“I’m so bored of nice—just over it in a big way,” said the mane man backstage at Rochas, Eugene Souleiman. “[Hairstylists] need to loosen up and live a little.” And loosen up he did, bringing what he referred to as a “couture” sensibility to ready-to-wear hair. The “over-brushed” updos were based off a look he created for Spring 2012 (which featured a fifties egg shape), but this season Souleiman “wanted to make the head and feet do the same thing.” In other words, the Helena Bonham Carter-like styles were designed to flutter like the feather-duster flats and heels. In order to not torture the models’ strands too much, he pinned a teased bun form to the backs of their heads to act as an anchor, then misted all over with Wella Ocean Spritz to lend a “chemically processed” matte finish. Next, he randomly curled pieces with a half-inch curling iron, made tiny braids, and flat-ironed bits before brushing through them and creating a French-twist-like roll in the back (which he would later pull apart). The remaining sections were wrapped around the sides and front, forming a gentle halo of fuzz. Souleiman said of the end result: “It’s chaotic, but it’s beautiful.”
As for makeup artist Lucia Pieroni, she played off the iridescent fabrics and the catwalk music, which began with what sounded like drops of water hitting a hard surface. “It’s like when the Little Mermaid stays out of the sea for too long—she can’t live above ground, so she goes a bit hollow-eyed,” Pieroni said of the dusky tones that were wrapped around eyes. For a dewy base, she prepped skin with Clé de Peau Beauté The Serum, and then applied the deep purple, taupe-y plum, and pink shades from the forthcoming Eye Color Quad in 212 on the lids and lower lash lines, diffusing the pigment with a small blush brush. Cheek Color in 1 (an earthy hue) was dusted lightly along the sides of the face, and lips were slicked with Enriched Lip Luminizer in 226 (launching next Spring). For a “wet” finish, she dabbed Egyptian Magic on cheekbones, lids, and brows to catch the light, similar to the strands of multifaceted, opalescent beads draped twice around models’ necks.
