Runway Report: Two Sides of the Fairytale at Georgine

Georginemain

Fairytales have long been a source of inspiration in fashion, with designers whisking us away to faraway lands found only in the pages of books. Backstage at Georgine, a modern-day fairytale comes to life via demure princesses and wonderfully wicked witches. "The whole concept of the show is a fairytale," says Gordon Espinet, SVP of Makeup Artistry for MAC Cosmetics. "We have two primary characters: the princesses who are fresh and pretty and wearing lots of pink, and the evil witches with black lips and winged-out liner."

Georginemakeup

Though the princesses seem dipped in pink, it’s their radiant skin that steals the spotlight. Espinet hits the high planes of the face with MAC Strobe Cream for a dewy effect. He then sweeps MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Sweet Heat over the lids and blends plenty of Powder Blush in Pink Swoon on the apples of the cheeks. He coats the lashes with Haute & Naughty Lash in Brown and finishes the look with a dab of tinted lip balm on the lips.

Crossing over to the dark side—where absolutely no pink is allowed—Espinet gives his witches the exact opposite skin effect: a perfect matte finish using MAC Pro Longwear Foundation. He highlights with Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and crafts the wing on the eye with Kohl Power Pencil. MAC Lipstick in Black Night—a true essential of any witch, good or bad—completes the look. "Even though she’s a witch she has to be extremely beautiful," says Espinet.

With one swoosh of his magic brush, Moroccanoil Creative Director Antonio Corral Calero effortlessly creates three hair looks for the copious Cinderellas and Evil Stepsisters backstage; for the former, an elegant half-up/half-down look or a high topknot (both finished with pink velvet ribbon, natch); for the latter, a strict, slicked-back low bun.

Georginehair

For the half-up/half-down style, Calero starts by parting the hair down the center and generously spraying Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray from roots to tips to create grit and volume. "We want the girls to look like they were walking in the forest and [their hair caught on] the trees and leaves," says Calero. To conjure this bit of muss, he pulls two pieces from either side of the face and secures them loosely in the back of the head with a velvet pink bow, finishing the look with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium.

For the messy topknot, Calero combs the hair up into a bun using his fingers, making sure the knot is slightly off-kilter and to the left. He picks out flyaways and baby hairs for an undone appearance, and sprays the loose pieces with Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray to further rough-up the style. The addition of a pink velvet bow in the back of the bun sweetens the look.

Georginehair2

All sweetness is stripped of the evil witches—including the hair design. "This look is much more severe. She's like the mean girl," says Calero. To achieve severity, Calero sprays the hair with Moroccanoil Heat Styling Protection Spray to create a glossy finish. He then pulls the lengths into a tight, low ponytail and twists the tail into a woven knot. Of his three designs, Calero says, "It’s very important for us to not only create looks that go with the collection and theme, but also looks that real woman can replicate.”

Georginenails

For the nails, Lead Manicurist Pattie Yankee plays with five polish colors from her eponymous line, ranging from "good to evil" in the color spectrum (Patricia Nail Lacquer in Fairest of 10G, Love, Dignity, Realm and a combo of Wealth and In the Army). Yankee paints the lengthy tips, each squared-off to perfection, with colors that match the models’ clothing and character — good or evil or somewhere between.

Images: Courtesy of Moroccanoil; Kristyna Kane

 

More in Makeup