The Mulleavy sisters, aka the masterminds behind Rodarte, don’t normally need any help conjuring up genius show-stopping ideas, but for their Spring 2012 RTW show, they called on a little classic inspiration. Van Gogh’s tell-tale swirly stars adorned the show’s impressionist-inspired spring line, and the painter’s influence didn’t end there! The show’s beauty looks also called the Starry Night treatment, with smoldering midnight smoky eyes that seemed to peer right into the audience’s soul and make us covet everything that walked the catwalk!

Get a similarly sultry look with NYX Eyeshadow in Frosted Ocean, a sparkly midnight blue, and line eyes with a navy glitter pencil like Pop Beauty Glitz Blitz Eyeliner in Blue Beam. Additionally, the models’ hair got a sexy wet textured look (you can too by styling damp hair with Oribe Creme For Style), and cheeks were given just the faintest dewy glow (don’t want to upstage the eyes!) with a mauve cream blush like Estee Lauder Signature Satin Creme Blush in Mauve Light. And don’t forget to finish the look with matching navy nails, thanks to Deborah Lippmann’s Lady Sings the Blues!

- Alex Gambardella

Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

*Photo Credit: Style.com

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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Aside from setting the tone for the upcoming season’s hottest makeup and hair trends, runway beauty manages to be extra fascinating for helping tell the runway show’s style story. And in the case of Jonathan Saunders’ Spring 2012 runway, makeup artist Lucia Pieroni helped tell the “fabulous yet also deranged” story of a retro-chic housewife who has perhaps taken “a bit too much Valium.” As twisted as the inspiration may be, we love the results, and rounded up a few products to steal the look yourself without abusing your prescription.

Of course, the ultra-thick dramatic liner is what makes the look – dip an angled brush like Estee Lauder Eyeliner Brush 20 in a black cream liner like Stila Smudge Pot (which, despite its name, won’t budge!). Skip the frosty-finished or shimmery bronzers and go for a matte sunny glow for that ideal Miami housewife look – try Cargo Matte Medium Bronzer. And be sure to finish things off with a slicked-back yet roughed-up ponytail to complete that “done but undone” look. Frederic Fekkai Coiff Strong Hold Volume Mousse helps smooth hair out while still retaining plenty of volume!

- Alex Gambardella

Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Meet Marisol Garcia. Classic, contemporary and cutting edge makeup artist Marisol Garcia has been a professional makeup artist for 13 years representing major cosmetic companies, including 10 years with M.A.C. Cosmetics and 1 year with Benefit Cosmetics as a trainer.   You can usually also find her backstage during New York, Milan and Paris fashion week producing the makeup looks for some of the biggest shows.  Besides fashion week, Marisol also works on photo shoots, commercials, film, and print (she recently worked with Lady Gaga on the set of the Alejandro music video!)

Marisol works along side many of the fashion worlds most sought after makeup artists, such as  Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury, Val Garland, Kabuki, and Diane Kendall to name a few.  From how to create the perfect wedding look for each client to advanced makeup techniques, application for photos, print and HDTV and of course the wide array of looks at fashion week, whatever the occasion, Marisol always  delivers amazing results…so of course we had to approach Marisol to share with you her favorite makeup looks from this past Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week:

Once arriving in NY from sunny California, I could feel the excitement in the air for another season of NYFW Fall 2011. I had the opportunity to work a great deal of shows, big and small.

My favorite designers that I was able to work with this season were Jason Wu, Gstar Raw and Tommy Hilfiger. My favorite show overall was Jason Wu. From the feeling of the collection being inspired by lace and feathers to the makeup and hair. The makeup was very detailed. We used smokey blues, greys and black colors pulled out past the end of the eye and added a pop of refined gold glitter just on the center on the eye.  We added lots of black mascara on top and bottom lashes while  leaving the skin very clean and perfected with minimal makeup. Nothing was used in the brows, keeping them groomed and natural. A very soft pink semi frost lip color was added to the lips and a few dusts of silver highlighter were added to the cheekbones and just above the brow to finish this look.

I did see a lot of strong eyes at most shows. Some very strong and smokey and lots of glitter on the eyes too. Very little on the skin using concealer only where needed. The idea was to let the skin be as natural as possible. Very sheer blush if at all and soft pale and sometimes nude lips. I believe that the smokey eye is one of the most classic and easily applied looks. If studied and using the right brushes and products many of these looks could be easily accomplished with a little time and practice. It is also important to always remember to maintain balance. When doing a very heavy eye it is better to leave everything else almost naked. Adding a bit of soft color where needed and leaving the rest to your eyes.

To find out more about Marisol Garcia, visit her website at www.marisolartista.com.

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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In the middle of all the Fashion Week madness last week, A Girl’s Gotta Spa! took some (much needed) time out to tag along with amazing hairstylist (and Odile Gilbert protege) Rodnei Ferby as he styled the hair of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, Damaris Lewis, for the 2011 issue release party.  Rodnei was requested by Damaris herself and has worked with her  in the past at various shows including Baby Phat (they were both  broadcast all over Times Square on the jumbo-tron for the live feed of the Baby Phat Spring/Summer 2010 show.)

Rodnei arrived (fresh from assisting Odile Gilbert at the Rodarte Show) with the look he wanted to create for Damaris in mind. He wanted a style that was flirty yet sophisticated and since  she is so young he also wanted the hairstyle to be cute and discreet…but she IS a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, so the style had to be flirty and sophisticated as well.  He wanted to show her neck (but not too much of it) as well as frame the magnificent earrings she was wearing that night.

And being as kind as he is talented, Rodnei gave us a step by step on how to achieve the look using products by TRESemmé.

First, he prepped her already blown out hair with TRESemmé Mousse and brushed it through the hair. He then sectioned hair into three parts (left half, and two sections on the right)  and curled all of it it using  a Hot Tool 1 1/2″ curling iron, then pinned each curled section to the scalp and set it with  TRESemmé Ultra Fine Mist. Once the hair was set he removed the pins and finger combed it .  The left side of the hair was swooped around to the right side of the head into a low, tight bun and secured to the nape of the neck with bobby pins.  The back 2/3 of the right side was secured into a low wraparound and the front half of the right side was left loose (so that it would hang and give her some playful movement in her hair.)  He then spiral curled  the loose, hanging section of the hair, smoothed the edges with a rat tail comb and used TRESemmé No-Frizz Ultra-Light Shine Spray to complete the look.

The finished product was effortless, chic, flirty and fun all at the same time.  After it was all over I was more motivated than ever to hit the gym… I too (like an SI model) wanted to be able to request Rodnei Ferby at will, whenever an event demanded amazing hair.

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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The make up look at Alice & Olivia was all about the punky eye.  According to lead makeup artist , Polly Osmond for M.A.C, there was no specific reference for the look, it was just the “street version of the punky eye.” To achieve the look; Fluidline in Blacktrack was used on the lids to create a thicker/rounder line around the eyes, the brows were penciled in, Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara on the top lashes, a bit of highlighter on the cheeks and Runway Lipstick on the lips.  A lot of edginess on the eyes and a very glamorous lip. 

The hair was  very soft, pretty.  It was pulled into a big, textured chignon but did not look too “done.”  Lead stylist Thomas Dunkin did not want the hair to look like it was “too worked on.”

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Fresh, luminous, gorgeous skin was on display at Tommy Hilfiger.  Moisturizer with concealer as needed was applied to the skin, as well as Blot Pressed Powder to the t-zone for a matte finish.  “The Perfect Cheek” Blush was applied to the apples of the cheek.  Groundwork Paint Pot was applied to the lids, crease and under the eye,  a copper gloss was applied  on top of that and Clear Lipglass layered on top of that.  Lip Conditioner was  applied to the lips to complete the look, which was very “All American”…exactly what Tommy Hilfiger exemplifies. 

~Gail

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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Lead makeup artist at ADAM, Romy for MAC Cosmetics took the attention to the eyes.  Black creme liner (a full, thick line) was applied to the lids in a winged shape along with two coats of Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara to the upper lashes only.  Face And Body Foundation as well as concealer was applied to the face as needed, on the cheeks Posey and Laid Back Blush Cream were mixed and applied to the apples and the lips were left very subdued with just lip conditioner applied using the fingertips. 

~Gail

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Lead stylist (and Ted Gibson protege)  Devin Toth created easy, simple, clean but glamorous hair at Carmen Marc Valvo AW11.  The look was inspired by a ballerina, but softer.   Ted Gibson Styling Sheets were used to remove any excess oil in the hair, it was parted half up, half down, the top part was then finger combed to the back, twisted into a bun and secured with pins.  It was very pretty, but not too elegant. 

~Gail

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts