5 Bombshell Beauty Lessons Straight From the Balmain Runway
By way of sexy, Balmain leaves nothing to be desired. And this season was no exception, with designer Olivier Rousteing swathing his army in hyper-exaggerated, ’80s-leaning silhouettes in crisp whites and metallic silvers that showed plenty of gleaming skin. Naturally, the beauty strategy echoed the French fashion house’s bombshell signatures, but there was a certain gamine sensibility this time around, illustrated most strikingly when Cara Delevingne returned to the runway, her overgrown pixie parted deeply to one side and slicked back with a high-gloss finish as she opened the show in a silky, XXL-shouldered pajama suit and silver metal bustier while lip-synching Prince’s “When Doves Cries.” From thick, brushed-up arches to pool-soaked manes, here are the definitive Balmain beauty rules for spring.
Embrace Full, Natural Brows
“It’s not an Instagram brow—it’s a beautiful brow,” explained makeup artist Val Garland backstage while examining Delevingne’s preternaturally lush arches, which admittedly didn’t need much help in the thickening department. But for the girls who did, Garland took a less-is-more approach, filling them in with featherweight, hairlike strokes of L’Oréal’s creamy Brow Artist Micro Tattoo Eyebrow Definer pen (“it really is like microblading!” she said), before adding a whisper-light veil of brow powder and brushing of brow gel mascara—either clear or tinted, depending on the model—to create a full, feathered effect.
Soak Strands for a Fresh-Out-of-the-Pool Feel
Hairstylist Sam McKnight will be the first to tell you, he’s got a thing for Helmut Newton muses, particularly those who jet off to exotic locales and live in sculpted swimwear. In reimagining the striking women captured in the legendary lensman’s iconic swimming pool photographs for Balmain yet again, McKnight put an androgynous twist on the sleek-haired look. “We’re doing it very masculine, with sideways parts and a little volume on top,” he explained, while using Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer to smooth Grace Elizabeth’s light brunette lengths pin-straight. Then, using a wide-tooth comb, he meticulously slicked the hair back section by section, gliding gobs of L’Oréal’s Full Volume Mousse through them for a wet and stringy finish. “You have to do it this way so the product distributes through the hair evenly so it really feels like they’ve just come out of the swimming pool,” he explained, while ever-so-slightly back-combing the front of the hair for va-va-voom lift.
Keep Your Complexion Glowing
Sure, models always have genetics in their favor, but during fashion month, with constant air travel, early call times, and inevitably late nights—not to mention, perpetually having one’s makeup applied and removed swiftly in time for the next show—it can take its toll on even the most luminous of complexions. And that’s where regular facials (deep cleansing! steaming! exfoliating!) come into play, especially during the final stretch of Paris Fashion Week. As evidenced by their bare faces under the bright lights backstage, Balmain regulars like Natasha Poly and Aiden Curtiss aren’t skipping appointments with their smooth, pore-less complexions. But the other non-negotiable? A rich, tried-and-true moisturizer applied day and night. For Duckie Thot, who just became L’Oréal’s newest ambassador, the brand’s Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care moisturizer, which she’s been known to whip out of her purse on the spot, has been her personal savior. “It keeps my skin fresh and super glow-y,” she said.
Cheeks Must Always Appear Sun-Kissed and Sculpted
“It’s all about beautiful, peachy skin with a little bit of sculpting,” said Garland. For flawless complexions that struck the perfect balance between matte and dewy, she used a hydrating, medium-coverage foundation as needed, playing up warm undertones with swirls of apricot blush on the cheeks. And because the Balmain girl wouldn’t dream of stepping out the door without a deftly chiseled visage, she further accentuated the hallows of the cheeks and high planes of the face with tawny contour powder and dabs of shimmery highlighter, respectively. “It’s all about blending,” she explained while buffing the apples of Delevingne’s cheeks.
Remember: Lips Always Look Better With Balm
Every girl in Balmain’s superstar lineup was wearing lipstick—but you’d never know it. And therein lies the beauty of Garland’s lip strategy for the show. Landing on the perfect pinky nude for each girl, she pressed the pigment into the mouth for a diffused, iridescent finish, just like a balm. The takeaway? Pick up a tube of lipstick in a your-lips-but-better shade for a seemingly bare yet full and healthy-looking pout.
