Beauty Realism at DKNY - NYFW Fall 2012

By Wendy Rodewald-Sulz / February 14, 2012

(Photo: Courtesy of Wella)

“The collection is super minimalistic - all the lines are very simple. So they just wanted the girls to look fresh and beautiful,” Charlotte Willer for Maybelline said of the “super natural” look she created for the DKNY. She used Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer under the eyes and on any imperfections, Fit Me! Powder on the skin, EyeStudio Master Shape Brow Pencil in Soft Brown to fill in brows and Baby Lips Lip Balm in Quenched for hydrated, natural lips. On the eys, Charlotte used EyeStudio Color Pearls Marbleized Eyeshadow in Sinful Sinnamon to add shimmer to lids and Volum Express One-By-One Mascara in Blackest Black on the top lashes only. Her advice for recreating the natural look? “Go light-handed. If putting on foundation, put it on with your fingers and put it on as if it’s a moisturizer instead of as a foundation. You want it to look like second skin, not foundation.”

On nails, manicurist Elle Gerstein for Essie used the brand’s Brooch the Subject for the second season in a row (“it’s classic DKNY,” she said). The “adaptable” opaque cream nude polish works on every skin color, Elle explained, because it’s neither yellow- nor pink-toned but a true beige neutral. This also makes it ideal to pair with shades like Midnight Cami or Poppy Art Pink for a cool nail art effect, she told me.

(Photos: Courtesy of Wella)

Meanwhile, Eugene Souleiman for Wella created a hairstyle that was "rich" but not "ostentatious" or "uptight." "We're creating a really nice quality of hair - a really good base." After washing and conditioning models' manes, he used Wella Velvet Amplifier on wet hair and sprayed with Perfect Setting before blowing hair out into a deep side part to add an "element of chicness." He smoothed hair with a straightening iron, then pulled it into a low ponytail that he secured with a custom-made barrette - a plastic clip that the team covered with black leather. "We're not doing anything here that can't translate to the real world," he said.