New York Fashion Week: Lela Rose, Fall 2009

For her Fall 2009 collection, Lela Rose drew inspiration from the rainforest - and the creepy crawlies that call it home. To help transform the models into chic, tropics-trekking entomologists, Lela enlisted the help of two of the biggest names in the beauty business.

Celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbow (for Beauty.com) used products from Stila Cosmetics to reinforce the rainforest theme. Tina prepped the skin with Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15, Perfecting Concealer and Sheer Pressed Powder.

"The skin is fresh and dewy, not dead and matte," Tina explained. "I'm so excited to have the skin be healthy and shiny and glowing."

When I asked if dewy skin was an emerging trend for Fall, Tina confessed that she's ready to see the skin again. "I love the idea of sheen. I love seeing the skin, and powder usually takes that away. This morning, we're only applying powder to the t-zone."

Models' lids were painted with gold and green shadows from the Precious Pearl Palette and lined in Kajal Eye Liner (in Emerald and Pearl) along with Stila Smudge Pot in Jade - to mimic the the "iridescent, pearlescent shell of a beetle."

Cheeks were earthily flushed, using Convertible Color in Camellia and pouts glossed with Lip Glaze in Praline. Eyeshadow in Constellation and Venus (new shades) were brushed over brows and high on the cheekbones to give the face definition and impart a jungle-like wetness to the look.

I wasn't surprised to see mane magician Ted Gibson backstage, as he and Lela love to collaborate. For the past two seasons, I have chatted with Ted backstage at Lela Rose - and he always serves up something fierce.

Every fashion week, I am amazed by his conceptual (yet accessible) hairstyles...and this season's coiffure made me heart Ted all the more.

While Tina Turnbow was inspired by the beetle, Ted found his muse in Odonata - aka the dragonfly.

To create the insect-inspired do, Ted created a center part, then swept hair back into a "youthful ponytail." The voluminous crown was created using Build It. Tame It Shine Lotion smoothed the hair and calmed flyaways. The ponytail was coiled and blasted with heat from a hair dryer (air concentrator nozzle on), to give the hair texture.

Finally, the twisted tail was set with Beautiful Hold Hairspray, which smells so wondorous that you want to spray it on - whether or not your hair needs help staying put.

I Went Backstage With Lela Rose, Now You Can Too - Thanks to Stila and Beauty.com!

Last September, I went backstage at the Lela Rose Spring 2009 show - to get the skinny on hair and makeup. Ted Gibson fashioned roughed-up braids and cornrows to complement the collection’s African-inspired theme. And Beauty.com makeup artist Tina Turnbow used Stila products to transform each model into "a very adventurous, outdoorsy woman on safari."
Now, Stila and Beauty.com have teamed up to create a kit that allows real women to achieve Lela’s runway look.

Stila Backstage with Lela Rose and Beauty.com contains the key products used by every artist backstage at the Spring 2009 show. Stila Sun Shade 02 was used to bronze the models' cheekbones; this bronzer is known for its amazing buildable color, which makes it a makeup artist favorite - season after season. Cranberry Lip Glaze popped the models' pouts. For the eyes, Starlight Eye Shadow let the lids shimmer with a champagne glow, and a coating of Major Lash Mascara in Brown helped to create a balanced, feminine face.

Stila Backstage with Lela Rose and Beauty.com is a $77 value, but you can snap one up for only $34. Exclusively sold at Beauty.com.

Yes We Afri-Can: Lela Rose, Spring 2009

For Spring 2009, Lela Rose takes us on safari.

Backstage, I had the opportunity to chat with my mane man, Ted Gibson, about the inspiration for the collection and the hair.



"Lela found this book and it had portraits of African women and these really incredible outfits and hairdos. So we took the same idea and she adopted them into the clothes and I adopted them into the hair," he said. "And what I’m doing is a modern interpretation of what these looks were. So I’m doing braids and roughing up the braids. It’s a cornrow in the front. It’s African inspired, but I think what’s great about it is that any woman can really wear it."

Ted used Tame It - a professional, shine-boosting styling lotion - to control flyaways and frizzies. Hairsheet Styling Sheets added polish and shine, and Beautiful Hold Hairspray secured the style in place.



Beauty.com makeup artist Tina Turnbow used Stila products to transform each model into "a very adventurous, outdoorsy woman on safari." To create the perfect canvas, Tina applied Natural Finish Oil Free Makeup and Perfecting Concealer. To impart a pop of color, Convertible Color in Poppy was added to cheeks and Cranberry Lip Glaze was pressed onto lips.

Tina then swept Stila Sun across the tops of the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose and the forehead to mimic a "sunburned/windburned face."

Tina used Dune Eye Shadow, conservatively, on the lids - to keep the look bare. Finally, Brow Set was applied with #18 Dual Ended Brow Brush to create what Tina called an "indulgent eyebrow, Audrey Hepburn style."

Before escaping the hustle and bustle backstage, I had the opportunity to chat up Stila celebrity makeup artist Sarah Lucero. I asked her to name her favorite products that real women can use to achieve runway looks.

"For Lela Rose, it’s all about the skin and healthy, flushed cheeks…so Convertible Color and the Tinted Moisturizer creates a really good sheer wash of color," she replied. "It has SPF, hydration and pigment. So what it’s going to do is even out your skin with pigment versus heavy weight. It’s great for everyday women and it’s what we use on the runway. It’s so versatile and you can feel like a pro makeup artist everyday in your bathroom."