Backstage Beauty: Erin Fetherston Fall 2015

Designer Erin Fetherston has an affinity for child-like fairytales; you can see it in her girly wares—a hallmark of her brand. “Polished, but playful,” “’60s-inspired” and “feminine and beautiful” are just a few qualifiers tossed around backstage to describe the ultra-feminine beauty ideal dreamt up for this collection.

For the hair, a simple ponytail won’t do—it needs bit of whimsy. Tresemmé lead stylist Jeanie Syfu conjures a girly feel by instead crafting three sleek ponytails that come together in a knotted train of hair. After Syfu flat-irons the lengths, she draws a middle part and proceeds to part the hair from ear to ear. She then secures a ponytail behind each ear using the teensiest gold ribbon. Leaving those two ponytails hanging, Syfu bundles the rest of the hair into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck. For her looped knot, Syfu ties the two side ponytails in a whorl over the bottom tail and, using a tiny, clear elastic, she secures the two ponies together under the base of the middle tail. The end result: polished, but definitely playful.

The “Into the Wild” theme of the show resulted in a “glow-y, peachy makeup look,” explains Le Metier Beaute makeup artist Dustin Lujan. He begins by taking the fatigue out of the skin by applying Le Metier Beaute Replenishing Solution and the Le Metier de Beaute Pau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment SPF 18, which includes a bit of sparkle to make skin come alive. After skin prep, Lujan zeroes in on a ’60s-inspired cat eye with a bit of a twist. “It’s almost Egyptian, and it’s similar to the eyeliner Erin’s known for. We’re bringing a little bit of Erin to each girl,” he says. The key to the liner detail (Le Metier Beaute Precision Liquid Eyeliner) is to apply it in a straight line at the outer corners, rather than flicking it up. The lids are then dusted in a combination of Le Metier Beaute Eye Shadows: Innocence and Tuscan Sunset. Cheeks receive a girly wash with Le Metier de Beaute The Cheeky Chic Kaleidoscope, and a youthful ombré lip made with nude pink all over followed by red applied to just the inner center of the lips “gives the impression of biting into a poison apple,” Lujan says. As a doe-eyed touch, each model makes their way to Karissa Bodnar, who painstakingly applies Thrive Causemetics Jackie Lash false lashes for flirt-worthy eye fringe.

For the final whimsical detail, an almond-shape mauve nail receives a delicate detail that makes a striking impression. After Kiss key manicurist Gina Edwards applies Impress Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails in So So Stella to the natural nails, she adds a touch of “fairytale fantasyland” by adorning the ring fingernails with a simple cross. Rather than use a striper brush, Edwards fashions the crisscross with gold striping tape from the Kiss Salon Secrets Rococo Veil Kit—one strip placed down the middle of the nail, the other laid horizontally near the moon. The result: just the right touch of easy whimsy. —Kristin Oldham Giordani

[Images courtesy of Diane Bondareff for KISS Products]