Sunday, September 7, 2008

Direct from the Runway: Tibi

Strong. Powerful. Feminine. All words that come to mind when looking at the hair and makeup from the Tibi Spring 2009 fashion show. From red lips to high pompadours, severity was the order of the day here. But, as is usually the case, it was done with a twist! Read on to find out more about the hair, makeup and nails seen here.

First up, I spoke with hairstylist Kevin Ryan. "It's somewhere between Japanese street kid and polygamous bride," he told me. "It's a girl who moves to the Far East and embraces the culture. We're playing with the space time continuum!" To achieve this look, Kevin crafted not one but two strong looks on the head -- a pompadour at the front and a bun at the back.

Using Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray to create texture, Kevin then used a curling iron while creating the front pompadour to "give it a bit of a bend," he said. The bun at the back was designed with a round sponge like those seen in the pictures below and then placed at the nape for a bit more severe of a look. He then finished the look off with Elnett Hairspray to really hold it in place.






I then had the pleasure of speaking with makeup artist extraordinaire, Gucci Westman. Gucci is now the Global Artistic Director for Revlon Partners and, I must say, she is stunningly beautiful in person. Using all Revlon products, Gucci created a look that perfectly complimented the Asian inspiration found in designer Amy Smilovic's clothing. "It's very flirtatious," she told me, "it really complements Amy and her clothes."

The deep red lip was the most striking feature here, and it was created with two shades of Super Lustrous Lipstick -- Kiss Me Coral and Fire & Ice -- layered over each other. But to really get the tomato red stain, she dabbed the colors on slowly and really built them over each other. Gucci then created a wash of grey on the eye with Illuminance Creme Shadow in Twighlight and Not Just Nudes. The color is very wearable and sheer, not too dominant or oppressive, and done just on the lid.

To create some depth in the eyes, Gucci lined them with Beyond Natural Defining Eye Pencil in Charcoal. She finished with 3D Extreme Mascara in Black -- doing minimal coats on both the top and bottom lashes, and brushing them from both the top and bottom of the lash to really coat each and every one perfectly. Cream Blush in Berry Flirtatious and First Blush were then brushed onto the cheeks and brought over to the eyes for a girly, flirtatious feel.

And what would a Tibi show be without some fabulous nails by Creative Nail Design? Key nail designer Wanda told me that she used Wildfire, one of CND's classic core colors, to create a very feminine look. "The red pearl is very spicy," she said. I was curious as to how the team came up with this color, and Wanda said they studied the textures used in the show and then met with Amy Smilovic to offer options and pick the final hue.

To apply the color and get it looking so fabulous, Wanda first used Ridge Out to smooth out the nails and fill in any ridges. Then she painted the nails with one coat of Wildfire and finished with Speedy top coat so they would dry quickly.

While the overall look might be a bit too severe for this beauty chick, I'll definitely take away the gorgeous red lip and the bun in the back. Things to note for Spring 2009!

*All photos are the property of The Beauty of Life.

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