55 posts tagged "Shiseido"
Compact High
Shiseido’s Sun Protection Compact Foundation is the stuff of legend—especially where our intrepid market director, Marina Larroudé, is concerned. No stranger to the blistering rays of the southern hemisphere, the native Brazilian has been a longtime fan of the titanium-dioxide- and antioxidant-amino-acid-enriched powder, as much for its UV protection as its unbelievable coverage. “It’s all I wear,” she has said of the easy-to-apply skin perfector, which comes in an adorable azure-blue bubble compact. While the formula needs little improving upon, the packaging is about to get a major makeover. Just in time for summer, the Japanese brand has released the multifunctional complexion enhancer in limited-edition throwback palettes. Inspired by original Shiseido sun-care products, like its 1965 sun oil and 1969 Beauty Cake, the cases come in three bright yellow designs and pack tons of retro sun-worshipping appeal. Each one is available in seven different tone-enriching shades.
Shiseido’s Got You Covered
Despite the whirlwind travel, early call times, and unusually miserable weather at the Europe shows this season, I got a ton of compliments on my skin. I have a complicated relationship with my complexion, but even I have to admit it was looking good—which was less a function of the adequate amount of water I was diligently trying to drink and more the happy aftereffect of a new skincare routine that I stuck to religiously for a month straight (the one thing I try to do for myself during fashion season is take a hot bath at night and go to sleep with a clean, serum-slathered, and well-moisturized face). I’m currently penning a love letter to retinols, which will premiere on this space soon (they work; they really work!), but for now, I wanted to take a moment to sing the praises of Shiseido’s new Urban Environment Tinted UV Protector. I don’t like to wear foundation during the day but find that a little something is necessary to at least create the illusion that I have made an effort to counteract any blotchiness or discoloration, and this creamy salve provided that and then some. Available in three shades, the hydrating formula is bolstered by antioxidant-rich rose-apple leaf extract and creates a veil of sheer coverage that protects against future UV damage. Not that I needed the assurance of its SPF 43, what with the fact that the sun didn’t come out the entire time I was abroad, but, you know, you can never be too prepared.
Dispatch From Dick Page: The Shiseido Artistic Director Of Makeup Writes In From Céline
Phoebe Philo’s Céline show is one of the hottest tickets in Paris—so hot, in fact, getting backstage is a near-impossible task. But not if you’re Dick Page. The Shiseido artistic director of makeup, and longtime Philo collaborator, has been on face-painting duty here for seasons, including Fall 2013, which proved to be a big winner for the designer, thanks in small part to Page’s “natural, healthy, transparent beauty.” Here, Page provides a postcard from the trenches:
“It’s clean and pure. Lightly moisturized skin [with] a wash of foundation where needed to cover any blemishes or redness. I used dark brown concealer to shade around the lash lines—top and bottom—for a naturally shaded effect, and Shiseido’s eyebrow compact brushed through the brows to toughen them up. No mascara. Lips were treated with its Benefiance Lip Balm and muted slightly with a rose-beige camouflage concealer for a very natural lip finish. I did a little color toning on each girl individually, with beige/tawny/brown concealers applied with a fluffy blush brush across the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, and a little around the hairline, depending on the skin tone, leaving freckles and natural shadows [visible] under the eyes. The result? You don’t see makeup. You just see pretty girls in gorgeous clothes.”
“Block” Eyes And Sleek Severity, Backstage At Michael Kors
We’ve become accustomed to seeing Michael Kors’ woman with a sun-kissed glow from her time spent skiing or on safari, so when we spied a graphic black cat-eye backstage for Fall, makeup artist Dick Page immediately had our attention. “I met with Michael and Paul Cavaco, who styled the show, and amongst other things was the idea of an uptown girl heading downtown to party, or the club kid going up to Mr. Chow’s for dinner”—a good old-fashioned dose of culture-clashing, if you will.
After perusing a selection of reference pictures, the Shiseido artistic director decided to focus on an eye, but not just any eye. “I played for a while and ended up with this block shape, which we thought was just more interesting than smoky, winged, etc.” Using Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color in Caviar to build the shape from the center of the lid outward, Page diffused the pigment with the powdery onyx and shimmering pink shadows from its forthcoming Eye Color Bar, creating a sheered-out rectangle. Adding a highlight to the inner corner of the eye and the brow bone with its Shimmering Cream Eye Color in Pale Shell, a champagne, Page placed a luminescent glow beneath the lower lash line on the high point of the cheekbones for contrast. Beefing up the outer third of the upper lash line with a liquid black liner, Page swiped on a few coats of mascara before toning down lips by sponging on a mixture of Shiseido’s Benefiance Lip Balm mixed with foundation.
Complementing the urban-chic makeup were Orlando Pita’s sleek, high ponytails—which every girl, Karlie Kloss included, received. Designers have taken something of a “come as you are” approach to the bevy of catwalkers who cut their hair short last season, but not Michael Kors. If you enlisted in his runway army, you did so knowing that you were fighting for uniformity.
“Untouched” Makeup And Easy Hair, Backstage At Narciso Rodriguez
Narciso Rodriguez may increasingly be experimenting with color in his collections, but the complementary hair and makeup looks at his shows seem to be getting more and more stripped down in the process. Citing the success of Spring’s fresh, transparent face, Shiseido artistic director Dick Page confirmed that Rodriguez was keen on a repeat appearance. “I went to look at the clothes, and Narciso said, ‘I really loved how the girls looked last season. Can we do that again?’ I said sure. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
“It’s almost untouched,” Page elaborated of the nearly nude faces. “For a lot of women, it’s not enough,” he joked of the light-handed approach for which he swiped lids with the brown shadow from Shiseido’s limited-edition Eye Color Bar, while giving brows a “sketch of color” and definition with its Eyebrow Styling Compact. As he dabbed lips with its forthcoming Perfect Rouge lipstick in Harmony, a dark crimson, he asked, “So if you didn’t see that happen, you wouldn’t think she was wearing lipstick, right?” In fact, every model looked as though she was sporting a slightly tinted balm rather than full-on color. Sticking to the theme of simplicity, cheeks got a customized dusting of Shiseido’s Luminizing Satin Face Color while nails were kept short, round, and varnished with two coats of Deborah Lippmann’s ultra-sheer nude polish in Naked.
Paul Hanlon also picked up where he left off for Fall, bringing a certain ease to the hair as Rodriguez’s newly installed lead hairstylist. Creating imperfect center parts, Hanlon gave models smoothing blow-outs before applying a mist of hair spray to help slick strands behind the ears. Lengths were given a slight bend to create movement, but the key was to not do too much, thus letting Rodriguez’s traditionally understated clothes make the statement.