NYFW Backstage Beauty: Get the Vena Cava Egyptian-Goth Look - Stylehive

For the Vena Cava Spring 2009 collection, designers Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai went for an "Egyptomania" theme with a gothic, mid-seventies twist inspired by movies like Lucifer Rising. From the clothes that had the phrase €˜I want this RIGHT NOW€™ playing over and over in my head to the smoldering makeup to the sleek and slightly undone hair styles, I absolutely loved every single aspect of this killer presentation. While we€™re gonna have to test our patience and wait a few months before we can snag the clothes, we CAN replicate the hair and makeup looks right now! I got the chance to hang backstage before the show to get the scoop on how to recreate the looks. Read on to find out how to replicate the hair and makeup looks step-by-step.

Makeup:
Created by Beauty.com makeup artist Tina Turnbow, the makeup look played into the €œGothic Egyptian€� theme with strong smoldering eyes that balanced matter with strategically placed shine, fresh clean skin, and soft nude lips to keep the look light more spring-friendly.

Face: Start with Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer, $32, followed by Perfecting Concealer, $22, and Pressed Powder, $28, to even out the skin tone and keep the face natural and matte. Then, using a large brush, dust Stila Sun Bronzer, $28, all over, concentrating at the cheekbone and letting it fade into the brow-area.

Eyes: Start by lining the inside with a creamy brown shade (Tigers Eye Kajal Pencil, $16.50) and then apply a metallic gray liner (Smokey Quartz Kajal, $16.50) starting from the middle of the bottom of the eye and along the upper lash-line. Apply shadows in matte brown (Nanda Devi, $18) and matte gray (Sajama, $18) all over the eyelid and then dust a soft shimmery silver shadow (Twilight, $18) right at the lash line (this will allow it to diffuse to the top and bottom widening the eyes). Leave the lashes uncurled (keeping them straight allows the silver to really shine through) and finish with a coat of MAJOR Major Lash Mascara, $22, in black.

Lips: The lips were kept natural and flesh-toned using Stila Lip Polish in Shine, $22, a clear gloss with a little bit of shimmer to it.

Hair:
I am absolutely head-over-heels for the hair look Oscar Blandi created for this presentation, which he described as a €œmodern mermaid.€� The look merged edgy goth with soft femininity by combining textures, where the front was slicked back and sharp and the back was serene and soft with loose tousled waves. The best part is this look is super easy to replicate with just 3 easy steps!

1) Start with a foundation of Oscar Blandi's Wave-Enhancing Spray, $18 and then allow the hair to air-dry to keep it natural (unless hair is super curly, then you need to smooth it out first).

2) Wrap sections of the hair around a 2 inch large barrel curling iron leaving the ends out to create a really soft wave.

3) Using water and Acqua Marina Gel, $19, slick the hair back with a small tooth comb. Pin it down and blow-dry so it holds in place and you€™re all set to go!