If there's one thing about NYFW that we'll never get jaded about, it's getting the chance to go backstage before a show begins. It's arguably one of the most exciting—albeit hectic—moments of the day.
Not only do we get to experience firsthand the hustle and bustle before a show or presentation begins, but we also get to see entire looks come together through hair, makeup, and nails—and we learn how everything is created. And since those leading the beauty backstage are always the best in the game, they share the best tips and hacks behind all these looks.
Below, read all we learned from the beauty leads this season.
How to create a lip stain using liquid lipstick
We may be shying away from the opaque liquid lip, but that doesn’t mean all of our liquid lipsticks have to go to waste! Backstage at Jonathan Simkhai with Maybelline, Grace Lee created the ultimate berry lip stain that’s—bonus!—super-long-lasting, using liquid lipstick. First, she prepped the lip with a lip balm, to not only moisturize the lips but also to allow for some slip with the pigment. Next, she painted a bit of the color onto the center of the lip, and used a large fluffy brush to buff out the color onto the full lip, creating a translucent wash of color. Sure, it won’t last as long with the balm underneath, but it’ll certainly hold up longer than your typical lip stain.
How to pick out the perfect nude polish
Stumped on a nude that works with your skin tone? Backstage at Jeremy Scott with Essie, Miss Pop shared her tip for finding the perfect shade. “Don’t ignore the palm,” she stresses. Take note of the undertones—are you more pink, or yellow? You’ll want to find a nude that complements it, rather than matches it. Of course, if all else fails, she recommends opting for something with a bit of sparkle. “It’s like a highlighter for your nails, and it’s super-forgiving if you don’t pick out the right nude,” she says.
How to create an "orbit nail"
That’s not all Miss Pop blessed us with. She also showed us an easy way to recreate the “orbit nail,” or a nude nail rimmed by a pop of bold cobalt, teal, or pink, that she created for the show (because, let’s face it, not all of us are gifted with steady enough hands to paint a straight line with a striper brush, erm, or any nail art at all).
First, paint the nail with one coat of the rim color and allow it to dry. Next, being sure to use an opaque nude, paint a second coat over the color, leaving just a bit of space around the edges. “Imagine that your nail is a smidgen thinner,” she says. Then, swipe a french tip over the top in the rim color. Pretty simple, huh?
How to create tie-dyed hair
One of our favorite hair looks of the week was the tie-dyed hair extension seen at the Collina Strada runway show. Backstage with Oribe, Kien Hoang spilled how he created this marbled effect: with markers! While the extensions were dyed with a semi-permanent base color, the markers allow for different bursts of colors, creating a tie-dyed effect.
How to achieve the perfect “out of the shower” look
The whole wet-look “helmet hair” trend was spotted all over the runways this past week. Backstage at Proenza Schouler with Oribe, Holli Smith explained how to achieve the perfect “out of the shower” hair. Her rule? Brush your hair in the shower with conditioner, rather than after, to not disrupt the way the hair naturally falls and dries and to not put any comb marks into the hair. She also recommends not throwing your hair up in a towel, as it would stop the natural way the hair falls upon drying it. Rather, towel blot it.
How to look naturally flushed
Let’s face it, sometimes blush can look a bit too, well, pretty! If a natural flush is more your speed, makeup lead Hannah Murray for M.A.C backstage at R13 explains how. Rather than dusting blush on the cheekbones or the apples of the cheeks, you can apply it lower on the face, underneath the cheekbones, to create a “flush that comes from within.”
