Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2013 backstage beauty: Tight, lacquered hair and graphic cat-eye liner at Greta Constantine

Date December 3, 2012

Greta Constantine Spring 2013 backstage beauty hair makeup nails — Photography by George Pimentel Photography

See the full Greta Constantine Spring 2013 backstage beauty gallery »

The inspiration:
Daniel Di Tommaso, Sebastian core stylist: “Super, super tight and very, very shiny. [Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong] wanted to make sure that when we pulled the hair back it was almost stretching the eyes.”

Melissa Gibson, M.A.C makeup key: “[Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong] sent a photograph that had a kind of ’50s-ish feel to it [and then] we were talking about the clothing which is so structured, and you think, ‘architectural, how does that come into makeup?’ The idea behind a graphic liner [is that] it’s still a play on what a ’50s liner would be if you were to modernize it, make it a bit more edgy and structural.”

Get the look:
– The super-tight ponytail for Greta Constantine Spring 2013 was actually created by bonding two ponytails together. After wetting down the hair, Di Tommaso brushed Sebastian Shine Crafter Wax through to tame any flyaways. Hair was brushed back into bump-free ponytails and the ends were rope knotted into a bun and pinned down to the head as tightly as possible. Many Sebastian products were layered to achieve a high-shine, but Liquid Steel Concentrated Styler was what made the look: Di Tommaso brushed the Liquid Steel directly to models’ heads, lacquering the hair into place.
– When attempting a very detailed eyeliner look, give yourself a lot of time and use the right tools. Melissa Gibson used a very tiny brush and M.A.C Fluidline in “Blacktrack”–as well as lots of Q-Tips for fixing any mistakes. Paint eyeliner on quickly and with a feathery touch, because “the more you push down on the brush the more you’re likely to make mistakes.”
– Further practical graphic eyeliner advice: “Don’t use a [eyeliner] pencil, it’s a hot mess,” Gibson advised. “And don’t do it when you’re drinking before going out, or have had five cups of coffee.”

All about those nails:
Created by Tips Nail Bar, the multi-dimensional look was just as graphic as the hair and makeup. “We wanted it to have an edgy, sinister look,” explained Yashana Roberts, the Tips Nail Bar team lead. After painting long, almond-shaped acrylic nails with M.A.C nail lacquer in “Nocturnelle,” a second smaller-but-pointier acrylic nail was glued on top—also painted in the black nail polish. M.A.C “Discotheque” nail lacquer was then sponged on, to give a textured finish.

Key products used:
Sebastian Liquid Steel Concentrated Styler ($22, beautybay.com)
Sebastian Shine Crafter Moldable Wax ($18, beautybay.com)
Sebastian Liquid Gloss ($26, beautybay.com)
Sebastian Shine Define Hairspray ($22, beautybay.com)
M.A.C Fluidline in “Blacktrack” ($18, maccosmetics.com)
M.A.C eyeshadow in “Electra” ($18, maccosmetics.com)
M.A.C Haute & Naughty mascara ($23, maccosmetics.com)
M.A.C Eye Brows ($18, maccosmetics.com)
M.A.C nail lacquer in “Nocturnelle” and “Discotheque” ($19 each, maccosmetics.com)