6 posts tagged "Gordon Espinet"
EXCLUSIVE: MAC Debuts the Makeup Brush of the Future
With all the exquisite hair and makeup looks coming out of the tents this week (and the auxiliary venues that make show-going a citywide affair), it’s easy to overlook the little things that make the magic happen: the organic-baby-food pouches that James Kaliardos keeps in his kit to stay properly nourished on a long day in the backstage trenches; the well-traveled bottle of Rodin Olio Lusso that Tom Pecheux utilizes before he even considers bringing out a tube of foundation; and perhaps most important, the makeup brushes that these artists use, which can differ drastically from face painter to face painter.
“I’m known as the queen of brushes,” Val Garland said backstage at BCBG, referring to the unorthodox way she uses the tools “not the way they’re supposed to be used”—a concealer brush as a lip brush, etc; backstage at Altuzarra, Tom Pecheux was giving a veritable clinic on the difference between synthetic and animal-hair tops. “Never use a natural-hair bush with cream pigments,” he said, blending out the show’s “spooky” black and raspberry lids. But it was another revelation there that really blew our minds. “We’ve been testing them out backstage,” MAC’s vice president of makeup artistry, Gordon Espinet, said, holding up an unusual thing that resembled an ergonomic toothbrush, at best. “We always think of makeup brushes as something we paint with. These turn everything around. What do we brush our hair with, what do we brush our teeth with, what do we use on ourselves?” he asked rhetorically. “Brushes that have long handles. I’ll be honest: Our first thought was that these are great for people to do their own makeup.” Nevertheless, the group of three brushes, which will be expanded to include a full collection once the prototype phase ends, have been garnering plenty of attention from women who are having their makeup done. “I’ve been using them when I’m doing powder in the lineup, and all the models are like, ‘What is that?’ It just feels really good,” Espinet continues of the super-soft synthetic fibers that make even the most complicated makeup techniques, well, “idiotproof,” he jokes. Sign us up.
Grace Kelly Incarnate, Backstage At Elie Saab
Backstage at Elie Saab’s Spring Couture presentation today, it all started with Grace Kelly. “She was never too overdone, and Elie wanted the girls to look very young and fresh,” hair guru Orlando Pita said of the “wholesome” side-slung chignons he created by prepping strands with his signature T3 Plump before drying, side-parting, and fashioning a loose braid behind the ear, which he tucked into itself. “It’s supposed to look effortless,” he added. That’s not necessarily a word we’d use to describe the late Princess of Monaco’s always put-together appearance, but MAC senior vice president Gordon Espinet clarified, “It wasn’t about making the girls look like her; it was more about making them look fabulous without a lot of fuss. No muss, no fuss.” That meant a flawless, dewy complexion, the kind of adolescent gleam we find ourselves trying to muster every day. Espinet achieved it here by prepping models’ skin with MAC’s much-loved Care Blends Essential Oils mixed with its Strobe Liquid Lotion. Then came a light application of foundation courtesy of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish—”it doesn’t cover; it just makes skin look awesome,” Espinet enthused of the color-correcting compact. A flush, “not blush,” created using cream color bases and a slathering of tinted lip conditioner, gave cheeks and mouths a natural rosy glow, while a slashing of black mascara on the top lashes added just a hint of drama. “It’s almost makeup that you don’t have to look into the mirror to do,” Espinet says. “You can feel it go into all the right places.”
Backstage Beauty: It’s In The Bag
After years of hearing that makeup artists and hairstylists rely on its traditional black travel cases to transport products and tools between New York, London, Milan, and Paris, Tumi is capitalizing on an amazing marketing opportunity: Starting this past weekend, the brand has partnered with MAC Cosmetics’ vice president of makeup artistry, Gordon Espinet, and will follow him (and his trusty luggage) as he makes the seasonal backstage rounds. Wherever Gordon and his Tumi bags go, fans of the brand—and fashion in general—will have a chance to follow via Facebook and Twitter, learning about Fall beauty trends and after-party antics along the way. Right here, for example, Espinet’s Alpha duffels are en route from Heathrow to Milan, where the fashion tribe is currently relocating. Can’t you just see the anticipation, exhaustion, and excitement on their ultra-tough, FXT ballistic nylon faces?
a humble retraction
A few weeks ago, we posted about a series of face charts created by MAC Cosmetics vice president of makeup artistry Gordon Espinet, which “suggested” looks for a future first lady or vice president. In said post, we intimated that the looks were, well, de trop. In fact, our exact words were “[the] Gloria Gaynor-style cheek contouring—might be a little too, er, ambitious for the current political climate.” After seeing last night’s vice presidential debate however,
we would like to formally admit that we were wrong. In fact, another face chart from the same collection of images looks nearly identical to Governor Palin’s—we’re just going to come right out and say it—bronzer abuse during last night’s telecast. Our apologies for doubting your abilities for conjecture, Mr. Espinet.
Photo: Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics
It’s The White House, not Steve Rubell’s House
In what we can only assume is an effort to join the ongoing election discourse, MAC Cosmetics’ vice president of makeup artistry Gordon Espinet released a series of face charts last week with “suggested” looks befitting a future first lady or vice president, as the case may be. Referencing an increasingly mindful political arena and the clarity of high-definition television, Espinet asserts that now, more than ever, female politicians need to be conscious of their makeup. This, he contends, should include looks that can easily take them from “a debate to an evening gala.” OK, agreed—but basing these “night looks” on backstage beauty trends from fashion week might be a little too, er, ambitious for the current political climate (see above). It’s taken us nearly 300 years to get to the point where the idea of a woman in the Oval Office is not implausible, and somehow the idea of Gloria Gaynor-style cheek contouring and a smoky eye don’t enhance the image. But maybe that’s just us. Anyone else care to weigh in?
Photo: Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics