Backstage Beauty: Badgley Mischka Spring 2012

image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde

One of the most opulent and gown-centric collections of the week, the Badgley Mischka Spring 2012 collection was overflowing with red-carpet ready looks, that were fit for Hollywood's biggest stars. To accent the sparkling dresses and accessories for which the brand is known, the models needed big-time beauty.  But getting them ready for that level of glamour (especially after 6 days of shows in the sweltering heat) was no easy task, as we found out when Style Wylde went backstage with the beauty gurus who make the magic happen. 

image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde

First up, the hair: Taking a cue from the inspiration of the collection, the futuristic sculptural works of Italian master Umberto Boccioni,  runway stylist Peter Gray, who was sponsored by ultra-luxe company Moroccanoil, wanted to create big bold hair that played with volume and space. For added inspiration Gray also looked towards Hollywood, and drew on Elizabeth Taylor's iconic look in the Academy Award winning film Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf.

image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde

How he did it:

 Before any styling could begin Gray applied the brand new Moroccanoil Frizz control and Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream, to battle the hot humid New York weather and to build smoothness and pliable hold.  Next, he made long vertical sections from the top of the ear to the crown and applied Morrocanoil Luminous Hairspray at the root to kick-up the volume before blow drying each section around a Moroccanoil Ionic Ceramic brush.  From there he back-combed the hair and pulled it into a giant French twist, secured with bobby pins at the nape of the neck.  Moving on to the front, Gray wrapped individual sections of hair  around a 3/4 inch curling iron, and secured each with a bobby pin creating a classic 'roll set'. Once the curls were set he ran a wide tooth comb through the entire hair to loosen curls without disrupting their integrity. The final act, and in Gray's words "The most important part of the work" was shaping the overall texture. To do this Gray back-combed each section of hair to create a large mass.  He then shaped, twisted and folded the hair to create a triangular shape. He then pulled everything up to the crown, smoothed over the French twist and finished it all off with another mist of Moroccanoil Luminous hairspray to create hold that was secure, but soft and never sticky. 

Deborah Lippmann CEO, Jude Severin takes questions about the innovative color/Image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde

Next, the nails:

 image:S.Whittle for Style WyldeNo normal lacquer would work for the Badgley Mischka show, so celebrity manicurist turned entrepreneur Deborah Lippmann knew she had to come up with  something show-stopping for the collection. Her creation: The Glamourous Life, a brand new rose-gold-Rolex inspired hue that was in development for over three years.  A lovely rosy-metallic shade for sure, the thing that makes The Glamorous Life really special is the finish. Like liquid satin, the color has a remarkable fluid look to it that shines without being frosty.  

image:S.Whittle for Style Wylde

Finally, the make-up: 

MAC make-up artist Tom Pecheux, completed the futuristic sculptural meets 1950s Hollywood icon look with winged eye liner, subtle shining lids and bright coral lips.  To prep the skin for his creation, Pecheux started with the not yet on the market Mineralized Charged Water Moisture Gel, followed by MAC sculpt foundation. Peachy-pink blush was then used to create contour to the cheeks. Moving on to those over-the-top dramatic eyes, Pecheux began with Metal-X Cream Shadow in Palladium brushed on the brow bone followed by Metal-X Cream Shadow in Vintage Coin smoothed on over the entire lid. The final touch, intense metallic olive green eye liner was swept out nearly to the brow and followed by coat after coat of Haught and Naughty Mascara applied to top lashes only. 

Image:Peter Michael Dills/Getty North America

The Result:

An out-of-this-world glamorous look that was as spectacular as the collection.

For more backstage beauty from Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Spring 2012, stay tuned to Style Wylde