FASHION Magazine

Earlier this month, we had the chance to get into the colourful zipped clutch belonging to our amazing Western editor, Joy Pecknold, when she was in Toronto for our semi-annual conference (we are serious sometimes). Inside, many more things than should fit in a clutch, including a cartoon-eyed iPhone case, a “sexy yet responsible” passport case, and… meds.

Let’s explore! »

I’ve broken out on my cheeks and I have a dinner party to go to tonight. How can I do my makeup to detract from the problem area? Your question offers the perfect scenario to explain how it’s possible to wear a full face of makeup without it looking overdone or garish. When you’re broken […]

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Find out how to dress as Nicki Minaj »
Previously on Fashion’ween: Anna Dello Russo »
Previously on Fashion’ween: Mick and Bianca Jagger »
Previously on Fashion’ween: Katy Perry »
Previously on Fashion’ween: Karl Lagerfeld »

We’re dubbing today “Pink Friday” because it’s the last day of our Fashion’ween week and Super Bass songstress Nicki Minaj is our final costume. Known for her extremely eccentric outfits and better-than-the-boys lyrical prowess, it was almost impossible to define a single look for Minaj. (We can’t even decide which one of her wigs is our favourite!) The trick to becoming this superstar is in the combinations: overload on patterns, textures, and colours—and do it all with Minaj’s signature doe-eyed smile.

Halloween has snuck up on me and I’m still without a costume. Have any recommendations for a girl with no time to spare? Thrift stores may be picked over, but beauty counters are still stocked full of vivid red lipstick, electric blue eyeliner, and sometimes-garish glittery eye shadow. Your costume options are endless when your […]

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We’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Miss Piggy lately, and we couldn’t be happier. This is the pig that taught us to love fashion, to go after what we want, and that self-confidence is everything. Her fashion tastes have always been a little dramatic for our tastes, but with a new movie coming out next month—in which she plays Vogue Paris’s editor in chief wearing Zac Posen and Christian Louboutin—Miss P. is being given a modern makeover.

Our favourite little diva has been busy recently: she’s collabed with M.A.C and Opening Ceremony—she even appeared at the brand’s Soho store during Fashion Night Out, agreed to be a judge on the much-anticipated Project Runway All Stars (will she be sassier than Michael Kors?), and inspired OPI to create a Muppet-themed nail polish collection. Most exciting, however, is the news that several of fashions biggest names have designed outfits for her—Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Suno, Opening Ceremony, Brian Atwood, and Giles & Brother—and that an editorial of her in the wears will appear in the November issue of InStyle mag. We’ve got to admit: we are very excited.

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

“I was sent a picture of Kate Lanphear for inspiration,” says M.A.C Cosmetics senior artist Melissa Gibson of Greta Constantine’s no-makeup makeup for their Spring 2012 show. She describes the look as “worn-in wholesome”—the effect of sun-blanched skin after a day of walking the streets of New York City. “It’s blown out; you want to see the natural contours of the face.” This means monochromatic with a velvety texture, and no mascara or nail lacquer. On top of a base of M.A.C. Studio Sculpt concealer Gibson used just two shades of M.A.C. cream colour base: “Root” and “Shell.” For the eye, “Root” was applied all over, with “Shell” providing frosted highlights. Gibson also applied “Shell” to the lips—but after she used concealer to leave only a hint of the lip line visible.

“It’s all about a red wine–stained, snogged mouth,” said Lucia Pieroni of the makeup at Giles Spring 2012 show, applying M.A.C’s lip pencil in “Brick” onto the inside of the mouth and “Burgundy” on top, blended outward with a Q-tip. “There’s no defined line around the edge, but it’s quite dark in the middle.” The rest of the face was quite bare—a smidge of “Russian Red” lipstick on the cheeks, rubbed in with a large brush and a bit of lip balm on the eyelids, tops of the cheeks, and on the bridge of the nose for a bit of highlight.

Ahh, Florida; the ‘50s Miami woman inspired the hair and makeup at Jonathan Saunders, where Paul Hanlon first blow-dried hair using Fekkai Strong Hold Mousse—“it gives a lot of guts to the hair,” he said—then parted it on the right and combed it into a low ponytail, tied with a basic black elastic. Then, using his fingers, he pulled bits out around the ears. “It gives it a feeling of being undone; a moment that’s just gone kind of wrong,” he said. “It’s a little bit disrupted and takes away from it looking so done.” The finishing touch: a brown bobby pin, its end tucked in, pinned just the way a girl would to get her hair off her face. Easy, not too messy, and not too clean.

The master of cool, disheveled hair, Paul Hanlon described the look backstage at Proenza Schouler ‘50s-inspired, with a nod to Elvis. “But it’s not too literal because it can obviously look a bit retro, a little bit tacky, so we had to be very careful in the way that we did it.” In Hanlon’s mind, this is a girl who’s borrowed her dad’s pomade and tried to recreate his style but with her own spin on it. Prepping the hair with Fekkai Ocean Wave Spray to create a dry, matte texture, he then applied Fekkai Coiff Forming Wax through the hairline. “Then we’re using a blow-dryer and melting the wax into the hair. That way when it cools down it sets, so it has a lot of hold in the hair.” Employing a men’s barbering comb, the sides were raked up for that ‘50s touch with the volume on top kept low. “I don’t want it to look like a big quiff.” In the back, transparent elastic was sewn into the hair with a tapestry needle to prevent the length from hanging all the way down. Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray and a blow-dryer melted the raw shape into place. “We wanted something tougher and cooler but at the same time quite chic. It’s a continuation of what we did with the hair last season, this idea of very organic, weathered hair.”

The matte magenta mouths at Prabal Gurung were gorgeous at first glance, but look a little closer, and they were blackened in the center. Since the designer was inspired by Japanese photographer Araki’s shots of exotic blooms (as well as aggressive-looking nudies, we just discovered while Googling him), he asked makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury to create the illusion of “this orchid that was sort of coming out of the lips.” To do that, she used M.A.C. Pro Process Magenta Chromagraphic Pencil to slightly overdraw the lips “like they’ve been kissing,” while MAC Pro Pigments in “Burgundy,” “Fuschia,” and “Black” provided the slightly ombre effect to mimic the flower. Cheekbones were contoured for “slight definition and structure” with cream bronzer. Next, silver grey shadow was stroked across the sockets of the eyes, and Strobe Cream was added on top for a gleam. To create highlights, Luna Cream Color Base was blended in a C shape around the temple and eyes and a lick of mascara and gelled up brows finished the look. On nails, Jin Soon Choi used Sally Hansen’s “Loves Me Not,” a dark purple with subtle glitter, as the main tone “to make a strong statement” edged by “Lacy Lilac” “to show a soft side.”

The humidity in New York right now may be horrible for hair, but it’s doing wonders for skin. It helps to explain the luminous skin witnessed backstage at Jason Wu, first prepped with skincare by Sunday Riley. “A lot of the girls are coming from Peter Som where the makeup was heavier, so we’re leaving cleanser on for a little bit longer,” explained Riley. A pump of her lactic acid cream was included for additional exfoliation. Then it was off into the hands of makeup artist Diane Kendal, who perfected skin with concealer, and blotted T-zones with powder. Taking direction from Wu’s inspiration for his collection of ‘50s and ‘90s Pop Art, as well as NYC artist KAWS, Kendal painted bright-red tomato mouths using a trifecta of product: M.A.C. Lip Pencil in “Redd,” a yet-to-be-launched lipstick shade called “Scarlet Ibis,” and M.A.C. Pigment in “Neon Orange.” Mascara was skipped, but lids were treated to a thin black line close to the lashes and smudged “to give eyes some definition.” OPI’s “Monsooner Than Later”—a near match to the lips—was applied to fingers, while “Samoan Sand,” a nude, was painted on toes.

What’s the purpose of eye makeup remover if my cleanser says it removes “everything”? Lots of facial cleansers are soap-based and really good at removing dirt and powder-based makeup, but not so great at taking off mascara—especially if it’s waterproof. They’re also not all safe for use on eyes. (Ahem, burning!) Oil-based cleansers and eye-makeup […]

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