On the third night of Montreal Fashion Week, we ate up the clothing — from the buttery leathers of Rudsak to the sweet designs by Annie 50 — and also got the scoop on the beauty looks from the beauty team backstage.
The third day of Montreal Fashion Week was one we were super keen on seeing come together — sexy leather from Rudsak, retro-inspired looks from Annie 50 and cool streetwear from Hip and Bone. All the collections included key pieces we want to add to our closet (the snug-fitting cropped leather jacket from Rudsak has our name all over it), and we were inspired by the hair and makeup looks created backstage.
For starters, have you ever admired the artistry of the makeup on a runway show, but it wasn’t something you felt you’d ever be able to pull off in real life? While we adore the drama and edginess of some of these looks, sometimes we find ourselves more drawn to the looks we can easily wear every day. And the hair and makeup at Rudsak was exactly that.
Rudsak
The hair
The designer wanted the hair off the face, said Denis Binet, lead hairstylist at Montreal Fashion Week, so he went with a very natural look. Rather than combing the hair, the idea was for the look to seem as though it was created with one’s hands — meaning not overly clean and tidy, “even a little frizzy,” said Binet.
To give the hair a bit of crunch before pulling it up, he used gel and mousse (some thermal spray is what you should use if you have unruly ends), then created a chignon directly in the middle of the back of the head. “Not on top,” he explained. “That feels more ‘nighttime.”
The makeup
The makeup took a slightly more glam angle, with “an ’80s fresh feeling of a sexy, summer night,” said CoverGirl makeup pro Amelie Ducharme. We loved the effect she created by using Smoky ShadowBlast in the beige tone to add a summery shimmery-ness to the complexion. On the eyes, she again relied on Smoky ShadowBlast in brown all over the lid, blending it up to the brow, then setting it with Eye Enhancers Dazzling Metallics 215 in the bronze shade. But the little highlight applied right to the middle of the lid — “for dimension,” said Ducharme — was what made this look one of our top picks. And we were over the moon to see that orangey red lips will still be hot come spring. You can get the same sizzling shade as the models by using a blend of LipPerfection Lipstick in Fairytale 405 and Hot 305.
Annie 50
If you are drawn to feminine, girly looks, you’ll swoon over the beauty look from Annie 50. To complement the collection’s cute collared, sleeveless tops, halter dresses and capri pants, the hair and makeup were positively sweet and charming. Think French country and romance, said Binet. “The girl is young — but not a nightclub girl — and who’s going for a picnic in the country or on a boat on a lake.”
The hair
The focus, explained Binet, was for the hair to have lots of round shapes to it. Want to attempt the look? Add a good helping of gel and mousse to your hair, then create one to three round shapes. You can do this by securing a section of hair with an elastic at the base and at the ends, then twisting it up into a swooping, curved roll and bobby pinning it into place. You might find it hard to bobby pin it while maintaining flawless round shapes, so consider recruiting your bestie to help pull off this look at home.
The makeup
With this do, makeup took a beach pin-up model twist, said Ducharme. She again used Smoky ShadowBlast to give a subtle sheen to the skin, and with a bit of contouring with pressed powder in shade 260, the face got a summery look. The eyes were given a coppery wash of colour (try Eye Enhancers Dazzling Metallics 278), and for the lips, more red pouts (try mixing the two LipPerfection Lipstick colours Hot 305 and Passion 250).
Hip and Bone
We weren’t familiar with this label, but it’s one we’ll be keeping an eye on. The collection was youthful, with some leather accents, and as for music inspiration, think Pink Floyd. So the beauty look chosen was one of a model off duty, with the hair looking somewhat dishevelled, like it’s the end of the day.
The hair
One model joked to us that the look was easy to do: “It’s effortless; I had a show yesterday, and then I went to sleep with wet hair,” she said. But for models with freshly washed hair, Binet said the best way to get the natural look is to use a product such as Sebastian Whipped Creme (just avoid applying it to the roots, or you risk them looking greasy).
The makeup
To go with the almost dirty-looking hair, a rock star makeup look was chosen. The key to this look is the smudgy black-lined eyes. You can copy the look by brushing Eye Enhancers Dazzling Metallics 119 on top of your eyeliner.
Hip & Bone image: LP Maurice
All other images: Karen Kwan
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