Backstage at Monique Lhuillier SS2013

Monique Lhuillier's SS2013 collection was very obviously inspired by water and the various shapes/colors/textures one might see when they look into the water, so the backstage beauty was a reflection of such. Not just the typical blues you would expect, though those were certainly incorporated, but shimmers of gold on the eyes, iridescent nails & cheekbones, and wet mermaid hair all played beautifully off each other, but most importantly, are easy to interpret at home.
Makeup: 
Val Garland led the MAC makeup team with this underwater look that was certainly about a pop of blue on the eye, but had a lot of beautiful nuances that one would hope to see if you were looking at a mythical underwater creature.  The luminous, almost translucent effect of the skin is complimented with a pop of gold on the inner corner.
Val started by evening out the skin with MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation and Studio Fix concealer as needed.  Cream Colour Base in Luna is the magic touch to the skin, give the upper cheekbones that luminous finish that you see below.  The electric pop of blue on the eyes was given using MAC Hi Def Chromographic pencil, blended from the lashline to the lid, followed by a hand-made mixture of Shine Mixing Medium and Hi Def Cyan Chromaline.  On top of that mixture, Electric Eel eye shadow was packed on top.  The Shine Mixing Medium was also mixed with Gold Metallic Pigment, which was placed on the inner corners of the eyes.  A little Haught & Naughty mascara, and a little Mineralize Lipstick in Luxe were all that was needed to finish the look.  

Hair:
Odile Gilbert created a hair style for the show that one would imagine is the same look a mermaid would have when she's fresh out of the water.  The bottom of the style was created with a triple-barrel curling iron and a lot of Kerastase Double Force Hairspray for hold.  The waves were not brushed out, only finger-styled as needed.  Then the top of the hair was slicked back to mimic wet hair with an ample amount of Kerastase Elixir Ultime.  A smaller dose of the Elixir Ultime at home will give a healthy shine to the hair shaft.

Nails:
Candice Manacchio gave the models a manicure that was inspired by reflective aquatic movement using a custom blend of CND Lavender Pearl Effect mixed with a few drops of brand new CND polish in Lilac Longing (out in Spring 2013).  Candice was very adamant about being creative at home and trying to mix your polishes in this manner.  With nail art still a great form of self-expression, WHY NOT try this at home?