Backstage at Alexander McQueen Fashion Show Fall 2012 Paris with Redken. “The whole idea of this was I wanted to depersonalize the girls completely, and this was achieved by fitting them all with the exact same white/platinum wig. The wigs are like helmets with mirrored visors so it’s very futuristic looking…

ALEXANDER McQUEEN Fall 2012

When I work with Sarah, we get involved very early on, and we decided here that the clothes have so much personality that the anonymity of the girl was very important. I looked at all of these cartoons and Japanese art for inspiration, and I really wanted a Manga [Japanese Cartoon] feeling to the girl so we came up with the idea of the visors. Then I thought, how do I minimize the hair yet make it uniform? So we the came up with the idea of the wigs. The wig was then cut into a bob and I’m using forceful 23 to really sculpt the hair so it looks like a helmet. There’s no reality to the wig – you don’t feel any sexuality or anything. It’s very cold and very modern couture.”–Guido, Redken Creative Consultant

How To Create the Look:

1. To re-create this look, start with the haircut: it should be a graduated bob that tapers at the neckline.

2. Apply guts 10 root targeted volume spray foam to damp hair and begin blow dry straight back, alternately using a flat boar bristle brush and a fine- tooth comb.

3. Apply a very generous amount of forceful 23 super strength hairspray to hair as you are blow-drying.

4. When dry, finish by spraying the find tooth comb with forceful 23 and raking back through the hair, and mist with additional forceful 23 to lock the style in place.

** Guido used wigs on the models for this show, which should be applied by a professional hairstylist. For a great cut like this, see Redken.com for their salon locator to find a stylist.

At Alexander McQueen, Redken Creative Consultant Guido created very intricate hair masks for each model to wear, creating a fabulous, fantasy-like overall look when paired with the exquisite, embellished Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Runway Hairstyles: Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2012 Paris Fashion Week

“Overall this season, there was a simplicity and wearablility to the styles we created, but this is not one of them. Often we talk about Fashion Week hairstyles as being more fantasy and aspirational, and the look we created today at Alexander McQueen is just that…

All the models are wearing these very intricate masks that I designed with Sarah [Burton] and the idea came from the masks we created for the McQueen exhibit at the Met in New York. It’s always fun and different to work in a design capacity, so when Sarah showed me the collection, the “hair” evolved from there. Each headpiece is slightly individual. In order for the masks to fit on the models’ heads, we braided the hair underneath. This made the overall look more embellished and richer, as you can slightly see the braids through the mask.”

***no Redken product was used in creating this look.***

(Las Vegas, NV – May 22nd, 2011) – Singer Fergie is futuristic at the 2011 Billboard Awards, accessorizing her avant-garde look with Stephen Webster jewelry. Fergie wore a Stephen Webster Fly By Night Ring in 18ct yellow gold with smoky quartz and black sapphires and Cascade earrings in 18ct yellow gold with black sapphires to the event where the Black Eyed Peas took home the award for top duo/group. Dress my Alexander McQueen. Shoes by Christian Louboutin.

Marta Walsh says” “Fergie looks fabulous from head to toe and blonde hair is her best friend”. BTW stay tuned for my interview with Fergie thanks to AVON this week. xxx

Hourglass Artistic Director Gina Brooke did Madonna’s makeup for this evening’s “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The Met Ball is one of fashion’s biggest nights out, and I wanted Madonna’s look to be elegant, timeless and absolutely luminous – inspired by 1930s glamour. The focus is flawless skin and ravishing eyes—Madonna’s gorgeous eyes and lashes are among her best attributes—which always resonate on the red carpet,” says Gina Brooke.

Madonna at the 2011 Met Gala in Stella McCartney dress and Cartier jewelry

How to get Madonna’s makeup look:

Skin:

Prep skin first with Intraceuticals Rejuvenate Daily Serum to increase vital moisture and visibly revive the complexion. Follow with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, a must-have product for any event because it ensures that makeup lasts all night. It also neutralizes the skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines and pores and enables an artist to paint the perfect canvas.

Brows:

Enhance the brows with Revlon’s ColorStay Brow Enhancer in Light Brown. A beautiful set of arches always helps the eyes pop.

Eyes:

Apply the three lightest shades from Cle de Peau Eye Color Quad #20 on the lid, crease and brow. Blend with fingers to reduce any obvious demarcation. Follow with Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara on the lashes. Pump up the drama with Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer. Launching this fall 2011, this sensational new top coat elevates lashes to another level, adding volume, length and extreme shine.

Foundation:

For a dewy, fresh-faced complexion, use Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer. I like to mix two shades, Shell and Ivory, for the perfect match on Madonna.

Cheeks: Apply Temptu Air Pod Blush in Pale Pink. I love the soft-focus effect of the air-brush technology.

Lips: Fill in the lips with Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Nude—it helps to ensure the longevity of your lipstick—and follow with Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Crème lipstick in Icon. The color complements Madonna’s Stella McCartney dress and Cartier jewelry so wonderfully.

VOGUE Royal Wedding Dress. “Catherine Middleton and Sarah Burton have successfully kept the best-guarded secret in fashion history. The incredibly moving moment when the new Duchess of Cambridge stepped out of her car in an Alexander McQueen dress was the fantasy everyone in fashion has been dreaming would come true.”

The dress—pure and yet conveying the grandeur of its importance—is an exquisitely modern example of a personal collaboration between a bride and her designer.

Catherine has followed her own taste: a V-neck décolleté and a silhouette that stayed close to her torso, and long, delicate lace sleeves that evoked, perhaps, the wedding dress worn by Grace Kelly when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.”-Read full article in vogue.com

“I feel like I flew to England overnight ..jet lagged watching the royal wedding. I Loved Kate Middleton’s incredible poise & McQueen dress, she’s very pretty and a brave woman. The dress to me is a modern take of Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.”-Marta Walsh

Sneak peek to V MAGAZINE’s issue #68 upcoming age defying issue – “The Who Cares About Age Issue” – starring legendary female actresses –Jane Fonda, Susan Sarandon, Sigourney on newsstands now. All Photography by: Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin.

Jane Fonda in Dolce & Gabbana

Susan Sarandon in Fred Leighton

Sigourney Weaver in Alexander McQueen

Jane Fonda says that at age 72, her life has never been richer, more active, or more fulfilling. And Susan Sarandon, at 64, would say the same about her own. As would 61-year-old Sigourney Weaver, 64-year-old Charlotte Rampling, and 60-year-old Amanda Lear. In this, our Who Cares About Age Issue, they’ve all told us, in varying words, that society’s stigma of age has no bearing on their daily lives, only that they feel more confident in who they are and more gorgeous inside and out with each passing day.

Paris Fashion Week SS 2011. At Alexander McQueen, the fantastical look was basket-weaved panels inspired by nature, straw, wicker and basket weaving.

image via blog.squa.re

“The collection is very inspired by nature and creating things from what is around you. This style was inspired by whicker, straw and basket weaving – it’s a fantasy hairstyle and not meant to be wearable.” –Guido, Redken Creative Consultant

Redken Products & how to:

- spray starch 15 versatile ironing spray

- forceful 23 super strength finishing spray

Create the Look:

- Center part the hair from the roots to crown.

- Divide the hair into 3 panels (left side, right side, and back).

- Taking 1 panel at a time, divide the hair into 1” panels and apply spray starch 15 versatile ironing spray all over.

- Flat iron each 1” panel so it’s completely straight.

- Beginning on the left side of the main panel, take a 1” panel towards the top and begin weaving this horizontally through the other panels. Keep weaving until the horizontal panels reach the end of the hair’s length.

- Take the final portions and braid until the end.

- Follow the steps above for each of the two other panels (left side, right side, back).

- Once the back panel is complete, fold the panel upwards in thirds and secure with pins so it lays flat against the head.

- Finish with forceful 23 super strength finishing spray to secure style and reduce fly aways.

Anna Paquin’s Hairdo at the 2010 Emmy Awards. Frederic Fekkai Celebrity Stylist, Renato Campora, created a soft yet glamorous style for Anna Paquin. The Hairstyle & Inspiration: A soft yet glamorous look to compliment her dress by Alexander McQueen.

Here’s how to get Anna Paquin’s hairstyle at the 62nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards: Hair Tutorial

On wet hair, Renato Campora applied the Fekkai Full Blown Volume™ Styling Whip to the roots and the Fekkai Coiff™ Perfecteur Anti-Frizz Silkening Crème. Once dried, he used a ½ inch curling iron and set the hair in pin curls. After 15 minutes, Campora removed the curls and ran his fingers through the hair to loosen and create shape.

Next, he pulled the hair back into a high French twist, revealing the nape of her neck, and secured with bobby pins. To create volume, Campora loosened the hair at the crown of her head, resulting in a softer, yet ultimately glamorous style. He finished the look with Fekkai Advanced Sheer Hold Hairspray.

THE PRODUCTS ALL BY FEKKAI: Fekkai Full Blown Volume™ Styling Whip ($23), Fekkai Coiff™ Perfecteur Anti-Frizz Silkening Crème ($25) Fekkai Advanced Sheer Hold Hairspray ($23). AVAILABLE AT FREDERIC FEKKAI SALONS, NORDSTROM, NEIMAN MARCUS, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE AND FEKKAI.COM

I’m excited to share with you my interview with Amy Bailey who has begun to make her mark within Hollywood’s demanding movie stars. Amy can be seen in the star-studded movie, “Nine” along side Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and Kate Hudson. Up next for the actress, she will be playing the Hatteress in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

Amy Bailey

In this interview Amy Bailey tells Marta Walsh about how it all began for her in Hollywood. Her role in the film “Nine” and what was it like working with its director Rob Marshall. How one day she took Penelope Cruz and her sister to see the Royal Ballet perform. Her latest acting role in  ”Alice in Wonderland”, also staring in this film Johnny Depp. Future plans, and of course, style and beauty secrets!

Marta Walsh: Where did you grow up and where is home for you?
Amy Baliey: I grew up in a coastal town called Corpus Christi, in South Texas. I loved going to the beach right after school. Now I divide my time between London and L.A.

MW: How did you decide on a career in showbiz, and what were some of your first breaks?
AB: I was a professional ballerina by 17yrs old, so I guess being onstage always felt pretty natural. My parents couldn’t believe that as a teenager I would skip out parties because I had ballet class the next morning. It kept me out of trouble, for the most part

Three years ago I decided to transition to musical theatre and was fortunate to land my very first audition. It was understudying “Ulla” in “The Producers” – a big West End show in London. The casting team took a chance on me that I could do the lead as a singer and I was thrilled to rise to the challenge. Right after that show I got the lead role in “Oklahoma“, so I feel grateful that people believed I could make the transition.

MW: How did you land the role of Guido’s Showgirl in film “Nine”? What was it like working with director Rob Marshall and the rest of the cast?
AB: “Nine” auditioned thousands of girls from London, LA, NYC, and Rome. We had over 400 people in my audition and it was a grueling 2 days of elimination rounds. It was nerve-racking – everyone wanted to be in this movie and we all knew there were only a handful of spots available.

When I got the call from my agent I was in a library but I still squawked outloud. We filmed for 5 months in London. Rob Marshall is incredible. Very zen but totally in control of his vision. I think Catherine Zeta-Jones was quoted as saying she would read the phonebook for Rob and I am inclined to agree!

We had loads of rehearsals and I got to work very closely with our stars. Funnily enough, they were more nervous than we were as they all had to sing and dance. Daniel told me he was “terrified” of the dancing! You never imagine someone like Daniel Day-Lewis being scared of anything, but they were all working so hard to master things that I’ve been doing since I was 5. It’s all about perspective, I guess.

I loved seeing the “real” Nicole, Penelope, Kate, Daniel etc. These actors are so famous that they can’t do the things all of us take for granted. I took Penelope and her sister to see the Royal Ballet perform, and in public she was gracious, but she had to be much more guarded because everyone was gawking at her. It was interesting seeing both sides of fame.

MW: What have you learned from your acting role in “Alice in Wonderland”? Did you get to meet Johnny Depp (you know, it’s a dream of mine)?
AB: Acting in “Alice” was a new experience for sure! We were basically acting to nothing as the sets are all CGI. It’s a very good experience though – you really have to use your imagination, but then be consistant for the many takes. At times it was chaos. We would role and then Tim would have to yell “Cut!” for the 10th time because someone had run through the imaginary unicorn. Johnny had already filmed most of his scenes so he wasn’t around much, but I saw some of his takes and he is brilliant! Perfectly cast.

MW: What would be your next dream acting role?
AB: Gosh, it is hard to choose. I adore the fantasy genre, like “Alice” or “Avatar“. It would be a dream to work with Peter Jackson or Darren Aronofsky. But I also love comedy and indie films. Charlie Kaufman writes very cool scripts.

MW: Which actor/actress inspires you the most?
AB: Actors that morph into their characters inspire me the most. I can never predict Cate Blanchett. Her performance as Bob Dylan in “I’m Not There” is sublime. Marion Cotillard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Daniel (of course!), Sam Rockwell, and Catherine Keener consistantly give true performances.

MW: What is next for Amy Bailey?
AB: Right now I am in love with The Goundlings! I’m doing long-form comedy improv there which is something every actor should try. It basically kills your ego, but that’s a good thing And it makes every audition you have a breeze ’cause you’ve pretty much already died a thousand deaths when doing improv. You learn to be comfortable in the so-called “grey area”, where you have no idea what is going to come out of your mouth next. Quite liberating. I adore Christopher Guest and his team who put together “Best in Show” and “Waiting for Guffman“. How fun to improv an entire film.

Amy Bailey on Style & Beauty Secrets:

I keep my hair beautiful thanks to…
Krill oil capsules and eating sardines. You may say yuck, but you can’t beat Omega-3 in your diet for great hair.

My favorite skincare products are…
I do a mix of things. Right now I am loving Ziva toner followed by SK-II Vitamin C serum, then moisturizing with Weleda Wild Rose day cream.

I get my eyelashes looking long, full, and sexy using…
A heated eyelash curler and Lancome mascara.

The best lip-gloss I ever owned…
Was a homemade organic lip balm. Given to me as a gift. I’m almost out and very scrimpy about using the last little bit of it.

My signature fragrance is…
The Body Shop’s Pure Rosehip Oil. I like fragrances that smell like real flowers. I can’t stand strong stinky perfume.

The one beauty product you will always find in my purse is…
Lip balm. I have a habit of chewing my lips so keeping lip balm on them helps me stop.

Beauty is all about…
It’s all about love baby! And it’s not corny to say so…we all know those people who are so beautiful because they are brimming with love and joy. Physical beauty is all relative anyway, but most of us can agree on what makes a beautiful personality.

I describe my personal style as…and my favorite fashion designers are…
Well I would call my personal style “vintage” or “eclectic”, but I have to admit many of my friends say I dress like a Grandma. I don’t know what it is – polyesther prints just move me. Seriously though, I love good tailoring and vintage cuts from the 40′s and 50′s are so flattering. Alexander McQueen and Zac Posen are 2 of my favorites.

The sound, restaurant, and movie I love the most…
I love the sound Gospel choirs, and of a big, booming, live symphony orchestra. One of my favorite restaurants is “Rules” in London. It is the city’s oldest restaurant and it is very posh darling. I love the movie “Goonies”. I never get tired of seeing it.

One or two things some people may not know about Amy Bailey…
I have a bright red birthmark on the palm of my hand, and I haven’t met anyone else who has one there. I can also play “Oh Susanna” on the harmonica with my nose. No really, my dad does it too.

Talking Makeup would like to thank fabulous Amy Bailey for a brilliant interview. To learn more about Amy visit the Amy Bailey official website!

BEST DRESSED: Sandra Bullock looked gorgeous in an Alexander McQueen gown at the 2010 SAG Awards. I must say, Sandra’s dress was a bit tame relative to Alexander McQueen’s usual styles. Nevertheless, Marta loves:)

Sandra Bullock at the 2010 SAG Awards: Do you love?

Sandra Bullock with Jesse James at the 2010 SAG Awards