Photos/Interview: Lela Rose Spring Summer 2012 New York Fashion Week Backstage Beauty

September 13, 2011

Designer: Lela Rose

Makeup: Tina Turnbow for Bare Escentuals and Beauty.com

Hair: Ted Gibson for Beauty.com

The Look: An Abandoned Carnival

Lela Rose’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection mixed a combination of an abandoned carnival, reminiscent of the broken lights of Las Vegas and Coney Island. The beauty look was very romantic, continuing the Spring trend of rosy cheeks and lips, and textured hair.

Ted Gibson for Beauty.com designed a look that was simple; a deep-parted side twist, a modern update to the traditional braid, and lots of texture to the rest of the hair.

“It was about Las Vegas, specifically the signs and the desert,” said Gibson on the inspiration, who was on hand leading the team backstage, “This girl should be a nomad; a woman that is essentially in the desert.” Being in such heat, the hair is simple—a deep side part twisted all the way to back, pinned, and a bit of product to hold in place. The rest of the hair is scrunched up to give it a tangled look with volume.

Three products were used for the style—Build It blow drying spray, Tame It, a shine lotion, and Beautiful Hold hairspray—all by Ted Gibson and available on Beauty.com. On getting the look at home, Gibson responds, “It’s very simple; every girl in America can do it. Put a side part in, take the part, twist it to the back of your hair, pin it, and you’re done!”

Tina Turnbow led the makeup team using Bare Escentuals. She refers to the look as “sunny antique rose,” with a mix of warm and cool tones. A soft, spring smoky eye was created using their eyeshadow quad—the silver and dusty rose shades were used for an “antique” effect, along with layers of mascara using their Flawless Definition mascara to achieve the doll effect. The brows were brushed up and filled in to further define the face. A rosy cheek with highlighter and a tulip-shaded pink using their new Pretty Amazing Lipcolor in Wild Honey completed the ethereal look.

Nails were provided by Deborah Lippman nail color in Believe, which was a mix of gold and silvery tones to add to the desert appearance and puts a play on the negative space in the clothing. The nail color, which was designed for Cher during her Las Vegas tour, gives a muted shimmer effect that easily goes from day to night.