Every day for two weeks, we send beauty writer and punishment sucker Lindsay MacAdam to one Toronto fashion show. She’ll go backstage to get step-by-step instructions from a makeup pro, then follow them herself, delivering each time a verdict: do, or don’t, try this look at home. Today, beautiful tomboys—bruises and all—take to the runway at Thomas Tait.
At the show: London-based Thomas Tait presented his S/S ’12 collection at the Ritz-Carlton yesterday afternoon, and the vibe was somewhere between stylish sportswear and nursing-home chic. A parade of beautiful tomboys took to the runway, making Nike cross-trainers and yesterday’s bruises look glamourous, with goddessy hair they swear just fell that way. Oh, the lucky ones.
The hair look, which changed direction mere hours before the show, was aptly coined the “mermaid wave”—slicked back tight, then cascading down the back in a soft yet structured wave. To achieve the look, Justin German, Consulting Stylist for Pantene Pro-V, started by blow-drying the hair with a bit of Pantene’s Triple Action Volume Mousse, pinning it back, and misting it in place with a flexible-hold hairspray. Next, he used a medium-width curling iron, holding the iron horizontally, to create one continuous wave. After brushing out the hair, he used clips to mold the waves more precisely, spritzed again with hairspray, and let the waves set ’til just before show time.
The show’s makeup was raw and natural, with chiseled faces and rusted eyes, like that enviably sporty guy’s girl who still looks gorgeous after a long day of flag football. Covergirl Makeup Pro Greg Wencel started with Covergirl and Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer, which pulls double duty as moisturizer and primer. He followed with Covergirl’s NatureLuxe Silk Foundation, used only where needed to even out the skin, then used Professional Natural Lash Mascara (a clear gel) to separate and lightly define lashes and brows: “We didn’t want the girls to look too effeminate, too womanly, too done or too glamourous,” said Wencel.
For the eyes, he started with a neutral base of Smoky ShadowBlast in Bronze Fire, using just the light-coloured end, across the entire lid, on the inner corner of the eye and along the lower lash line. Next, Cheekers Blush in Soft Sable was layered on top of the ShadowBlast and then used again to contour the cheeks. Lips were subtly stained by finger-applying LipPerfection Lipstick in Sultry and then blotting. To hammer home the tomboy theme, Covergirl’s makeup team used vivid eye shadows and matching liners to create the illusion of neon bruising on the webbing of fingers, on joints and on necks.
At home: This is yet another look that’s virtually foolproof and, best of all, it doesn’t require many products or any special application techniques. I started with a light base of Covergirl’s NatureLuxe Silk Foundation and a little Marcelle Face Powder on the T-zone. Then I applied champagne-coloured cream shadow from Chantecaille’s Les Macaron Palette all over my eyelid and along the bottom lashes, following with the rusty-red shimmer from Marcelle’s Multi-Colour Powder Blush in “Pink Fusion”. I used the same product to contour my cheeks, then stippled on a touch of Guerlain Rouge G De Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact in “Gentiane” on my lips, blotting to take away the glossy look. Finally, I used Covergirl Professional Natural Lash Macara to separate and define my lashes and my brows, just a touch—much less scary than going mascara-free.
Verdict: DO try this at home. If you’d rather look a little less rough-and-tumble, trade the clear mascara for a coloured one, at least on the top lashes. And trust me when I tell you to avoid the urge to swap the pale lipstick for a brighter one, as someone might mistake you for Bozo—yes, the clown. It happened. Still recovering.
