As a hairstyle, a ponytail creates a lift that flatters women of all ages—the higher, the better. At Nicholas K.’s Spring/Summer ’17 show, Lead Hair Stylist and International Creative Director for Macadamia Professional Giannandrea takes the beloved style one step further, from ponytail to “horsetail.” The designer felt the style would give an “equestrian undertone to the collection,” Giannandrea describes. To recreate the powerful horsetail, apply Macadamia Professional Blow Dry Lotion to wet hair before blow-drying. Brush the hair at the crown, pulling tight at the sides and securing with a hair-tie. “[There’s] definitely a lot of hairspray,” Giannandrea says as he sprays strong-yet-soft locks with Macadamia Professional Flex Hold Shaping Hairspray and Tousled Texture Finishing Spray specifically for “grip to put the ponytail up.” He conceals the elastic, pinning a band of hair about 3-inches thick around it, and smoothing as he goes. To make sure hair is runway-worthy, he finishes with Macadamia Professional Weightless Moisture Dry Oil Micro Mist, which creates shine and effortless glamour.
Makeup pushes the easy-glam look even further. Stila Creative Director and Makeup Lead Sarah Lucero describes the cool metallic beauty as “silverati” with “a twist on the cat eye. Incorporating metallic and a cooler silver is really fresh for spring,” she informs. Lucero achieves a mirror-like finish to her cat eye with Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Titanium, and bumps up that brilliant shine with smooth, bronzed skin meant to conjure up the mood of a desert landscape. With so much attention on the sparkling eyes, lips are left neutral with Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Biscotti. Lucero describes this “Bedouin glam” beauty as the perfect complement to the collection, which is filled with clothes that are “earthy with interesting textures that reflect the eyeliner and metallic.”
Nails take the desert theme to a new level. “The look for today is inspired by the Jordanian desert,” explains Lead Nail Stylist Miss Pop. To achieve the look she applies NCLA nail wraps that she’s hand-painted with a geological print. Next, she applies her Miss Pop Tattify Nail Wraps in So Fancy over top. Finally, she dips a piece of cotton in alcohol and gently dabs it on the nail to wipe away any excess as well as burnish the gold to create a piece-y look. “We really wanted to bring the geological formations in,” she continues, “we also brought the metallic in, which is in the makeup, to create a mirage-y effect, so it’s like the shimmer in the desert when the sun hits it.” —Emilie Branch
[Images courtesy of Macadamia Professional]
