Direct from the Runway: Herve Leger Spring 2010

Going backstage at Herve Leger is always a treat. I really enjoy seeing hair and makeup that doesn't look too "done" -- as Lisa Buter for M.A.C told me, "We decided that we didn't want to go for anything too obvious." Find out how she, Bob Recine for Phyto and Creative Nail Design accomplished it after the jump.

Lisa Butler's makeup table

"It's like someone's been out in the sun," Lisa Butler told me backstage. She wanted the girls to look glowy and healthy but not too dark or fake, so she mixed together four colors -- warm orange, gold, beige and plumRich Spice, Virgin Isle, Bronze and Tint -- and put the eventual color across the cheeks, sockets of the eyes, browbones, hairline and even the decolletage. She then touched out any rough spots before applying a mineral powder for a bit of a bronze finish. She then applied Costa Riche Eye Kohl to the waterline and finished with Creme Cup Lipstick (a light pink) mixed with a cream color base to create a whitish pink lipcolor, telling me, "It's very subtle but it does have a bit of a Barbarella feel, because they're really tanned but not fake." Butler didn't apply any mascara and finished by brushing the eyebrows to create "a really strong, natural but kind of a bit bigger look."
 
Bob Recine for Phyto told me about the hair, "What we have is kind of a patchwork collage of all different textures." He used Phyto Phytolaque Hair Spray and Phyto Mousse to mirror the collage of fabrics and textures seen in the clothes. After separating the hair into three sections, he accomplished the look by braiding one section, leaving one section natural and using a curling iron on the third section "to make something individual and one," he said. He finished with Phyto Phytopolleine Universal Scalp Elixir to give hair a glassy shine.

Bob Recine talking backstage

The fabulous Angi Wingle backstage

Finally, it was time to speak with one of my favorite people ever backstage, the fabulous Angi Wingle of Creative Nail Design. CND used Putty backstage, a warm semi-sheer that was seen at many of the shows over the week. "It's become a trend!" Angi told me. "The look is a weathered look. CND views nails as an accessory -- today we're going to view them as makeup. We're using Putty to make it look more like an extension of the skin, or just the finger without color." She went on to tell me that the overall look was basically "like a mannequin's hand." She finished with Creative Nail Design Air Dry top coat.


And if you think using a neutral color like Putty is boring? Not so, said Angi! "The great thing about Putty is that even if you were to throw a thin coat on and you're walking out the door, it gives you a well-groomed look," she told me. "It's a healthy look. What's also nice about it is that even if you chip it off a little bit, it still looks good -- unless someone's got a microscope or a magnifying glass!"