New York Fashion Week: Lela Rose, Spring 2010

The inspiration for the makeup at the Lela Rose New York Fashion Week Spring 2010 show was Venice Beach. "The Lela Rose girl has been on the beach all day," said Sarah Lucero, Key Makeup artist for Stila/Beauty.com. "At the end of the day, she grabs her towel and heads out for dinner. So she needs a look to play up her sun kissed tan."

To create the look, Sarah used evened out models’ complexions and gave them a "clean, healthy glow" with Stila Sheer Cover Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15. Stila Convertible Color in Camelia, Eye Shadow Duo in Fandango and Cobalt Smudge Pot were applied to eyes. Sarah gave cheeks a little color using Stila Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain. Camelia Convertible Color did double duty on the lips. Finally, lashes were inked up with Major Lash Mascara in Black.

When I asked Sarah to recommend one Stila product that every woman should invest in, she quickly answered Stila’s soon-to-be-released One Step Makeup - which is primer, foundation and concealer (oh my!) all in one fantabulous formula.

Sarah touches up Lela's makeup.

Next, I stopped by Ted Gibson’s station to inquire about the hair, and was surprised at what I saw. Since I started covering New York Fashion Week four seasons ago, Ted has been the Head Stylist at Lela Rose - and their collaborations typically yield sophisticated, polished hair. Not this year. "This season, the hair is an interesting departure from what we usually do," Ted said. Inspired by the beachy theme, and the collection’s wave details, he created a slightly messy mane. First, he sprayed hair with Build It Blow Drying Agent. Then he twisted small sections of hair before blasting them with a blow dryer. After repeating this process all over the head, Ted gathered hair in a ponytail and secured with an elastic. The pony was then back-brushed to give it volume and set using Beautiful Hold Hairspray. "This look is easy to replicate and is very wearable," he said. "If you’re a little more adventurous, leave the hair down."

A beachy, soft, nude nail - courtesy of Deborah Lippmann - complimented Lela’s collection. Lippmann Long Wearing Nail Lacquer in Fashion, an opaque beige - is a "modern take on the old-school matchy match mani/pedi," Deborah explained. "The color extends the skin, and you can imagine that toenails adorned in this color would just disappear in the sand."

It’s not often that I have a tête-à-tête with a nail authority, so I took the opportunity to ask Deborah about emerging trends and nail don’ts. She officially pronounced French manicures and pedicures as DEAD, noting that they should have disappeared along with the Betamax. "The French manicure is dated and uninspired. Many women tell me that they like a French manicure because they’re looking for a natural look. Problem is that no one has a white, white tip. Opaque beiges and tans are the new way to wear a neutral nail. I also love that these opaque nudes can do what pale, sheer pinks can’t: they cover imperfections better, result in less streaks, and make fingers look longer and leaner."

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