From a beauty perspective, London Fashion Week AW18 has proven to be a tale of two cities: one host to pared-back minimalism, embracing models' unique features, and the other a playground of creativity, colour, texture and finish.
Backstage, makeup giants like Hiromi Ueda and Aaron de Mey spoke of fresh, dewy skin, natural brows brushed to bushy heights, and contemporary but understated eyeliner. Here, accentuating models' features was key, rather than distracting from their beauty with extra detail. At once, Charlotte Tilbury and Thomas de Kluyver took inspiration from different decades to bring us neon-bright eyes, burnt shades of '70s lips, and punked-up black vinyl pouts.
Hair this season was most certainly styled. A move away from the beach-waved cool girl hair that's dominated for so many seasons, the return of tools and product quite literally helped shape the styles backstage, from extreme side partings to crimped and permed locks via attitude-laden shaggy mullets.
Whether toned down or amped up, the beauty created backstage this season shaped the shows as much as the locations and set lists, helping to bring front row audiences closer to London's favourite designers and their visions for the season.
Click through to find the best beauty looks from London Fashion Week AW18.
J.W.Anderson
"A baby Brooke Shields!" makeup artist Aaron de Mey said of his look at J.W.Anderson, created using NARS. Girls were given exaggerated, handsome eyebrows with three NARS products: first up, Brow Gel to bulk and give volume, then pencilled-in strokes in three tones using Brow Perfector before a powder shadow was used to set. "I've kept it on the cool side, and I wanted to steer clear of the caricature brow, so have kept it fluffy and realistic," Aaron explained. Skin was kept clean with Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, with a little of the Multiple Stick in Copacabana to add dewiness to eyelids.
Hair stylist Anthony Turner described the hair at J.W.Anderson as "very good taste hair. It's very well done, very aspirational." Parting the hair to the side, he combed KMS' AddVolume Styling Foam through sections, not to add height or plump but instead to keep hair in place. Using a large bristle brush, hair was then blow-dried to a slight kick at the ends. TameFrizz De-Frizz Finish Oil was then applied to smooth. Afro hair was left alone: "I don’t want to treat that in the same way because they’re beautiful as they are, and I don’t want to make it feel too forced."
NARS
Ashley Williams
At Ashley Williams, makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver turned to strong women of the '80s to create a bold, bright look. "What I love about women like Annie Lennox and Siouxsie Sioux is how they used makeup to feel empowered," he explained. "It wasn't about hiding behind a mask, but instead about creating a really incredible stage persona that elevated and gave power to their stage presence."
By creating a sheer base, Thomas let the colour do the talking, blending an intense combination of MAC Pro Eye Shadow in Red Brick and the almost-neon Powder Blush in Peony Petal across lids and cheeks. Some girls wore a heavy vinyl lip with MAC's Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Caviar, topped with clear Lipglass. The eyes were made even more punk with several models donning Pro Longwear Fluidline graphic lines over their shadow. "It's fun makeup," Thomas said, "it's makeup you could wear on a night out."
Photo by Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage
Ryan Lo
"This is typical Ryan in that it's pastel-hued, pretty, girly and cute, but there are lots of sub-stories that pose a complete juxtaposition," nail supremo Marian Newman, using CND products, explained backstage. Lo's show found inspiration in women of various eccentricity, from the prim and proper Princess Margaret to the Parisian bohemians photographed by Brassaï.
This played out via his signature kawaii style in a variation of holographic nails, which, according to Newman, are "still huge news this season." From iridescent shimmer to black bases with star sequins, each nail look had a holographic sheen. The cuff detail on some nails was painted on freehand, which Marian attributes to a good polish brush. "If you just press it out slightly, it should fan, and you can use the edge to create the perfect shape."
Over in makeup, artist Isamaya Ffrench gave models looks to tie in with the decade of clothes they were wearing. "We've got 1920s, we've got '40s, and there's an overarching French maid theme throughout," she said. "We can't actually get anything on the mannequins, as they have to be returned clean, so we had to be super savvy." She created exaggerated heart-shaped lips with MAC's Glitter in Red and graphic eyes with false lashes.
Ryan Lo (cont.)
Over on the live models, Ffrench gave a fresh glow with MAC's Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation mixed with Lustre Drops Highlighter.
The legendary Sam McKnight designed hair across both mannequins and models, taking inspiration from Lo's women: Princess Margaret, Chinese tea ladies, and French maids. For the Victoriana looks, he middle-parted hair before braiding from root to tip in three-inch sections. Next up, a spritz of his Modern Hairspray, followed by a clamped-down straightener to encourage texture. Once cooled, the roots were sprayed with Cool Girl before the braids were brushed through. Pulled into a low ponytail – just under the crown – McKnight finished with more hairspray for added hold.
Temperley
Charlotte Tilbury highlighted her newest product – Hollywood Flawless Filter, dropping this Thursday – backstage at Temperley, which was essential in creating the show look. "When I saw the collection, I saw both a '30s and '70s element," she explained. "The modern take we wanted to make was to have this really gorgeous, super starlet skin." Tilbury describes her new launch as "J-Lo in a bottle" and it can be worn under and over foundation, or alone for a flawless base. While every girl was given the "1930s really gorgeous, movie starlet skin," Tilbury brought in elements of the '70s via burnt red orange lips and bronzed eyes.
Hair was inspired by the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Amy Johnson, trailblazers of the 1930s. "These women, while empowering others, never sacrificed their femininity," stylist Antonio Corral Calero said. "They were always glossy and polished, which took time to achieve in that era, but doesn’t have to in ours." To recreate the glamorous waves, start with a deep parting, using the arch of your brow as a guide. Section the hair from the ear to the crown and bring forward, blow-drying the back section as usual. Run Moroccanoil Volumising Mousse through the still-wet front sections, before pinning inch-thick sections into waves. Dry on a low-heat, low-speed setting, and brush through once dry, finishing with Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine to boost shine.
Molly Goddard
Luke Hersheson's inspiration for the hair at Molly Goddard couldn't be more juxtaposed: "Think Britney Spears with really bad hair extensions, and the androgyny from Nick Cave." Bringing a toughness to Goddard's typically feminine aesthetic, Hersheson gave girls poker-straight hair by working John Frieda Original Frizz Ease Serum through wet hair, before drying and ironing section by section using Titanium Ionic Professional Straighteners. Hair was parted severely, from left to right, around two thirds of the way down from the brows. "I used a little bit of the Root Booster Blow Dry Lotion because it gives more of a hold to make it look slightly like an undercut." And where does the Britney reference come in? "You know how those bad extensions look slightly separated? We used Secret Agent Touch Up Crème through the ends to create a piecey look."
Using MAC makeup, artist Hiromi Ueda said of the Goddard girl, "She wears a lot of nice, perfect foundation to cover up everything but she wants to be quite cool, so she’s kept it simple with a focus on eyeliner." Using Brushstroke Liner in Black, models were given a contemporary take on the flick. Lipstick was used to create a nude lip, with Satin Lipstick in Peachstock lining the lips, and Crème d'Nude in the centre. Using the brand's new highlighter palette – Hyper Real Glow – Ueda swirled a brush of shimmer onto cheekbones.
Photo by Ki Price/WireImage
Halpern
“Producing business at the front, party at the back hair,” at Halpern’s disco extravaganza, Sam McKnight pulled models’ hair back into the slickest of ponytails, creating a contrasting texture with hair at the back, which exploded into life with curls, crimps, and perms. “It’s more extreme disco," the super stylist said of the look. “She’s been out all night and although she’s still got the slicked-back hair, the evidence of the party comes in this texture at the back.” Using extensions to bulk out the thickness of the ponytail, hair was a cacophony of straight sections, crimped sections (which were made by ironing small braids before brushing through), and corkscrew curls. McKnight’s Modern Hairspray was used to keep shine and hold on the head, while his Easy Up-Do Texture Spray gave the backcombed texture some added oomph.
Photo by Tabatha Fireman/BFC/Getty Images
Erdem
"She's a strong '20s woman, doing it for herself," Anthony Turner said of Erdem's muse this season. "There's something a bit bonkers, though – there always is at Erdem." Creating waves with his fingers in a scissor motion, Turner secured them with bobby pins before covering in L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Rebel Push Up. "She's been out in the rain changing a tyre, so the hair is meant to look a little bit weathered and mushed up," he explained backstage. Using a very thin nozzle on a Dyson hairdryer to heat the waves, he brushed through once dry.
Val Garland was at the helm once again, this time using Erdem's hot-off-the-press limited edition collaboration with NARS, Strange Flowers. "Erdem was inspired by the red lip that his mother always used to wear," she explained. "The look is very '30s and '40s aristocratic." Creating three makeup looks, she brought an iridescent sparkle to heavily glossed eyes on some models – using NARS Triple X Lip Gloss – a smoked red lip to others – using Erdem's lip powder – and a Sarah Moon-inspired rounded eye. She bleached the eyebrows of the models with this look, to accentuate the shape of the colour more. Using a black chubby eye pencil and a black lip gloss on top, she described the eye as 'film noir'. Skin was left "beautiful, flawless, and dewy," thanks to NARSskin Luminous Moisture Cream.
Photo by Tim Whitby/BFC/Getty Images
Katie Eary
Debuting her first womenswear collection, renowned menswear designer Katie Eary presented space cowgirls in boyish shapes, bold prints, and '70s punked-up finishes. Partnering with Cartoon Network to celebrate The Powerpuff Girls ' 20th anniversary, the collection dropped a healthy dose of girl power. Sam Burnett, founder of London salon Hare & Bone, styled models' hair, saying: "My spin on Katie's theme was trailer trash and heavily layered mullets with pixie crop fringes. I wanted the hair to have a tomboy, lived-in finish, with a skater girl look."
To recreate, Sam says to ask your hairstylist for heavy layers throughout the front of the hair, using jagged cuts. Saturate with sea salt spray and use fingers to set, before drying with a diffuser. Curl ends with tongs and texturise with a soft bristle brush.
Photo by Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty Images
Preen
Three words to describe the look created by the legendary Val Garland at Preen? "Strong, powerful and rebellious." Taking inspiration from the strength and determination of Korea's Jeju female divers, Garland created a look that mimicked the sparkle and moisture seen when they emerge from the water. "They all bring their own personal details to their diving outfits, and we wanted it to feel like they were diving for pearls," she said. "They're strong women, though, they're not mermaids." Skin was extra moist and glossy in what Garland described as a 'glacial' – a glitter facial. Glitter was literally blown onto models' foreheads and hair, to really recreate that sun-sparkling water effect.
Photo by Rebecca Lewis/BFC/Getty Images
Gareth Pugh
Marian Newman designed nails for Gareth Pugh’s show, which stayed true to his signature style but took a decidedly ‘80s turn thanks to structured power shoulders. The muse behind the collection? “She’s bold, strong, a modern-day Grace Jones who takes power dressing to the extreme. You notice her silhouette before you notice her.” To align the nails with the general aesthetic, Newman used CND nail colours Vinylux Blackpool and Blue Eyeshadow to create a mixture of sharp edges, animal prints, and – our favourite – punctured tips. “Gareth Pugh’s warrior women continue their march into the future with their nails as their badges of strength,” she said.
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