Fashion Week's new faces (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Fashion Week's new faces

7:00am Saturday 29th September 2012 in Lifestyle

Discover the backstage looks for next spring. Lisa Haynes goes behind the beauty scenes at London Fashion Week.

 

Just before his show, Jasper Conran tweeted: "26 models, 15 hair stylists, 14 dressers, 13 cans of hair spray, 12 make-up artists, 3 manicurists... backstage."

It can take up to three hours of preening and pampering to prepare a model for a 10-minute catwalk show.

The hair, the make-up, the nails, the skin - no beautifying detail is left undone.

And the end result is all geared towards tying in with the designer's creative vision. While some want individuality, others, like Erdem, request "an army of female clones" that look virtually identical.

Put all those visions together and top trends start to emerge. Here are next season's catwalk looks to follow for a spring/summer 2013 glow.

Eyes

Bye bye traditional black, make-up artists offered a true blue take on smoky eyes this year.

At Antoni & Alison, sockets were loaded with bright blue and eyes were aqua bright at both Moschino Cheap & Chic and Clements Ribeiro.

For Mary Katrantzou, MAC's Val Garland mixed blue and red Lipmix to create a bespoke midnight inky blue finish on eyelids that was matte and mysterious.

"It's all about creating a graphic, single detail," Garland says, who kept lips flesh coloured and avoided mascara.

"It makes everything look a lot more modern".

Face

Forget face lifts, a scattering of freckles is the S/S13 way to get a youthful look. Make-up artists went dotty over the facial feature of the season.

Varying tones of brow pencil were stippled across cheeks and noses to enhance or replicate models' own freckles at Moschino Cheap & Chic, and a smattering of freckles were applied to sculpted cheekbones at Sass & Bide.

Gucci Westman used Revlon's Brown ColorStay Eyeliner to add subtle freckles to Antonio Berardi's fresh, athletic girls: "They instantly make it feel youthful and sweet," she explains.

Lips

When one colour just isn't enough, try next season's two-tone pout.

MAC's Andrew Gallimore was the king of this technique, first creating an orange and fuchsia eye-popping summery lip at Holly Fulton.

Dubbing them "sunblock-neon" lips he used neon pink in the outer corners of the lip, orange Lipmix towards the middle, and then softly blurred the two hues together with a blending brush.

Gallimore's look was more subtle at Erdem. Against a nude, there was a light dusting of Neo-Orange Pigment to the inner lip for a central glow as though the models had been "lit from within".

Hair

Long, loose hair is getting a holiday next spring for tied-up tresses.

The message is simple - when hair is off the face and pulled back, clothes can do all the talking.

Hair was given a swishy twist at Antonio Berardi with a sporty rope braid - a literal twist on the plait. At Mulberry, Sam McKnight created low, dishevelled chignons bound with small plaits dubbed the 'braided bunch'.

At Erdem, Charles Worthington's Marc Trinder created a super-sleek 'Glazed Bun' to contrast with the detailed collection, while L'Oreal Professionnel's Malcolm Edwards created a couture up-do for Issa, pinning in orchids for a tropical touch.

Nails

One thing to note about nails for next season: nude, nude and more nude.

Marian Newman for MAC describes it as the strongest talon trend she's seen in 15 years: "The nude nail is such a powerful story."

Jenni Longworth for Revlon agrees, who also used versions of modern nudes at Daks and Christopher Raeburn.

"To ensure a nude is 'modern', getting the right tone for your skin is key," she advises.

"Steer away from the once fashionable French manicure and keep it beige or flesh-toned for a cooler look."

Skin

The spray tanning teams were a tad redundant backstage at London Fashion Week. Fresh, glowing skin finishing was the order of the day rather than deep, sahara suntans.

It was all about apricot at Roksanda Ilincic. St Tropez's Nichola Joss mixed Rose and Gold Skin Illuminators together to create just the right tone.

"I picked up on the amber tones running through the collection and transposed it onto the skin in a fresh, peachy shade that hints at shimmer - perfect for sun-drenched summer days and long hot nights," Joss says.

Tried & tested

Celebrate Jeans for Genes Day on October 5. Our testers try out three denim blues on their talons:

:: Mavala Denim Blue Nail Colour, £4.30 (John Lewis)

Great for travelling with or if you like experimenting with different colours, this dinky pot offers a divine indigo blue with a subtle shimmer.

4/5

:: Avon Nailwear Pro+ in Inky Blue, £6 (www.avonshop.co.uk)

Just one coat gives a deep, inky blue you could dive into. If you like your nails uber-dark and glossy this is the polish for you.

5/5

:: Nails Inc The Strand Star Magnetic Polish, £13 (www.nailsinc.com)

More of a stonewash mid-blue, this shimmering polish can be worn plain or use the magnet for a dazzling star effect. Great if you want statement nails.

3/5

Buy it now

Skin finishing was big news backstage for spring/summer 2013 with all those exposed limbs. Designer Roland Mouret has collaborated with Aromatherapy Associates to create a Final Finish Body Serum, £45, available at Space NK and www.aromatherapyassociates.com from September 24.

Beauty bulletin

:: Juicy beauty

Eat yourself beautiful, that's the mantra of more than two thirds of Brits. A survey of 2,000 found that 70% believe that what they eat and drink has a direct impact on the condition of their skin, hair, nails and overall beauty, Tropicana reveals. When asked if they would rather forgo their beauty-boosting diet or their topical beauty treatments if money was tight, the majority (75%) chose to ditch their pampering regime and continue with a nutrient-rich diet to maintain their looks.

:: Recessionista alert

Forget the groceries and make a trolley dash for Asda's beauty savings, ending October 2. You'll find offers like L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Golden Mousse for £7 (usual price £14.99) and three Aussie hair products for £10.