Straight from Backstage: Rag & Bone Spring 2013

Backstage at Rag & Bone, Redken‘s team of hairstylists are positioned around models whose crowns are drenched in Redken Hardwear 16 Super Strong Gel, the mouths of the stylists’ Sultra Temptress blow dryers blasting heat (or a cool shot) on the gel as they rake the hair back and away from the face. The steam from the tools has caused the area to become quite humid (a reoccurring theme this Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week), and therefore sweat-inducing, which meshes well with the hair inspiration: dual-texture tresses that Redken hair lead Guido says, “reflects a sporty ’90s feel. It’s soft and tough, and even a little beachy.”

He references ’90s minimalism, and that supermodel style of the decade seen on countless magazine covers: wet tresses slicked back to reveal big foreheads kept bare and on display. “I think exposing the forehead makes this look more tomboyish,” he adds. Guido keeps the lengths of the hair dry to “retain softness,” and gives them movement via the Sultra The Bombshell Oval Curling Iron.

As soon as Revlon makeup lead Gucci Westman begins explaining the makeup look, the runway music begins blaring for a sound check. I can just barely hear her say, “scrubbed-clean skin.” But she’s also amping up an edgier side to this fresh girl with this inspiration: “90s-era supermodels like Linda [Evangelista] and Christy [Turlington]” who had “tougher, more androgynous” eyebrows. To get these bold brows, she’s darkening them with Revlon Brow Fantasy. “This brow creates a touch of drama,” Westman says. The rest of the face is kept pure and glowing, with skin made seamless by PhotoReady BB Cream (available January 2013) and cheeks haphazardly flushed with Baby Stick in Pink Passion (available April 2013).

Nails look clean and crisp, with what Revlon nail lead Jin Soon Choi believes is a great shape for anyone: “short length with a square shape and softly rounded edges.” Half of the models receive Revlon Nail Enamel in Elegant, a delicate beige, while the other half wear stark-white Revlon Top Speed in Spirit. —Karie L. Frost

(Third image: courtesy of Revlon; all other images shot by Karie L. Frost)