How to Get the Easy Knots, Fishtail Braids, and Sun-kissed Skin of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists Show

Calm and confident summed up the mood on the second floor of the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles this afternoon as makeup artist Lottie Stannard and her army of Maybelline New York assistants—dressed head to toe in matching black outfits with identical backstage kits—worked their way through a lineup of fresh-faced models in the hours before the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists’ afternoon runway show. “We’re keeping the skin very modern and dewy on everyone,” said the makeup artist, who goes simply by Lottie, as she applied a light layer of Maybelline’s Dream Pure BB Cream over each girl’s complexion. From there, she was creating a series of varying looks as impactful and unique as each designer’s collection.

“It’s a very pretty, sun-kissed, Western look, with lots of gold and bronze that’s brushed almost up to the eyebrow,” she explained of Ryan Roche’s modern prairie girl, who got a burnished metallic eye, courtesy of Maybelline’s new Expert Wear Palette in The Nudes, and a dab of the company’s Baby Lips Crystal Balm on the mouth. The rest of the face remained “quite sheer so you can see the skin and, instead of highlighter, we are using clear Baby Lips Balm on the eyelids, bridge of nose, and cheekbones—anywhere the sun hits—for a glow-y feel.”

Bolder makeup statements included Edie Parker’s cool bohemian girl with her lived-in eyeliner. “I put it on the inside of the eye in the waterline and smudged it out,” said Lottie of using Maybelline’s Master Kajal Eyeliner in Midnight Brown. “Kind of like she’s been out all night.” Eva Fehren’s models sported a burgundy stain in the center of the lip using the company’s Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick (in Divine Wine), while Grey Ant’s models went out with a nineties-inspired taupe lip using the Color Tattoo Leather 24Hr Eyeshadow in Creamy Beige rather than lipstick. Meanwhile, manicurist Kimmie Kyees was sticking to a similarly era-appropriate palette of mauves, grays, browns, and taupe on toes and fingers.

In the adjoining rooms, seasoned New York Fashion Week hairstylist Jon Reyman was busy putting the final touches to what he dubbed an intelligent knot—created for Simon Miller’s model flock. “It looks haphazard but it’s really thought-out,” Reyman said as he finished the look, which he likened to a modern counterpart to the ponytail, by running some Aveda Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil through to the ends for a piece-y texture. “And it works perfectly with all of the hats.” Paul Andrew’s models’ sideswept waves were meant to evoke “glam, disco, Studio 54 hair”—courtesy of the company’s Volumizing Tonic—but it was the long, intricate fishtail braids with lots of shine he was fashioning for Roche’s runway girls that promised to transition instantly from the runway to the front row, where the event’s flock of actresses and girls-about-town were happily fanning themselves with their stiff cream invites. Minutes later, as models emerged into the hot, bright afternoon sun of the Chateau’s courtyard, that modern frontier girl look hit all the right breezy notes.

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