lip. A light sweep of mascara, and this fresh, spring look was complete.

Behind the scenes at last night’s Calla Spring 2014 fashion show in Toronto, tables were littered with brightly hued strands of fabric (which were later weaved into models’ hair), as Cover Girl makeup pro Amélie Ducharme and Pantene Pro-V consulting stylist Justin German created a youthful, fun look to match the collection’s easy breezy California vibe. Taupe eyeshadow was applied lightly into the crease and along the bottom of the lashes, just enough to frame the eye and give it shape and depth, explained Ducharme, who used Covergirl Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadow in “Café au Lait” ($7, well.ca). The inner corners of eyes were highlighted with Covergirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil in “Ginger Flame” ($8, well.ca). Velvety skin was achieved using Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation ($9, well.ca) and cheeks were pink with a hint of shimmer. Brows were filled in slightly darker than their natural colour and brushed upward to convey a young, wild and fresh look.

Last night at The Shows in Toronto, the backstage was bustling as Covergirl makeup pro Amélie Ducharme and Pantene Pro-V consulting stylist Justin German created a look for Bellavance’s Spring 2014 collection described by Ducharme as sport meets city. Dewy skin was achieved using Covergirl Clean Liquid Makeup Sensitive Skin ($8, well.ca), while apples of the cheeks were given a sporty flush using Covergirl Cheekers Bronzer in “Copper Radiance” ($7, well.ca). Eyes were swept with shimmery orange and white shadows along both the upper and lower lash lines. Covergirl Smoky ShadowBlast in “Citrus Flair” ($9, at drugstores) was used on the outer half while Covergirl Flamed Out Shadow Pot in “Blazing White” ($5, well.ca) lit up the inner half of the eye. This contrast in colour, as well as the bare bottom lashes, were intended to make eyes appear large and round, explained Ducharme. The final step was a neutral, soft pink lip created with a light coat of Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm in “Be Sweet” ($6, well.ca).

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 our street style photos from Toronto Fashion Week »

At night two of Toronto’s The Shows, three impressive collections had the fashion scene raving. Up-and-coming designers Tanya Taylor and Steven Tai both made their home-turf runway debuts, and Toronto-based designer Jeremy Laing closed the evening with a flashy collection (I’m looking at you, gold trench coat) previously shown at New York Fashion Week. As our own fashion week continues, so does the Toronto street style. The setting sun gave attendees a certain glow as they arrived at the east-end venue Andrew Richards Designs, many of them keeping warm and stylish in transitional leather jackets. Yes, it’s still cold out, but let’s just pretend it’s not!

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 our street style photos from Toronto Fall 2013 Fashion Week »

It’s back! Toronto’s twice-annual semi official off-the-grid fashion week, The Shows, began last night at the east side furniture emporium, Andrew Richards Design. Debuting with two back-to-back shows from local staple, Comrags (celebrating its 30th anniversary), and Canadian-born London-based designer Jean Pierre Braganza, we were treated to a little taste of Fall 2013 on a day when we were still feeling the everlasting effects of the season for this year. To our pleasant surprise, however, the frigid temps had little effect on show attendees, who illuminate this first street style photo gallery in their fashion week best.

Judy Inc. stylist Odessa Paloma Parker defied winter in a spring-ready camel trench, a holographic coloured Kate Spade clutch and her mega-printed dress/scarf combo. Once again (ahem), blogger Anita Clarke showed off the power of the offbeat pose, with her perfect mid-jump snapped by our street style photographer extraordinaire, Stefania Yarhi. Meanwhile, designer Jeremy Laing’s signature curls were caught looking ever so windswept as he spent time outside between shows.

Flip through our gallery, we daresay you’ll be delighted.