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Today was the second-to-last day of New York Fashion Week, and there was certainly no rest for the weary. Models ran from Michael Kors to Derek Lam to Anna Sui to Sir John's Beauty Gallery. Makeup artist Pat McGrath and nail artist Jin Soon Choi each had two shows back-to-back. Hairstylist Orlando Pita led the hair team at Michael Kors while preparing to launch his new product line tomorrow. And the Allure backstage-beauty team covered seven shows total, not only hitting our daily steps goals but also picking up some very fun beauty tricks, tips, and tidbits along the way. Here are a few of our favorites from today.
We learned how to turn any lipstick into a stain...At Michael Kors, makeup artist Dick Page shared his technique for turning even the creamiest lipstick into a gorgeous stain: First he pressed the bullet of the lipstick right in the center of the bottom and top lips and smudged the pigment out with his fingers (he used M.A.C. Lipstick in either Impassioned or Mangrove). Then he took a tiny soft eye-shadow brush and buffed the color to the edges of the lips, making sure the entire mouth was covered. "It creates a matte glow effect," he said.
...and how to get more out of your lipstick.At Derek Lam and Anna Sui, we saw lipstick used as eye shadow. At Derek Lam, makeup artists spread Maybelline New York Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid lip color in Orange Shot on the lids and blended it down to a soft wash of color, while makeup artist Pat McGrath used a burgundy lip gloss on the eyes at Anna Sui.
We got a blast from the past...Hairstylist Jay Braff at Delpozo whipped out a tool that is sure to conjure up some '90s nostalgia. He used a Topsy Tail (a plastic ring attached to a rod that acts like a lasso for your hair) to create the buns worn by each model.
...and a look into the future.We got a sneak peek at a new product—and product category—from Bobbi Brown. At Marchesa and Jenny Packham, Brown whipped out her forthcoming Eye Gloss in Bare Beach—a sheer, supershiny beige gloss—spreading it on the lids and following with loads of black mascara.
And finally, we found a way to do a really chic French manicure. Yes, really.When Michael Kors asked nail artist Jin Soon Choi to do a French manicure for his spring show, she cringed a little. Then she got to work figuring out how to make the nail style sophisticated enough for a major fashion show. What she did was kind of genius, and it looked really beautiful. She painted a milky pale pink on the tips, let that dry, and followed with clear topcoat. That tinge of pink at the tips and the nakedness of the rest of the nail kept the enhanced tips from looking tacky but still felt very polished and clean. "It also allows us to keep the nails short and rounded—you don't need crazy-long nails to pull off this look," she said.
Check out three genius manicure hacks that are lazy-girl approved:
