Copyright Eugenio Flores
VFW12 Runway Makeup by Sandra Chung
Copyright © 2012 Christopher Collie
Makeup/Hair/Styling/Creative Direction: Sandra Chung
Copyright © 2012 Christopher Collie
Styling: Marriki @ Honey Moon Muse
Model: Charr
Makeup: Sandra Chung
The smokey eye is one of the most popular and sought-after looks in makeup, often being sported by celebrities on the red carpet as well as models on runways. By making your eyes ‘pop’, this sexy makeup style is popular due to its simplicity and versatility. Whether you’re 19 or 39, there are many different variations of the look that you can wear with endless possibilities.
This look can be done with almost any color, but if you are not familiar with makeup it’s a good idea to stick to a neutral shade at first. A bronzey brown or plum-ish purple are safer choices, but if you are naturally adventurous with your makeup, opting for vibrant shades or different combinations of colors such as turquoise or bright purple can be a lot of fun.
Last week I had the opportunity to do hair and makeup for a promotional video collaboration for Leone, a local luxury boutique and Hush magazine, a local publication who was commissioned to shoot the video. Everything was put together in a very short time and I also had to work at Vancouver Fashion Week the same day . So, as hectic as the day set out to be, everything turned out rather smoothly et voila - here are some behind-the-scenes snapshots of the shoot.
Settin’ up shop - My kit has been significantly reduced over the years..less is more
In terms of hair and makeup, the concept was rather simple. The synopsis was essentially a young couple pulling up in a Maserati to Leone and spending a splendid afternoon shopping as they walk out with tons of shopping bags in the end. A few different scenes were shot, such as entering the store, trying on different outfits and browsing through their three-level boutique as well as having coffee at at their cafe.
“Make her look older, please” said Kevin, the Marketing/PR director of Leone, referring to our fresh-faced model Cara who clearly didn’t look a day past twenty. So I did, and although she still looked young, she was definitely more ‘well put-together’ and mature than ‘old’.
Baby-faced Cara
I decided to go with a 40’s movie siren- inspired makeup look - bronzey smokey eye to bring out her iridescent blue eyes paired with a bold red lip with peachy cheeks. For her hair, I first blow-dryed and then curled it with a large curling iron and teased the lights out of it to get that voluptuous va-va-voom look.
More volume!!
The result:
Cara in character
I thought the bold lip went well with the Cavalli leopard print jacket and J Brand dark denim. She could pass for a young version of “The Real Housewives of Vancouver”, n’est pas? As for the grooming for our male model Alex, it only took a few minutes since he already looked like he was born for the part. The models then slipped into their respective wardrobes and truly looked like a few young celebutantes. Like a scene straight out of Gossip Girl, if you will.
Here comes my ride. It’s just a Maserati. No biggie.
The director Shane definitely was good at what he does because the shoot wrapped up in just a few hours. The first scenes took the longest to shoot, even though it mainly consisted of just the two models pulling up in a Maserati and getting out and walking into the store. Then Shane decided to incorporate a concierge person to open the car door for our starlet.
Our male model Alex looking very dashing and 007-ish
But since it was a busy sidewalk, passers-by kept walking into the scene and some of them waited in anticipation to see who was going to step out of the Maserati. Most people assumed it was going to be an older guy in his mid-life crisis but ..surprise! Just a couple of young, good-looking people ready to drop some major paper at one of the most luxurious boutiques in town.
“I hope you know how much it will cost you if you call me ‘Linda’ next time.”
“Yes dear, that was an expensive mistake.”
The shooting then proceeded inside the store, where scenes of the two models trying on various outfits were shot. If you’ve never been inside this boutique, it’s really quite beautiful with traditional Italian influences. Take a stroll and you may feel like you’re shopping at the Duomo in Milan.
The young couple grab a cappuccino at the L2 Cafe. Mambo Italiano.
The final scene ended with the couple taking a siesta at the L2 Cafe. An obscure location, it’s hidden way in the back of their boutique downstairs which carries more casual lines such as Rebecca Taylor and Diesel.
I used to eat here every week because the food is just simple, rustic and delicious home-made Italian favourites like chicken parmagiana and spaghetti with meatballs. You can judge the authenticity of how Italian they are by how loud the yelling is in the kitchen, and how thin Giuseppina’s(the boss and head chef) pizza crust is.
It was a short and sweet shoot since I had to run off to Vancouver Fashion Week so I didn’t actually get to wrap up with the whole crew. I got to see the product in the editing process and it looks really impressive. Beautifully shot and edited, it doesn’t just look like your average promotional video; you can almost envision the interesting backstory behind it. I’m excited to see the final post-edited video, which should be up soon..stay tuned!
