“It’s a much more laidback style of glamour this season,” said ghd stylist Sophie Roberts, working to the designer’s brief of cool-girl hair. That’s not to say hair was totally effortless – this was Alex Perry after all!
Roberts began by adding some signature Perry va-voom to models’ freshly washed locks, with a generous helping of ghd Total Volume Foam. She then blow-dried hair – sans brush – keeping the part roughly centred and the crown smooth. To achieve the just-right amount of movement, she used a ghd Eclipse Styler to create bendy waves throughout the mid-lengths and ends, and – to help hair set into natural-look texture – twisted it all into a low bun, which was unfurled just as models were about to step onto the runway, their hair swishing behind them.
In keeping with the theme of modern glamour, the Napoleon Perdis team created a “sport luxe” makeup look. To ensure models’ skin looked appropriately polished, makeup artists spent five minutes massaging in Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Radiance Boosting Mask (which launches in May); they then applied a primer followed by Stroke of Genius Liquid Cashmere Foundation (also out in May). “We used the Boudoir Brush to ‘feather’ foundation on,” noted co-lead makeup artist Nicole Snell. “This gives enough of a velvety finish, while still allowing the glow from the skin to shine through.” Highlighter blended along the cheekbones, brow bone and bridge of nose enhanced things all the more, while a dusting of Matte Bronzer beneath the cheekbones added both definition and an outdoorsy feel. Lids were dusted in copper shimmer, while lips dabbed in a barely-there shade of balm.
Makeup artist Rachael Brook, working for St Tropez, extended the idea of glimmering, bronzed skin to the rest of the body. “Alex wanted us to make the girls golden but not too tanned,” she said. “We wanted them to look healthy.” Models – who had prepped by exfoliating and moisturising during the previous few days, were covered in the Light to Medium shade of St Tropez Instant Tan Wash Off Lotion from neck-to-toe (makeup artists matched base to each body), and finished off with Skin Illuminator in Gold along the arms, legs and collarbones.
Finally, nails: Essie manicurist Ali Veras slicked on two coats of No More Film; the purple-based navy polish – which was hand-picked by Alex Perry to pick up on the denim tones and fabrics in his collection – “is both warm and cool,” noted Veras, “so it suits all skintones.”
Image by Kelly Defina, courtesy of Napoleon Perdis
