A throwback to the 1920s, the beauty at Alon Livne pairs sleek, low chignons, barely-there makeup and standout dark (or dazzling—take your pick!) nails together for an update on deco gorgeous.
Hairstylist Nick Irwin creates a feminine, clean middle-parted chignon by first spritzing hair with shine spray and slicking it into a low ponytail. To make the chignon “more compact, so it’s not a fat chignon,” says Irwin, he applies gel (Catwalk by Tigi Everyday Session Essentials Wet Look Gel) on his hands and runs it through the length of the ponytail before twisting it into a bun shape. He finishes the look by spritzing hair with Catwalk by TIGI Everyday Session Essentials Work It Hairspray, and to prevent it from looking crunchy, he shares this tip: Spray about six inches from the head.
To present a flawless, yet natural makeup look, key artist Suzana Hallili applies Per-fekt Beauty Skin Perfection Gel Luminous (this was also used as the lip color) along with Per-fekt Beauty Skin Perfection CC Creme SPF 30 on skin. To contour the cheeks, she rubs on Per-fekt Beauty Cheek Perfection Gel in Bronzed, and follows by anchoring her face design with a bold, defined brow using Per-fekt Brow Perfection Gel in Caramel.
While the hair and makeup stay chic and simple, the nails are a different story. Lead nail tech Pattie Yankee adorns models with long, almond-shaped tips painted in either China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Queen B (a deep blurple hue) or China Glaze Nail Lacquer in What Are You A-Freight Of (a deep raisin shade that’s part of the fall 2014 collection). “We used longer nail tips because it represents that ’20s era,” Yankee says. And then there’s the tips coated in China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Gossip Over Gimlet and adorned in Swarvoski jewels. “Alon told me, ‘I don’t want a couple [of stones]; I want it all! Either all or nothing!” Yankee laughs. All in for a dazzling Gatsby-worthy finish! —Kristen Oldham Giordani
[Photos courtesy TIGI; Kristen Oldham Giordani; via Pattie Yankee/Instagram]
