Backstage Beauty: The Blonds Spring 2012

Catherine Deneuve in La Belle du Jour, a major bombshell influence on the look/Image: courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Take the glitter, the glamour, and the over the top celebratory mood of Hollywood during the Academy Awards, Las Vegas during a Cher concert, and New York City on New Years Eve and you get the undeniably bombastic brand, The Blonds.  For Spring 2012 the bodacious designer team, Phillipe and David Blond who have become known as the go-to-duo for creating corsets and onstage costumes for popstars such as Rihanna and Katy Perry, upped the ante even more with a collection entirely devoted to the iconic Playboy®Bunny. But in order to pull off true bunny style, in a manner befitting the most blinged-out brand on the planet The Blonds looked towards the world's best beauty pros, Bumble and Bumble, MAC cosmetics, and CND Nails to bring the look all together. Here's how it was done:

 image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde

Since 1984 when the brand was first launched in Toronto, MAC Cosmetics has been the premiere name in cutting edge cosmetics. Known for super strong pigments and long wearability MAC has helmed the beauty look thousands of fashion shows over the last two decades. This experience, added to David Blond's background as a MAC artist himself made the company an obvious choice for this high-concept show. And the MAC team did not disappoint.  Referencing uber-sex kittens from the golden age of Playboy such as Catherine Deneuve, and Urusula Andress the team gave models bold arched eyebrows, bright shadow and an extreme cat-eye paired with a soft barely-there pink lip. MAC products used to create the look: Fluidline Liner in Black, false eye lashes #36, Immortal Flower Blush, and Matchmaster Foundation.

image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde 

image:S.Whittle for Style WyldeTo match the bombshell make-up look, the brains at Bumble came up with an equally referential style that incorporated tons of volume. To do this, stylists created a classic curl set using a large barrel curling iron.  After wrapping a section of hair around the iron, and pinning them to allow curls to 'set', stylists back-combed the pieces and smoothed them over into a soft, sexy 1960's style mane.

Bumble products used to create the look: Thickening Spray at roots for volume, and Spray la Mode for a light hold to finish. 

image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde

image:S.Whittle for Style WyldeWhile both the hair and make-up were exquisitely executed, the true artistry going on backstage at The Blonds, was done by CND NAILS. Already known for the one-of-a-kind colors created for every fashion show they've ever done, the company took nail art to a new level for The Blonds.  Using hand-crafted nail tips made from crushed glass imported from Germany, CND created nail looks that either  complimented the pieces  in a dazzling array of colors,  or resembled fishnet stockings and the seams on silk hosiery.  

image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde"The nails took 100 hours to make." Kristina Estabrooks  of CND told reporters back stage. "It was a real labor of love." 

For more from The Blonds Spring 2012 runway show check out the  Style Wylde feature story in Fashion.